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West Highland Way - South section

West Highland Way - South section

Milngavie to Crianlarich along the southern half of the West Highland Way through the Scottish lowlands.

4 to 6 nights
47 miles
Moderate to Demanding

From £385 per person

Discover the available tours

About this route

This walking holiday keeps to the lower-level trails of the southern half of the West Highland Way, steeped in Scottish landscapes and history. Through woodland and farmland, the route ascends to Conic Hill for a panoramic introduction to Loch Lomond.

Down it descends to the loch’s smooth shores, which lead the way to Inverarnan. Glen Falloch lies ahead, guiding the route into Crianlarich along gentle pathways well-suited to this more approachable section of the West Highland Way.

This route can be walked in the opposite direction upon request. Please contact us and we will be happy to assist you.
Standard
Interactive
© Contours Walking Holidays West Highland Way - South section map
Milngavie to Crianlarich
47 miles (75 km)
24th March to 13th October

Holiday highlights

Experiencing Scotland’s iconic and beautiful lochs and lowlands.

Exploring the wealth of fascinating history found along the trail.

Peering out to the amazing Highland Boundary fault line from Conic Hill.

Available tours

CodeTourDurationDifficultyPrice per person
WHWS1 From Milngavie to Crianlarich 4 nights, 3 days walking Demanding£385
WHWS2 From Milngavie to Crianlarich 5 nights, 4 days walking Moderate / Demanding£480
WHWS3 From Milngavie to Crianlarich 6 nights, 5 days walking Moderate£575

West Highland Way - Southern section 4 nights, 3 days walking

£NNN per person
  • Itinerary
  • What's included?
  • Extra nights?
  • Tour facts
  • Route profile
  • Travel info
  • Weather

Important information

Please note that accommodation along the West Highland Way is in extremely high demand, so be sure to await confirmation of your booking before making firm travel plans. If you wish to enjoy a similar Scottish walk, both the East Highland Way and the Loch Lomond & Cowal Way are excellent alternative trails to consider.

Start

Travel to Milngavie where your first night's accommodation has been booked

Day 1

Milngavie to Drymen. 12 miles (19km) / 837 ft (255 m) ascent

Day 2

Drymen to Rowardennan(L). 14.5 miles (23km) / 2136 ft (651 m) ascent

Day 3

Rowardennan(L) to Crianlarich. 21 miles (33.5km) / 2799 ft (853 m) ascent

Finish

Depart from Crianlarich after breakfast

Your Itinerary

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this tour. Sometimes there may be a shortage of available accommodation in a preferred location, in which case we will transfer you from the trail to your accommodation and back again at no extra charge. Overnight stops marked with a (T) will always require transfers as standard.

Overnight stops marked with an (L) have very limited accommodation, and therefore more often than not will also require a transfer, particularly on bank holidays and weekends. We will use non-transfer accommodation wherever possible.

The daily mileages quoted are average trail miles only and do not include the distance from the trail to your accommodation. We do not expect you to have to travel more than a mile from the trail to your accommodation; should your accommodation be further than this, transfers will be provided as standard.

Below are the additional costs that may apply depending on your requirements. Dog-friendly tours are subject to a Daily Dog Charge, which will be listed below if applicable. Our standard prices per person are based upon two people sharing a room; if you are on your own, or are part of a group but require a room of your own, then the Solo Traveller or Single Supplements apply respectively:

A note about transfers
Solo Traveller Supplement
£45.00 per person / per night
Single Supplement
£40.00 per person / per night


You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:

Extra night (Standard)
£55.00 per person / per night
Extra night (Rowardennan(L))
£60.00 per person / per night

What's included?

  • 4 nights' accommodation in en-suite rooms (where available) in selected B&B’s, hotels, inns and guesthouses along the trail, or a short distance away via taxi provided at our expense.
  • Breakfast each day.
  • Door to door luggage transfer.
  • Maps with the route marked on and a guidebook or route notes describing the trail.
  • An information pack containing an itinerary, instructions on how to find your accommodation each night and a kit list.
  • Detailed travel instructions on how to get to the start of your holiday and back from the end of it.

Extra Nights & Rest Days

Rest days provide the opportunity to explore some of the fascinating little towns along trail. Whether you spend your time exploring the sights and sounds of Scotland or simply rest your weary feet, an extra night is a wonderful way to extend your holiday.

Book an extra night in Rowardennan if you would like to climb Ben Lomond, which provides amazing views of both the Lowlands and the Highlands.

You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:

Extra night (Standard)
£55.00 per person / per night
Extra night (Rowardennan(L))
£60.00 per person / per night

Tour Facts

Total distance: 47 miles (75 km)
Duration: 4 nights, 3 days walking
Minimum daily distance: 12 miles (19 km)
Maximum daily distance: 21 miles (33.5 km)
Code: WHWS1 Grade: Demanding
Season: 24th March - 13th October
Start of holiday: Milngavie
End of holiday: Crianlarich

Route Profile

West Highland Way - Southern section Route Profile

Travel Information

Useful information and travel links that will assist you in your plans to travel to the start of the holiday and back from the end of it are sent to you with your full tour pack. A summary is given below:

By Air - The most convenient major city and international airports are Glasgow and Glasgow Prestwick.

By Rail - There is a rail station at the start of the trail (Milngavie) and also at the end of the trail (Crianlarich).

By Bus - Various bus services run to Milngavie and from Crianlarich.

From London - Trains run from London Euston to Milngavie.

Return To The Start - The easiest way to return to the start of the trail, is to take the train from Crianlarich to Milngavie.

Weather Information

To find out more about the weather forecast for your chosen holiday's general location, please see the following websites:

  • MetCheck - This website allows you to look up detailed weather information for specific locations as far as six months in advance.
  • Met Office - This website shows regional area forecasts a few days in advance, with a general UK forecast description of up to 30 days in advance.
  • Mountain Forecast - This website shows what the forecast is like up on specific hills and fells, and offers forecasts a few days in advance.

Routes on this trail

West Highland Way

West Highland Way

6 to 10 nights
95 miles
Moderate+
From £545 per person
A walking holiday from Milngavie to Fort William along the Highlands of Scotland.Find Out More
West Highland Way - North Section

West Highland Way - North Section

4 to 6 nights
49 miles
Moderate+
From £385 per person
A walk through the mountainous north section of the West Highland Way, from Crianlarich to Fort William.Find Out More
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Customer reviews from the West Highland Way - South section

“Perfect weather for walking, good accommodation and luggage always waiting for us on arrival.”
Mrs Shipley, Jersey
“Flawless logistics and excellent communications with Contours prior to travel. Contours has a seamless process that eliminates the need to worry about the ‘travel details’.”
Mr Haynes, USA
“It was a lovely holiday, made extra special by the particularly good weather we had, especially considering it was mid-September. The scenery was beautiful, the walks were challenging, without being too hard, and the accommodation, on the whole, was very good. It was very well organised and saved me a lot of time to try and do it myself, as well as giving us some reassurance before venturing on what may have been some isolated walks.”
Mrs Jervis, UK
“It was a fantastic experience. There were loads of people hiking and if ever something would happen to someone, there is always help at hand. As soon as I would be able to do another tour like this, I would definitely book with Contours Walking Holidays.”
Mrs Radtke, Germany

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