A Small Piece of the West Highland Way

People that follow the news closely may have noticed that Scotland’s West Highland Way hiking trail has now been officially linked to the International Appalachian Trail (IAT, www.internationalat.org), based on the fact that millions of years ago, the mountain ranges of Scotland and the eastern United States were all part of the same chain. It is intended that one day the IAT will include the entire range, which runs from Georgia in the south east United States, up through Canada, Scotland and then down all the way to Morocco.

Having hiked through both the Appalachians and along a long stretch of the West Highland Way, I can safely assure the readers that this is a very different type of experience. While the mountain chain may once have been a single unit, the millennia of separation have made an enormous difference today. The West Highland Way runs some 95 miles (153 km) and presents the hiker with some of the most amazing – and idealized – views of Scotland imaginable. World famous, you will always find a wide assortment of international hikers along the path and most of it is designed to be accessible to both amateurs as well as professional hikers.

If you do not have time to walk the entire trail and only want to visit a particular bit of it, I would strongly suggest climbing to the top of the Devil’s Staircase, on the stretch between Kingshouse and Kinlochleven. This stretch is only about nine miles long, but involves one of the three serious climbs along the entire length of the trail. From the top of this ascent, one can see the incredible beauty of Buachaille Etive Mor, the crown of Ben Nevis (the highest peak in Britain), as well as an utterly breathtaking panoramic view of the Scottish hills, waterfalls and valleys. It is utterly impossible to describe this view in print and even the best photographs only tell a tiny portion of the story.

The ascent up the Devil’s Staircase is roughly 1,470 feet (448 m) and is therefore not that tough. Nevertheless, you still want to take basic precautions like wearing proper boots and bringing your hydration pack with you. Despite the fact that the area is quite wet throughout the year – being cut through with a series of burns and rivers – there is nothing to drink along the way, so it is better to go prepared. This is especially true for people for whom this ascent would be considered difficult. I personally just had my Camelbak Cloud Walker with I went up the last time and found the two litres of water to be far more than I actually needed, though this may not be the case for other people.

Of course this is just one small part of the trail, but if there is one spot to make a quick day trip out of, this would be my recommendation. Despite being part of the IAT, do not expect the West Highland Way to be very similar to walking the Appalachian Trail in the United States, as the two hikes are very different experiences.