ONE of Scotland’s most famous walking routes has been named among some of the best in the world by the prestigious travel reviewer Time Out.
The West Highland Way has placed in the top 10 of Time Out’s best hikes in the world list, beating the likes of the Whale Trail in South Africa, the Paria River Canyon in the United States and Japan’s Nakahechi Route.
The 96-mile walking route stretches from Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire to Fort William in the Highlands and sees thousands of walkers from across the world travel to take on the trail.
The route is typically tackled from south to north, with walkers beginning at a low elevation before steadily climbing into northern stretches that soar past 500 meters, with the average hiker taking between five to seven days to complete the trip.
Officially launched as a long-distance route back in 1980, the West Highland Way has exploded in popularity.
The route offers visitors some of Scotland’s best sights, along with the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, Glencoe, The Devil’s Staircase and Conic Hill.
Describing the trek, Time Out’s reviewer wrote: “Although the initial stages of the route are fairly flat, they have their own challenges (for example, there’s a particularly tricky section between Rowardennan and Inverarnan, where the lochside forest track gets very rocky).
“More challenging inclines pop up as you get further north, including the infamous and aptly named Devil’s Staircase, a 550m climb roughly halfway between Kingshouse and Kinlochleven.
“There’s a great selection of accommodation along the route, but thanks to the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.”
They added that “suburban Glasgow might not be the most auspicious start”, but added that the scenery soon becomes “spectacular”.
The review added: “Early on, the route hugs the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, before taking you past some of Scotland’s most beautiful mountains, including Buachaille Etive Mòr, which Bond fans will recognise from Skyfall.
“If you do it in autumn, like I did, you may be treated to the magnificent sight of stags rutting and bellowing in the morning light as you cross Rannoch Moor, one of my favourite wild places in Scotland.”
The French Way, in Camino de Santiago, took Time Out’s top spot with reviewers stating the month-long journey was crowned the best in the world due to its “ever-changing landscapes, hearty Spanish fare, warm hospitality, and plenty of soul-stirring serendipity”.
Ruta de Cares, in Spain came in second, with the Great Ocean Walk, in Australia, rounding out the top three.
The West Highland Way was the highest entry of any British walking route, with Wales’s Mount Snowdon coming in three places behind the Highland trek at 11th.
It comes after walkers taking on the West Highland Way were warned last week not to drink water from streams after two people fell ill, with one of them having to be taken to hospital.
Lomond Mountain Rescue Team said they were called out on two separate occasions by Police Scotland last week due to people taking on the route being left incapacitated due to vomiting.
Rescuers believe the walkers may have taken ill due to contaminated water on the trail.
