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West Highland Way - advices ?

Posted by on

Hi everyone,

I've already walked several Camino de Santiago routes, and I'm looking for something similar in terms of atmosphere, but in a different setting—to change things up and discover new horizons. The West Highland Way seems like a great option, but I have a few questions for those who have done it before:
Do I absolutely need to book accommodations in advance, or is it possible to find a bed upon arrival, like on the Camino?
I don’t want to carry a tent—does that make organizing the trek much more difficult? Are there enough B&Bs, hostels, or hotels along the way?
How easy is it to meet people on the trail? On the Camino, it's easy to walk with other pilgrims and share the experience. Is it similar on the WHW, or are hikers generally more solitary?
What is your most valuable piece of advice for someone about to set off? What do you wish you had known before doing the WHW?

Thanks in advance for your insights and experiences! 😊

Posted by
1386 posts

Its a VERY popular trail think near 100,000 walk all or part of it.The statue of the hiker rubbing his foot in Fort William often has a queue waiting for people to take their finishing photo. Bit like Skye, accomodation is limited.
Pretty sure there's a bag courrier service on the route ,so if you had to camp you could just walk with a daysac.
Be no trouble hiking with people.

There are 5 West Highland Way,Facebook groups !

Posted by
1404 posts

Hi chi -

You absolutely need to book your accommodation in advance, either independently, or possibly more easily, through one of the many companies that do ‘Sherpa’ tours where you carry your daily needs in a day sack, while your main baggage is transported to the separate lodgings along the route on a daily basis. I have a feeling (only that) that while there’s quite a lot of accommodation on or near the route, that the sherpa companies may reserve the best in bulk long before individuals get around to booking rooms. I have no direct evidence for this but it would make sense for the companies to reserve rooms in bulk knowing how popular the trail is.

As for meeting other hikers en route, I’d say that was highly likely, but I’m not sure the WHW is as busy as the Camino in that regard. It’s been a while since I walked the whole thing, but I’ve walked along sections plenty of times since and there have been folk out and about, even in late winter/early spring.

I’m sure you’d have a great time, given the weather cooperates (which always helps)!

Ian

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