The snow started to fall heavily as I made my way up the Devil’s Staircase, every step plunged my feet into further pain and my mind into questioning what I was doing, all whilst seemingly making no progress.
Every year, thousands of people set out to walk the 96 miles of the West Highland Way, last week, I was one of them.
Drawn in by images of dramatic landscapes, peaceful lochs, and the promise of a fair yet rewarding challenge, I packed my boots and headed off.
Setting Off
On paper, it sounds simple enough, 96 miles from Milngavie to Fort William, broken up over several days, with well-marked paths and plenty of stopping points along the way.
And in many ways, it is exactly that. But there are parts of the experience that don’t make it into the brochures.
The first is just how relentless it can feel. It’s not always the big climbs that get you, it’s the accumulation. Day after day of walking, often for seven or eight hours at a time, starts to wear you down in ways you don’t quite expect.
What begins as a scenic hike becomes something more physical, walking sticks become a common sight and walking in pain is something you have to get a hang of if you have any hope of finishing.
Before going, I thought to myself, ‘how hard can it be? It’s only walking.’ And whilst that is true, walking with sore, wet, blistered feet is more a test of determination than anything else.
The Challenges
Then there’s the weather, something anyone in Scotland should anticipate, but never fully appreciates until they’re in the middle of it.
One minute you’re walking alongside a loch in perfect stillness, the next you’re pulling on waterproofs and questioning your life choices.
Another thing people don’t always mention is how mental the challenge can be. There are long stretches where the scenery barely changes and you’re just putting one foot in front of the other with no real sense of progress.
For a lot of people, myself included, music becomes a major help here, with AirPods turning those quieter sections into something far more manageable.
The section past Loch Lomond is definitely the worst for this. The path ceases to be much of a path and you spend what seems like eternity fighting your way over huge tree roots, massive rocks, and constant changes in elevation.
It’s in moments like that where motivation dips, and you start to realise that finishing the walk isn’t just about fitness, but mindset.
The paths were actually the most surprising part of the whole walk for me, for such a well known and commonly walked route, they were rough, uneven and in some places almost non-existent, which made things a lot harder.
But it’s definitely not all bad, there is plenty of amazing moments where every painful step pays off.
Why it’s Worth it
One of the things that makes the West Highland Way special is the sense of shared experience.
You start to recognise the same faces at different stops, exchange quick conversations, and update each other on your travels for that day.
The environments are warm, friendly, and welcoming, making them perfect for relaxing after you reach your stop, or helping you to stay in a cheerful mood en route.
There are other moments that make everything else feel worth it too. A view that suddenly opens up after hours of walking, a stretch of quiet where it’s just you and the landscape, or even something as simple as reaching your bed at the end of a long day.
And then there’s the finish.
Arriving in Fort William comes with a strange mix of relief and disbelief. After days of walking, it’s hard to adjust to the idea that you’re done, that there’s nowhere left to go and no need to drag yourself out of bed the next morning.
The West Highland Way is often sold as a scenic escape, and it absolutely can be. But it’s also tiring, unpredictable, and at times frustrating. It demands more than you expect, physically and mentally.
But that’s exactly why you should do it. It’ll push you further than you thought a walk ever could, shows you some of Scotland’s most beautiful sights and leave you with a sense of accomplishment not much else can match.
Featured Image Credit: Emma Louise Oates
2nd year journalism and sport student at the University of Stirling, with a particular interest in music and sports. Sport editor for Brig Newspaper.
