What is the "West Highland
Adventure"?
It’s an unforgettable opportunity to experience some of Scotland’s best hiking through its finest loch, moorland, and mountain scenery.
It’s a guided 95 mile hike along the famous West Highland Way, starting near Glasgow and finishing in the highland town of Fort William, nestled between the shores of Loch Linnhe and the shadow of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the United Kingdom. "The Way", as it is known to walkers, is the United Kingdom's oldest long distance walking track.
The Adventure provides a sampling of some of Scotland’s great hospitality, provided for weary trekkers in some of its finest B & Bs and smallest , oldest, quaintest hotels.
It’s a chance to learn more about Scotland’s fabled (and confusing) history as you enjoy the wonderful beauty of famous Loch Lomond, pass through the estate of one of her most famous mystery writers, cross the interesting and challenging Rannoch Moor, and enjoy the breathtaking scenery of the haunting Glencoe Valley. The West Highland Way follows gravel and dirt tracks, forest roads and some of the oldest military roads in Europe. At its highest elevation, 1,850 feet above sea-level at the "Devil's Staircase" on the northern side of the Glencoe Valley, the views are breathtaking on a clear day. The Glencoe region is often referred to as the British Alps. Many of the world's best known mountain climbers train here.
TheWest Highland Adventure is a 10 person, 12 day excursion, giving you time to enjoy Scotland and your hike at a comfortable pace. While the average hiking day is 7 miles, the first is 12 (easy, with a fine pub rest for lunch) and the last day is 14.5 miles, terminating at the base of Ben Nevis.
Finally, it’s an opportunity for you, the busy walking enthusiast, to let someone else do the planning, while you do only the packing. We make the bookings and baggage arrangements. All you do is hike and enjoy a highland adventure few Americans dare to contemplate because of the complexity of the arrangements.
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| Who Are Your
Guides? Learning from others along the trail, we have developed a trail itinerary that allows people of average hiking fitness to maximize the enjoyment of their experience. Our pace is comfortable, and the locations of our daily stops offer an interesting sampling of Scottish hospitality. We let you benefit from our experience as you pack properly and trek comfortably, avoiding the mistakes often made by those unfamiliar with the trail, or the complexity of hiking at Scotland’s latitude and in its ever-changing weather.Our knowledge of the West Highland Way has been enhanced by years of experience hiking, camping, and backpacking in the Western and Eastern mountains of the United States and Canada, including many stretches of the fabled Appalachian Trail and the remote wilderness of Isle Royale National Park. |
Paul and Mary Ann have
experienced "The Way"
|
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Everything! We will make all the arrangements for your hiking party. All you need to do is arrive in Scotland, walk, and enjoy yourself. We will deal with all necessary details including:
Our goal: help you enjoy an unforgettable experience, without a "forced march" feeling.
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Insight: We’ve walked "The Way" and many other trails in the United Kingdom
Experience: We’ve walked elsewhere like the White, Smokey, and Rocky Mountains
Knowledge: We know the Highlands, the trail, the lodging, the pubs, the weather
Solutions: For problems that often detract from the enjoyment of long distance trekking.
Attitude: We enjoy "The Way" and will help you to do so also. That’s why we take our time.
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* YOUR TIME IS VALUABLE. We save yours by using ours to plan your trip.
* YOU DON’T KNOW THE HIGHLANDS OF SCOTLAND. We do.
* YOU’RE NOT SURE WHERE TO GET CRITICAL INFORMATION. We know.
* YOU’RE A "TYPE B" PERSON. We’re not. Let us "type As" do the work.
* YOU WANT TO GO FOR A HASSLE-FREE HIKE. We’ll arrange it.
$1,450; $2,800 per couple for the year 2001. This fee includes the guides, room, breakfasts, bag transportation, and ground transportation. You pay the airfare, lunches, dinners, and expenses incurred enjoying the pubs or purchasing mementos and souvenirs.
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The places where we stay are very convenient to the West Highland Way. With two exceptions they do not require us to walk more than a few yards from the track. We use Bed and Breakfast accommodations in all cases. Most are small with no more than five or six rooms, and some are smaller, requiring that the group be split. For five of the nights we use small hotels which also include breakfast as part of the package.
The hotels we use have been chosen because they are convenient to the trail, but they also have a monopoly in their location. They are all very historic places. We prefer not to ask our clients to climb into a van for transport to a hotel at some other location. The hotels are in beautiful locations, and we feel that it is a part of the experience of exploring Scotland on foot to relax on location after arriving. This allows more time for reading, photo exploring, or just relaxing with friends in the lounge or pub.
The hotels are two or three star rated by the Scotland Tourism Board on a scale of one to five with five being the best. This means that not all rooms have a bath or shower, but all have a wash basin. In some cases, our clients will be using shared bath facilities. If this is not acceptable, we suggest that you use other guide services which offer transportation to higher rated hotels for your walk.
We have chosen our B and Bs for the same reasons. They are all close to The Way, owner occupied homes with the same kind of hospitality you would expect in the home of your best friend. Most are small, older homes, modernized, and beautifully maintained. They are mostly two star rated by the Tourism Board on their B and B rating scale of one to four, with four being the best. Again, this means that some rooms do not have in-room bathing facilities, so some participants will be using shared facilities. "Full Scottish" breakfasts are the norm, but a smaller continental breakfast is also available. The breakfast of egg, bacon, sausage, mushrooms, tomato, pancake or scone, kippers and toast are cooked by the homeowner with the greatest of care for your full enjoyment. When you are home reminiscing about your adventure, you may find that your B & B hosts are among the most interesting and cordial people encountered along The Way.
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Scheduled Walks for the Year 2001
All walks start on Monday. Participants should plan to arrive in Glasgow before 4:00pm on Sunday. All walks end on Thursday, and it is better if participants plan to stay in Fort William that night. You may find the informal celebration party at the Ben Nevis pub to be a wonderful way to conclude your walk, sharing memories not only with members of your walking group, but also with others you've met along The Way.
April 22 - May 3
June 17 -- June 28
July 15 -- July 26
September 9 -- September 20
| Contact
us for Bookings or More Information?
E-mail us at: or mail us your Reservation/Booking Form |
Paul@westhighlandadventures.com |
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Updated by PWR on Sept 27, 2000
