The West Highland Way in 10 Photos

Walking the West Highland Way was exhilarating, tiring (full disclosure: we were carrying fifteen kilo rucksacks, and completed the route in five days) and rewarding in equal measure. Beginning in the sleepy commuter town of Milngavie, just outside Glasgow, it stretches for 96 miles through Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park and The Mamores, and finishes in Fort William, at the foot of the UK’s highest peak (that’s Ben Nevis, or just ‘The Ben’).

When I cast my mind back to our time on this route, it’s the people we met that spring to mind first: the Swedish guy who was hiking from Land’s End to John O’Groats; the friendly owner of By The Way campsite in Tyndrum; and the bloke who’d brought his juggling batons along for the ride, to name but a few. Then, the wildlife: the red deer we inadvertently startled amongst the ferns; the mouse that scurried past someone’s head in the bothy we stayed in; and, of course, the adorable Highland cows. And, last but not least, the scenery: the expansive, crystal-clear lochs; the pristine, loch-side beaches (though woe betide anyone who decided to camp on them, for there were midges aplenty lying in wait); and the lush, rolling hills, their peaks often shrouded in cloud.

Today, I’m sharing ten of my favourite photos from the West Highland Way . . .