West Highland Way Traveller Reviews

This is the sixth walking holiday we have booked through Mickledore. This time we walked the West Highland Way, which was as beautiful as we had been told! The accommodation was excellent and very varied, always on the route and our hosts were very good. One of us has a gluten intolerance and that was catered for very well. The route is very clearly way marked but the information provided by Mickledore means that you can enjoy learning about the area you are walking in and about the facilities available at each location. We met lots of people who were walking, some on their own, couples and bigger groups. Public transport to the start and finish is good so avoiding the need for the car.

Mickledore is a first class company. They have really mastered the art of organising a walking holiday and never fail to amaze us how they manage to find such great accommodation and hosts. Their website is a perfect place to start and allows you to decide which walk is best and over how many days. Their customer service and speed of replying to any queries is excellent - nothing is too much trouble. Their information pack gives you all the information required about where you are staying, how to get there and gives you lots of valuable information about the places you will be visiting. They can organise a baggage transfer service which moves your overnight luggage to the next destination which is really helpful. When staying in remote locations too, hosts can provide pack lunches which is great. We are already planning our next walk through Mickledore!

Every accomodation was great, serving fine to superb food. Service by Mickledore was great from the start.

Fast reaction on info request, clear info and booking process, great materials and service during holiday.

Mickledore booked all my B&B’s and organised transport of the luggage. The accomodations were very good and near the trail!

Very good and helpfull communication!

A group of six completed the West Highland Way Walk over eight days, Mickledore arranged all our accommodation and luggage transport throughout the journey.

Mickledore were totally faultless. No complications with anything. Excellent communication throughout from initial enquiry to the end of the trip.

We opted to do the West Highland Way as our third long distance walk. We thought that we needed to build up to this one as people in their late sixties and this one is described as moderate to difficult. The strategy must have worked because we coped well with the demands of the walk despite the poor weather for the time of year. It is a truly spectacular route and the rainy weather did not detract from our enjoyment of the route. I would advise anyone doing it however, to make sure they have good quality water proof clothing and water proof walking boots. On our previous walking holidays, one in a similar part of the Scottish Highlands and the other in the North of England, the waterproof garments were literally baggage, as we basked in temperatures from the low to high 20s at a very similar time of year. This year was very different. Another decision you will need to make is the length of time you are going to take over the walk. Our tour company offered the choice of of 6,7,8 or 9 days. We chose a fairly conservative 8 days averaging 12 miles a day. The walk begins at Milngavie on the north western outskirts of Glasgow. Do get you "passport" at the outdoor shop close to the start of the trail. You can then opt to have it stamped at hotels, inns and guest houses en route. We started on 29 May and after a very dry month the first real rain arrived in the area with us on the Wednesday evening before we started. Thursday dawned with the rain persisting but by the time we set off from the comfortable Milngavie Premier Inn it was little more than nuisance drizzle and as we progressed through Allander Park northwards, even this subsided. It never got bright but it was a pleasant and relatively easy walk towards the first nights stop in the village of Drymen and the more challenging terrain ahead. There were plenty of potential picnic spots for a fairer day but we decided to take advantage of the pleasant cafe at the Oakwood Garden Centre cafe for lunch on Day One. About an hour from Drymen the heavens opened and we did get properly wet. Our B&B in Drymen was comfortable and we had a decent dinner in the Clachan Inn. We had identified other WHW walkers back in Milngavie and caught up with some of those in Drymen. It is a feature of this walk that you are likely to come across walkers from all over the world. In our case we shared parts of the trail with walkers from Canada, Australia, The Netherlands, Germany, France and Italy. There was a real sense of camaraderie. It would take me a long time to describe every day in detail so I will try and pick out highlights. Quite early in Day 2 the first real ascent begins up Conic Hill. On a good day it affords a magnificent view over the southern end of Loch Lomond and the surrounding countryside. We did see it on a good day 2 years ago but the views were limited by the dark rain clouds and mist on day 2. Despite this it was still a very pretty descent into the attractive loch shore village of Balamaha. Our second night was at the Rowardennan Hotel. The walk from Balmaha to Rowardennan and indeed the following morning is through undulating forest trails, with some steep climbs and views of this most scenic of lochs. The Inversnaid Hotel provides a haven for Lunch on Day 3, even offering an area inside for walkers to take their packed lunches - very impressive. The journey along the eastern shore of the loch continues but the terrain changes after Inversnaid. For about 90 minutes the trail is a constant obstacle course of rocky terrain taking you up and down the hillside and across the many burns stimulated by the heavy rainfall of the last couple of days. This section of the trail places a premium on being sure footed and was the part of the trail we found most demanding. There is the reward of reaching the head of the Loch with beautiful views over the harbour of Ardlui on the western side of the loch. It was with some relief that we emerged into meadowland and the climbs now offering magnificent views of the highland landscape. It took about another 90 minutes to reach Inverarnon and our next overnight stay at Beinglas Farm lodges. Undoubtedly the most demanding day so far although it had offered stunning highland views and had been mostly dry. The Falls of Falloch looked quite magnificent early in the walk on morning 4.The scenery is now open and even on a rainy day the peaks of the Monroes, Ben More and Stop Binnein are clearly visible rising up to the west of the trail. We took the diversion of about a kilometre down into Crianlarich and had lunch in the hotel there. Another hotel which catered for walkers and provided a drying room for boots and coats. After ascending back up on to the trail a remarkable thing happened - the sun came out and the moors and mountains looked truly resplendent bathed in the light. We even allowed ourselves an ice cream at Kirkton Farm and a further hour took us to Tyndrum and our stay at the homely Glengarry Guest House. From Tyndrum the path is an old military road which runs close to the A82 and the train line from Fort William to Glasgow. It was very satisfying when travelling back on the train to see the path, which you have trodden. The proximity of the road does not detract from the impressive views of another Monroe, Being Dorain, this time to the east. The Bridge of Orchy and its hotel provided a refuge on Day 5 lunch time, with the now customary drying facilities and welcome tea and scones. Leaving the hotel we crossed the bridge over the raging River Orchy and a short afternoon over the hillside offering picturesque views of Ranoch Moor and Loch Tulla. The rain began to intensify so the Inveroran hotel was a welcome sight and our next stop. The morning rain cleared soon after we had started on Day 6 and we walked over Victoria Bridge and began our climb up the Black Mount. The beautiful scenery carries on during the climb up to just short of 450 metres. As the guide book remarks, "true highland scenery wild and desolate." The descent down to the Kingshouse Hotel is just as stunning with the magnificent pass of Glencoe becoming apparent. This was a short day for us and we arrived at the newly refurbished Kingshouse hotel at lunch time. Should we have gone for the further 10 miles on to Kinlochleven? One of the reasons for stopping at that point was that soon into the next section of the trail is the climb up the forbiddingly named "Devil's Staircase." We saved this for the morning of Day 7. Like most features with this kind of name it is not as bad as its name suggests although it is a steep climb with a number of switchbacks up to two cairns at 548 metres. Top views north to the Mamores with Ben Nevis rising behind. This section finishes with a steep descent down to Kinlochleven at sea level. Our final day was a demanding 15 miles to Fort William with an initial climb up through "The Big Pass," which I found as demanding as yesterdays climb. Draw dropping scenery the whole day ending with a steep descent into Fort William. We made doubly sure that we secured our final passport stamp in the tourist office. Even as someone who has run 23 marathons and an ultra marathon I felt a real sense of achievement. It was also rewarding to share it with others whom we had befriended along the trail. A top class experience!

They specialise in organising UK walking holidays and they know their business. It's the third walking holiday we have done with them and I am sure we will do another.

our group of friends (7 in. total) walked WHW from Crianlarich to Fort William; a great experience

all has been organized perfectly by Mickledore

I'd been wanting to do this walk for some time and finally took the plunge. It lived up to expectations, every day brought a change of scenery and somewhere friendly and comfortable to spend the night. This was my 6th Mickledore holiday and totally lived up to the high standards which I've come to take for granted.

Mickledore provide a complete service, from accommodation to route details and all the information you are likely to need on the walk - from ATMs to pharmacies and coffee stops. As a solo walker, I feel confident that, should any problem arise, support is available.

West Highland Way self guided walking holiday was excellent with stunning scenery. As the accommodation and baggage transfers were organised for us all we had to do was enjoy the walking and the beautiful environment!

We have used Mickledore once before and as last time their service was excellent and efficient,, The information pack is great detailing foot outlets, cash points etc. The staff are really friendly and helpful. We will certainly use them again

A great walk with everything taken care of by Mickledore. Enjoyed every day of it. az

After booking my Great Glen Way walk last year I have decided to book with Mickledore again because I had such a great experience. Everything was taken care of and I only had to get there and enjoy the walk.

I walked the West Highland Way and Great Glen Way over two weeks.

Mickledore did a brilliant job. Every single interaction with them was smooth, helpful, friendly and efficient. Mickledore booking my accommodation (including packed lunches and some evening meals) and luggage transfers, and providing maps, guidebooks and information saved me days of work. It was worth any extra penny it cost over doing it myself (and I'm not sure it even cost much more). I wouldn't hesitate to use them again.