After our week of canyoning, we got geared up for our hike on Scotland’s premier long-distance hike, the West Highland Way. Along the 96-mile route, we started in the small town of Milngavie, hiked through lowland parks, followed loch shores along the rugged eastern side of Loch Lomond, traversed old military roads and open moorlands, stopped for a whiskey distillery tour located right off the trail, and finished with a summit of the UK’s highest point, Ben Nevis, before hitching a train ride from Fort William back to Glasgow. While not quite a totally remote setting, the hike still features immense natural beauty, marred somewhat by the ubiquitous and annoying midges, as well as some local teenage hikers whom I had to scold for littering on the trail. Angie did not think my scolding was necessary, which brought about a friendly debate on when it’s okay to confront people about being assholes. Ultimately, there was a lot to like about the West Highland Way. The scenery was beautiful, the variety of landscapes kept things interesting, and it was a great way to experience Scotland on foot. That said, between the midges and the lack of a true wilderness feeling, I wouldn’t quite put it in the world-class category. Still, it’s well worth doing, especially if you pair it with something else, like a week of canyoning.
