Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
HIKING THE
west highland way
One of Scotland's best-known long-dis-
tance footpaths is the
West Highland
Way
, established in the 1980s. For
most people, it begins rather unevent-
fully northwest of Glasgow in the afflu-
ent suburb of Milngavie (pronounced
“mill-
guy
”). But as the trail winds its
way for some 153km (95 miles), it just
gets better and better. North along the
eastern shore of Loch Lomond, through
the desolate and prehistoric looking
Rannoch Moor, and along the breathtak-
ing and historic Glen Coe, ending finally
in Fort William, the trail is particularly
dramatic. Hikers can backpack and
camp along the way or stay at inns con-
veniently dotted along the trail. There
are tour companies, as well, that will
haul your luggage from stop to stop
along the way. At the northern terminus,
you're at the foot of Ben Nevis, Scot-
land's highest mountain.
Trains run frequently throughout the
day from the Queen Street railway sta-
tion in central Glasgow to Milngavie, the
starting point of the walk. The 25-min-
ute trip costs about £3 one-way. In Fort
William, you can catch the ScotRail train
back to Glasgow. For details, visit www.
west-highland-way.co.uk, or contact the
National Park Gateway Centre at Loch
Lomond Shores (01389 751035; www.
lochlomondshores.com).
20
water not only in Scotland but all of Great Britain (Loch Lomond), as well as the
historic burgh of Stirling and its great castle, plus the towering hills and forests of
the Trossachs (which are linked to the Highland mountains further northwest).
Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond is only about a half-hour drive or train ride from the city limits of
Glasgow. At the southern edge, on the outskirts of the otherwise unremarkable if
pleasant town of Balloch, the
Lomond Shores
development (www.lochlomond
shores.com) was opened in 2002. The complex includes a shopping mall and an
information center (daily 10am-5pm;
&
01389/722-199
). The National Park
Gateway Centre has guidance on using the adjacent national park—Scotland's
first—that extends up the eastern shores of the loch.
If you're hiking, the trails up the eastern shoreline are preferable. This is the route
that the West Highland Way (see below) follows. If you are a canoeing or kayaking
enthusiast, the Lomond Shores' visitor center has rentals (
&
01389/602-576;
www.canyouexperience.com) for £15 per hour. Up the western shores, before the
notoriously winding road at Tarbet, where the train from Glasgow to Oban stops,
visitors can take loch cruises. Golfers will likely be attracted to the Loch Lomond
country club, which hosts the annual Scottish Open professional golf championship,
near the pleasant resort village of
Luss.
Stirling & the Trossachs
North-northeast of Glasgow some 42km (26 miles) is historic Stirling, with its
castle
set dramatically on the hill above the town. During the reign of the Stuarts
in the 16th century, royalty preferred Stirling to Edinburgh. Stirling Bridge is
believed to be the crucial site of a 13th-century battle between English invaders and
