West Highland Way Trailblazer Walking Guide by Loram, Charlie;

Short description:

Practical route guide, maps and accommodation for 96-mile West Highland Way (Glasgow & Milngavie to Fort William & Ben Nevis). 53 large-scale walking maps (1:20,000); 26 town/village guides; day walks.

Long description:

All the information you need to enjoy your hiking adventure along the West Highland Way in this fully revised 9th edition.

Practical, complete guide to walking the West Highland Way, a 96-mile footpath which begins just north of Glasgow at Milngavie, runs through the lowlands beside Loch Lomond, across wild Rannoch Moor on the old drovers’ road, into the highlands beside Ben Nevis to end in Fort William.

Inside this guide you'll find:

• 53 large-scale walking maps - 1:20,000 (3-1/8 inches to 1 mile), 4 town plans, 8 stage maps with trail profiles showing hills and descents, and 2 overview maps


• Detailed accommodation with reviews: B&Bs, campsites, pubs, hotels, bunkhouses and bothies


• Where to eat with reviews: cafes, teashops, pubs, takeaways and restaurants


• Comprehensive public transport information with frequency of services for all access points on the Path


• Downloadable GPS waypoints with what3words reference


• Itineraries for all walkers, whether hiking the entire route or sampling highlights on day walks, weekends or short breaks


• Unique mapping features - walking times, directions, tricky junctions, places to stay, places to eat, points of interest written onto the maps


• Flora and fauna - four page full colour flower guide, plus an illustrated section on local wildlife


• Glasgow city guide


• Ben Nevis climbing guide

Table of Contents:

CONTENTS       INTRODUCTION    West Highland Way  History 8 – How difficult is it? 11  How long do you need? 12 – When to go 13    PART 1: PLANNING YOUR WALK    Practical information for the walker  Route finding 17 – Accommodation 18 – Food and drink 22  Money 24 – Other services 25 – Walking companies 25 – Information for foreign visitors 26 – Walking with dogs 28 – Mountain biking 29    Budgeting 29    Itineraries  Village and town facilities 31 – Which direction? 32  Suggested itineraries 32 – Hillwalking side trips 33   Day and weekend walks 34    What to take  Keep your luggage light 35 – How to carry it 35 – Footwear 36  Clothes 37 – Toiletries 38 – First-aid kit 38 – General items 38  Sleeping bag 39 – Camping gear 39 – Money 39 – Maps 40  Sources of further information 40 – Recommended reading 42    Getting to and from the West Highland Way  National transport 42 – Getting to Britain 43  Public transport map 46 – Local transport 48    PART 2: MINIMUM IMPACT WALKING & OUTDOOR SAFETY    Minimum impact walking  Economic impact 49 – Environmental impact 50 – Access 53    Outdoor safety  Avoidance of hazards 56 – Weather forecasts 56 – Water 57  Blisters 57 – Bites 57 – Hypothermia 59 – Hyperthermia 60    PART 3: THE ENVIRONMENT & NATURE    Conserving Scotland’s nature  Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) 62 – Campaigning & conservation organisations 63 – Beyond conservation 64    Flora and fauna  Flowers 65 – Trees 67 – Mammals 71 – Reptiles 74  Butterflies 74 – Birds 74     PART 4: GLASGOW    City guide  Orientation 78 – Arrival and departure 78  Getting around and to Milngavie 79 – Services 82  Festivals & events 83 – Where to stay 83  Where to eat and drink 87 – What to see and do 91    Walking from Glasgow to Milngavie 95    PART 5: ROUTE GUIDE AND MAPS    Using this guide  99    Milngavie 100    Milngavie to Drymen 103    Drymen to Balmaha 116    Balmaha to Rowardennan 121    Rowardennan to Inversnaid 128    Inversnaid to Inverarnan 134    Inverarnan to Crianlarich 139    Crianlarich to Tyndrum 143    Tyndrum to Bridge of Orchy 149     Bridge of Orchy to Kingshouse 155    Glen Coe 162    Kingshouse to Kinlochleven 170    Kinlochleven to Fort William 174    Climbing Ben Nevis 180    Fort William 188    APPENDICES    A: Gaelic 193  B: GPS Waypoints 195  C: Taking a dog along the Way 198  D: Distance chart 200  E: Map keys 202    INDEX  203    OVERVIEW MAPS & PROFILES  211