The West Highland Way is the most famous hiking trail in Scotland. Its 96 mile path starts near the lowlands, just north of Glasgow, and finishes at Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Great Britain, at Fort William. Thru-hikers generally break it down into 5 to 7 day stretches, either camping alongside the trail, or sleeping in nearby inns.
The plan was not to complete the entire West Highland Way. My hope was to perhaps spend a few hours there. Our days were running out on our stay in the West Highlands of Scotland and the weather was not cooperating. While the morning was doable, the afternoon, the time we penciled in for Glencoe, turned nasty with consistent rain and cold winds.
In preparation for our trip to Scotland, I got more familiar with the trek by reading Waypoints, a book by a star of the Outlander series, Sam Heughan. It is part autobiography and part travelogue, as he recounts his hike along the West Highland Way.
I enjoyed his description of the trail and the folks he met during the adventure, but really did not grasp the beauty of the area and did not prioritize it on our itinerary, and therefore it was shuffled to our last days in the region.
We were heading southeast on the A82 highway, with the West Highland Way and the River Coe just to our right. The West Highland Way is the faint grey line beneath the A82 in the map below.
The scenery, despite the weather, was beautiful, yet hard to describe. On this particular day the cloud-filtered light did mystifying things with the sky and landscape, as seen in the title photo and others below. It was fascinating.
We, like many others, found a pull off that allowed us to look down into the valley and upon the graveled West Highland Way.
By looking across the swale we could take in The Three Sisters, a group of mountains that are familiar to many trekkers and outdoor enthusiasts. Two of the three sisters are seen in the title photo, and we captured the third, on the left, in the photo below.
Luckily the rain let up, giving us a small window of opportunity to explore the glen, which I did with two of my British cousins. In the basin, the sound of rushing water from the River Coe was magnified, calling us, and many others from the overlook. To do so, we crossed the West Highland Way.
We reached the foot of a bridge where we saw this marker.
While crossing the bridge we had a nice upstream view of the River Coe, with two of the Three Sisters to its right.
The view downstream was obstructed by trees but gives one a feel for the diminutive size of the river.
The bridge was of steel girders that crossed the stream without support. It allowed for a slight bounce as you walked – just a little unsettling.
The view, once we got across, was outstanding, with the three thousand foot high mountain Aonach Dubn, one of the three sisters, to the right,
and an unobstructed view of the River Coe to the left.
There were actually a fair number of hikers heading up the trail from this point. Since returning home I have realized that this trail, Coire Nan Lochan as seen on the stone post, is a very challenging and popular “side hike” along the path of the West Highland Way. It takes folks up into an isolated valley with waterfalls and pools, and eventually onto Coire Gabhail, the “Hidden Valley”, on the other side of the crest.
Based on what I have found online, this remote section of the trail is much more challenging. At the end of this article I have included a link to a video of a couple hikers traversing it.
Having left the other five members of our party at the overlook we did not have time to go further. As we returned we did enjoy additional views of the River Coe Valley.
I also took the opportunity to have a short jaunt on the West Highland Way – just so I could say that I have been on it.
In summary, in all honesty this was not really a hike on the West Highland Way. Most of our brief visit was on the side hike. But it did get us into the environs of the West Highland Way. The beauty of the Coe River Valley near Glencoe allows me to encourage travelers to add a visit there to their itinerary. While I had no plans to hike it in its entirety, I somehow pictured a sunny day with a several hour trek across this landmark hiking venue, taking in the vistas and scenery that it is famous for. But still, I was blessed to have the time I did, with people I love, embracing the splendor. Everyone should be so lucky. When, not if, I return to Scotland, I will do a little more research on the West Highland Way and prioritize some time on it. As we departed the West Highlands area two days later, beneath sunnier skies, we again followed the A82, and the scenery southeast of the Three Sisters Overlook was stunning. So even if you are not a hiker you can take in the beauty of the area with this scenic drive. It was truly one of the most spectacular of my life.
And since this will be our last article on our hikes in Scotland, my cousins and I will bid you slán, Gaelic for goodbye.
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Photo credits to Peggy Juengling Burns, Patrick Burns, Karen Rockell and Joanne Thomason.
Overview:
Location – Ballachulish PH49 4HX, UK, United Kingdom. It is just a few miles east of Glencoe on the A82.
Parking – gravel lot for about 20 cars.
Trail Conditions – generally exposed dirt with some gravel and stone. The portion of the trail that we hiked is listed as moderate and there is a steep descent down into the valley from the overlook. The more remote portions of the trail are truly strenuous and at times treacherous.
Facilities – none, but there are some at the Glencoe Visitor Centre about 4 miles away.
Trail Map Link – none.
Benches – none.
Picnic Tables – none.
Kids – 7 and older should do well on the lower portions of the trail.
Dogs – welcomed on a leash.
Suggested Paired Hikes – none
Links:
Great photos
Thanks. The light was spectacular.