Scottish Holiday
 

The Mrs. and I are planning a vacation in the Scotland Highlands, mid- May of 2026. The plan is to do a 7 day walkbout on the West Highland Way with a tour company handling luggage, transportaton, hotel reservations, etc. The plan is simple: we walk from hotel to hotel on the WHW, never exceeding 20.0 miles a day, day pack only - no serious "yomping".

Any fellow Pelicans have experience with this, would like to hear your thoughts.

Thankyou kindly, Sam

I've not done it. I've always wanted to do something similar with Hadrian's Wall. This also looks awesome!
https://www.westhighlandway.org/the-route/

Your profile doesn't say where you are. You don't say how much walking you're used to doing now. I'd want to do a lot of walking now to get used to it. I'd also try to make sure to get in a lot of walking on hills because it looks like the last 60 miles are pretty hilly. Figure out what shoes work best for you doing this walking and make sure that you've got a pair that's broken in for the actual walk. I'm thinking that you want to have a poncho for rain, and maybe have your hiking boots/shoes be waterproof. Hiking in soggy shoes sucks.

This sounds great. I look forward to hearing about it once you've done it!

I have not done the West Highland Way but did Wainwrights Coast to Coast when I was in my sixties. It was two hundred miles across Northern England. I also used a company that took my bags to my next b and b. Of course it is essential to complete the hike between pickup and drop off points of your bags. Typical legs I walked were between ten and twenty miles a day. If you are used to hiking then you should have no problem.

My last experience of Scotland was back in the 1950's with my father. Seeing a nuclear submarine going past us in the Gare Lock while we were fishing was a highlight of my trip.

Also I found having suitable footwear appropriate for the trail is super important. I favored trail running shoes over heavy hiking boots but a lot depends on the condition of the trails.

My day pack was packed with rain gear, peanut butter, buns and apples. Water, maps, a garmin gps with the route software installed. Also bandaids and also special bandaids for blisters. I also understand midges can be bad there so some kind of bug spray.

Cheers, Guy

In Scotland they will cheerfully tell you, " In Scotland we have four seasons, often on the same day!". May shouldn't be too bad. Be prepared for wet trails, and elevation changes. If you are experienced hikers, you should have no problem. 20 miles can be a SOB when there are three ridges between you and your next rest stop.:D

Very cool. I must say that as my eyes/brain were reading your post, I had to back up at the very end, I saw "midges" as "midgets" for a split second, LOL. After my double-take, I understood. But for a split second, I was very confused and amused, because the mental image that comes to mind, a bunch of ferocious little people in kilts that you handle with bug spray....

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Tyndrum to Inveroran looks like a beast that starts with a climb and ends with a climb.

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Sounds awesome to me! Wife and I were talking about one day doing such a thing in the alps with the same concept of a tour company as more of an emergency backup and booking service for rest stops. I feel like such a trip (in any place really I guess) would literally walk the poison out of your body and soul.

I had a similar vacation planned in 2020...it didn't happen.


My biggest thought at the time? Goretex and merino!

20 miles in one day is quite a walk even with not much more than a day pack ... but it sounds like a blast!

Watch the last few episodes of "Itchy Feet".
She is touring northern Scotland.

Interesting. Language in the UK is different. Midges is a term for a very small bug somewhat similar to a mosquito. They do not bite though but can get in your hair and eyes making being outside very uncomfortable whether walking or cycling.

Yes Steve that is a good map of the route. Lots of mountains/hills.

Been lots, am heading there tomorrow.

I have family in Perth. What do you want to see?

No silly, that's in Australia! Or did you mean the one in New York, or the one in North Dakota, or...?

my experience of walking in scotland is limited to a pub crawl up the hill to the castle...
the rest of it was seated...

Bring a rain coat. And Wellies. It rains there… a lot… especially in the spring.

I’m not sure I’d do a walking tour there. We’ve travelled extensively there and when it rains, it really rains.

The castles are very cool though. There are some rocks like Stonehenge that I have not been to yet (won’t be this trip). The Isle of Skye is pretty nice as are the other islands.

The transportation museum in Glasgow is good which makes up for the rest of the place. The museum in Edinburgh is fabulous, Edinburgh castle is awesome, and it’s fun to just sit all around there. Aberdeen is not as good as it used to be. The vibrancy is gone as their government is stifling their oil patch.

The distilleries are also well worth while.

Interesting. I spent a week in the spring in Aberdeen about 20 years ago. I thought it was great even though any time that I mention that to people they always say that it's not and that the other big cities are better. Maybe it's because it's changed.

BTW just back from a few days in Edinburgh and St Andrews. Wish we had more time to see the highlands.



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Hi
What is the name of the castle in the 5th photo ? Many thanks

Edinburgh