Scotland's West Highland Way at 40 — Under The Tartan Sky

The West Highland Way is Scotland’s first long distance walking trail. It is a magnet to serious walkers from around the world. It has been voted one of the top ten outdoor attractions in the world by National Geographic. It is a long distance signposted route of 96 miles, from Glasgow to Fort William, from the Scottish lowlands to the Highlands. It is the West Highland Way, and it turns 40 years old today, 6 October 2020.

It was envisioned and proposed by the late Tom Hunter, a lover of the outdoors who saw the West Highland Way (and other long distance walks), as a means to encourage Scots to get out and connect with nature and to protect the natural environment from over development. Today the walk is a top tourist attraction and an economic boon to Scotland and especially those businesses along the way that provide essential services for the thousands upon thousands of locals and international tourists who hit the trail each year. The path is estimated to generate more than 5-million pounds annually for the local economies.

West Highland Way route map courtesy TMBTENT.com. Click the image to visit their website.

The West Highland Way offers a variety of walking surfaces and includes parts of ancient roads including drover’s roads, old coaching routes, and military roads dating to the Jacobite uprisings. It is commonly walked in 7 to eight days but can be done in far less – 5or 6 days for example and Tom Hunter once walked it in 3 days.

The route can be tackled in a variety of manners depending on your fitness level. You can strike out with a rucksack and a tent, camping along the way, or you can divide the route into daily hikes with accommodations at the end of each day’s walk – there are even services that will transport your luggage for you from stop to stop so you might need as little as a solid pair of walking boots and perhaps a sturdy shillelagh, or walking stick.

Start point in Milngavie outside Glasgow 16th Sep 2020

The view of Loch Lomond from the top of Conic Hill on day 1

One of the many water falls passed walking up the banks of Loch Lomond on day 2.

Day 3 and not every 'path' is easy to walk! Walking from Tyndrum towards Bridge of Orchy.

The view as I started tbe walk towards Rannoch Moor and Glen Coe, just beyond Bridge of Orchy. Day 4

Morning visitor at the wild camping stop in Glen Coe

Me about to climb the 'Devils Staircase' walking towards Kinlochleven on day 5

The view as walking from the wild camping spot outside Kinlochleven on the last morning, last stop Fort William. Day 6

Shortly after crossing the finishing line in Fort William

A gallery of images captured by Kim on his walk. All copyright Kim Kjaerside. Note the difference in the terrain and the surfaces of the walking path. Click on any single image to enlarge it.

Kim Kjaerside is a Dane living in Scotland. I note that for those who, upon hearing his voice will remark – wait -that’s no Scottish accent. Kim moved initially to London 20 years ago on a study break – having been training in the furniture and cabinetry making business. His plan was to return to Denmark 6 months later and continue his studies but then he met and fell in love with a Scottish lass, Pauline. The two were married and have made their home in Scotland for 15 years now. They have a beautiful 5 year old daughter Freya, and a soon to be 2 year old son Carson.

Kim is in essence an ambassador for Scotland and the city of Edinburgh. He works at the Edinburgh International Conference Center and in his role seeks to attract non-profit and charitable organizations to hold their conferences, conventions, exhibitions and the like in the city of Edinburgh. Kim is also a blogger and photographer who especially enjoys sharing the beauty of the city of Edinburgh on social media.

In the interest of transparency, Kim is a personal friend. We were introduced online about 5 years ago by a mutual Scottish friend and met personally some 3 years ago at a wee ceilidh (or social get together) I held for a variety of Scottish blogger friends on one of my many trips to Scotland.

I first learned of and followed Kim’s trek along the west highland way through his social media channels. With the timing so close to the 4oth anniversary of the trail I reached out to chat with him about the experience, not knowing his walk carried its own personal 40th significance – a fact I learned when I asked the obvious question – why take on a 96 mile walk at this stage in life???