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What is this 5-day itinerary?
Five days is the West Highland Way at its fastest — the official express split, and a genuinely hard week. Four days run close to 18.6 mi (30 km) before a shorter finish into Fort William, so it suits fit walkers who are happy on long, rough days with no rest built in. If this is your first multi-day walk, start with the 7-day.
Read the West Highland Way guide for the whole trail.
Will this 5-day split work for you?
- Fit walkers: four days around 18.6 mi (30 km), then a shorter finish into Fort William.
- Official shortest: this is the trail body’s five-day plan (WHW1), not a squeezed 7-day.
- Not a first long trail: start on the 7-day if this is your first multi-day walk.
- Walking days: some operators sell “6 days / 5 nights”; they count travel. This page is five days on trail.
Fitness & effort
This is the most demanding of the standard splits. You need to be fit enough to walk 18.6 mi (30 km) over rough ground on back-to-back days, including the technical north shore of Loch Lomond and a single day that crosses Rannoch Moor and climbs the Devil's Staircase. There are no easy days to recover on. If you regularly walk 15.5–18.6 mi (25–30 km) in the hills and feel fine the next morning, five days is within reach; if not, the extra night on the 6- or 7-day makes the whole trail far more enjoyable.
Your 5-day route on the map
Most people walk this way
Milngavie to Fort William in 5 days
South to north, starting near Glasgow. On-trail distances from our geometry. The walk from the path to the door is not included.
| Day | Stage | Distance | Overnight / destination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Milngavie → Balmaha | 19.0 mi (30.5 km) | Oak Tree Inn (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 2 Longest | Balmaha → Inverarnan | 21.6 mi (34.8 km) | The Drovers Inn (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 3 | Inverarnan → Bridge of Orchy | 18.8 mi (30.2 km) | Bridge of Orchy Hotel (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 4 | Bridge of Orchy → Kinlochleven | 20.8 mi (33.5 km) | Tailrace Inn (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 5 | Kinlochleven → Fort William | 15.0 mi (24.2 km) | West Highland Way Finish |
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Day 1
Milngavie to Balmaha
19.0 mi (30.5 km) ↑ 720 m (2,350 ft) ↓ 760 m (2,500 ft)
A big first day that packs the gentle opening miles and the trail's first climb into one. Easy tracks through Mugdock Country Park and past a string of small lochs lead to Drymen, then the path climbs Conic Hill for the classic view over Loch Lomond and its islands. A steep drop brings you down to Balmaha on the shore. It is a long way for a first day, so start early and add nothing after the hill.
Example stay Oak Tree Inn (opens in a new tab)
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Day 2 Longest
Balmaha to Inverarnan
21.6 mi (34.8 km) ↑ 1,100 m (3,600 ft) ↓ 1,100 m (3,600 ft)
The hardest day of the itinerary, and one of the toughest on the whole trail. You follow the length of Loch Lomond's wild eastern shore — roots, boulders, and constant small climbs that are slow rather than steep, so the miles take far longer than the distance suggests. The Inversnaid Hotel, roughly halfway, is the only real break. Set off at first light, carry plenty of food and water, and expect a long day on your feet.
Example stay The Drovers Inn (opens in a new tab)
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Day 3
Inverarnan to Bridge of Orchy
18.8 mi (30.2 km) ↑ 750 m (2,450 ft) ↓ 600 m (1,950 ft)
A change of country after the loch. The path leaves the water and climbs into open Highland glens on old military and drove roads, passing Crianlarich and Tyndrum — both handy for a shop or lunch. The walking is kinder underfoot than yesterday but still a long day, ending at the single hotel in Bridge of Orchy. Bank some time in the morning while your legs are fresh.
Example stay Bridge of Orchy Hotel (opens in a new tab)
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Day 4
Bridge of Orchy to Kinlochleven
20.8 mi (33.5 km) ↑ 930 m (3,050 ft) ↓ 1,070 m (3,500 ft)
The biggest mountain day on the express split, rolling two of the trail's set-pieces into one. First the crossing of Rannoch Moor — a vast, exposed, beautiful emptiness with no shelter — then the climb to the Devil's Staircase, the highest point on the Way, before a long descent into Kinlochleven. Watch the forecast, leave early, and treat the Kingshouse Hotel as lunch, not a stop.
Example stay Tailrace Inn (opens in a new tab)
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Day 5
Kinlochleven to Fort William
15.0 mi (24.2 km) ↑ 710 m (2,350 ft) ↓ 710 m (2,350 ft)
After four hard days, the finish feels earned. A steep climb out of Kinlochleven leads into the Lairig Mòr, a long, remote glen beneath the Mamores, before forest tracks bring Ben Nevis into view. It is the shortest day of the five but still a proper walk. The Way ends at the walker statue in Fort William, with trains and buses out the same afternoon.
Finish West Highland Way Finish
Cross-check: official suggested itineraries (WHW1) . We use their settlement names as a cross-check. Distances are from our trail geometry, not their mile table.
Opposite direction
Fort William to Milngavie in 5 days
Same days, starting in the Highlands. Most first-timers use the cards above. The last walking day ends at the Milngavie obelisk.
| Day | Stage | Distance | Overnight / destination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Fort William → Kinlochleven | 15.0 mi (24.2 km) | Tailrace Inn (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 2 | Kinlochleven → Bridge of Orchy | 20.8 mi (33.5 km) | Bridge of Orchy Hotel (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 3 | Bridge of Orchy → Inverarnan | 18.8 mi (30.2 km) | The Drovers Inn (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 4 Longest | Inverarnan → Balmaha | 21.6 mi (34.8 km) | Oak Tree Inn (opens in a new tab) |
| Day 5 | Balmaha → Milngavie | 19.0 mi (30.5 km) | Milngavie |
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Day 1
Fort William to Kinlochleven
15.0 mi (24.2 km) ↑ 710 m (2,350 ft) ↓ 710 m (2,350 ft)
Day one from Fort William is the Lairig Mor the other way. The statue is behind you by mid-morning; the climb toward the Mamores is the work. Kinlochleven is a full village night, easier to land in than Kingshouse.
Example stay Tailrace Inn (opens in a new tab)
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Day 2
Kinlochleven to Bridge of Orchy
20.8 mi (33.5 km) ↑ 1,070 m (3,500 ft) ↓ 930 m (3,050 ft)
The climb out of Kinlochleven is the hard hour, then down the staircase and across the moor. You will meet most people coming the other way. Bridge of Orchy is a quiet night after a big day.
Example stay Bridge of Orchy Hotel (opens in a new tab)
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Day 3
Bridge of Orchy to Inverarnan
18.8 mi (30.2 km) ↑ 600 m (1,950 ft) ↓ 750 m (2,450 ft)
Old road to Tyndrum for lunch, then down the glen to the loch-head inns. You skip a Tyndrum night. Book the Drovers or Beinglas early. The last hour is gentler than the morning.
Example stay The Drovers Inn (opens in a new tab)
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Day 4 Longest
Inverarnan to Balmaha
21.6 mi (34.8 km) ↑ 1,100 m (3,600 ft) ↓ 1,100 m (3,600 ft)
You walk the same rocky north shore toward Balmaha. It is still the slowest underfoot day. Start early. The south loch after Inversnaid feels easier; Balmaha is a proper village finish.
Example stay Oak Tree Inn (opens in a new tab)
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Day 5
Balmaha to Milngavie
19.0 mi (30.5 km) ↑ 760 m (2,500 ft) ↓ 720 m (2,350 ft)
Conic Hill is a climb out of Balmaha, then a long easy finish into Milngavie. The obelisk is a quieter end than Fort William; budget the hill for the morning while legs are fresh.
Finish Milngavie
5-day itinerary FAQ
Is 5 days too fast for the West Highland Way?
It is the official shortest itinerary, so it is a recognised way to walk the trail — but it is demanding. Four days run close to 18.6 mi (30 km) over rough ground with no rest day, so it suits fit, experienced walkers rather than first-timers. If you are unsure, the 6- or 7-day splits add a night and make the hard sections much more manageable.
Which is the hardest day?
Day 2, Balmaha to Inverarnan, along the wild north shore of Loch Lomond — around 20.5 mi (33 km) of slow, rocky, root-tangled ground that takes far longer than the distance suggests. Day 4 is the biggest for climbing and exposure, crossing Rannoch Moor and the Devil's Staircase in one go.
How fit do I need to be?
Very. You should be able to walk 18.6 mi (30 km) over rough terrain on consecutive days and feel ready to do it again the next morning. Long training walks in the hills, carrying whatever you plan to take on the trail, are the best preparation. If 18.6 mi (30 km) back-to-back sounds like a stretch, choose a longer split.
Do I need to book accommodation in advance?
Yes. Beds are limited at Balmaha, the loch-head inns, Bridge of Orchy, and Kinlochleven, and they fill months ahead for summer. With only five stops your itinerary is fixed, so book each night as early as you can.
Should I use a baggage transfer service?
On the five-day split it is strongly recommended. Carrying a full pack over Conic Hill and the rocky north shore on 18.6 mi (30 km) days is punishing, and transfer services move your main bag between stops for a modest daily fee so you walk with just a day pack.
Can I download a GPX for the 5-day West Highland Way?
Yes. Open this itinerary in the planner (free, no account). Download a full-route GPX or per-day files for Garmin, Komoot, or your phone. You can export the preset unchanged or edit overnight stops first.
Personalise this itinerary
This 5-day itinerary is ready as it stands. Open it in the planner to keep these stops, or change where you sleep, then download the GPX for your watch or phone.
Open in planner Back to the comparison
Full-trip and per-day GPX files. Free, no account.
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