AN EXTENSIVE GUIDE TO WEST HIGHLAND WAY ACCOMMODATION
From glamping pods and friendly B&Bs to historic inns and luxury hotels, there is a wide range of West Highland Way accommodation options to choose from. Whether you plan to speed-hike the route over 5 days or savour the journey over a week or more, this guide will help you pin-point the perfect accommodation for your itinerary.
Our directory outlines accommodation options along the route, highlighting those best suited to solo hikers and those best suited to pairs or groups. We also give an indication of price and include links for easy booking. Finally, our FAQs cover some common queries about accommodation on the West Highland Way.
*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links – if you make a booking via these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps offset the cost of running this blog and keeps us travelling so that we can continue to produce great content for you. We greatly appreciate your support!*
WEST HIGHLAND WAY ACCOMMODATION MAP
Our West Highland Way Accommodation Map includes colour-coded budget, mid-range, and high-end accommodation options along the length of the WHW route.
The map legend shows the order of the walk from Milngavie to Fort William. Tap the menu button at the top left for more details, to toggle sections on and off, and to switch between satellite and terrain view. You can get more info about each accommodation option by clicking on it in the legend, or on the map itself.
Note that it functions best in the desktop ‘My Maps’ version. If you save the map to open on your phone, you can only view the Google Maps version which has more limited functionality. You can save this Google map by tapping the star.
For accessing the information in this map on the trail, you may find it easier to use an offline version. You can do this by downloading the Maps.me app (iOS/Android), then downloading our West Highland Way Accommodation file and opening it in Maps.me. You can then view the information online or offline in the app at any time.
HOW MUCH DOES WEST HIGHLAND WAY ACCOMMODATION COST?
The costs of West Highland Way accommodation vary greatly depending on where you choose to stay, and whether you’re sharing a room or travelling solo. For the accommodation options outlined in our directory below, we’ve given approximate rates and categorised them into budget, mid-range, or high-end, based on the following price ranges:
Budget: Up to £50 pppn
Mid-Range: £50 – £75 pppn
High-End: More than £75 pppn
For solo hikers, the cheapest option is to stay in shared dorms where available (Rowardennan, Crianlarich, Tyndrum, Bridge of Orchy, Kingshouse, and Glen Nevis/Fort William), costing approximately £22 – £45 per night. Single rooms (or discounted rates for single occupancy in a double room) cost approximately £55 – £90 per night.
A two-person room costs around £60 – £100 per night at the budget end and between £100 – £150 per night for mid-range accommodation, with a few places charging £150 or more per night. On average, we’d suggest a budget of around £50 per person, per night if you plan on sharing a room with a fellow hiker.
There are quite a few options on the West Highland Way to book larger bunkrooms or lodges for 4, 6, 8, or 10 people. This can be economical if travelling in a group, with the average cost per person around £25 – £40 per night.
DO I NEED TO BOOK WEST HIGHLAND WAY ACCOMMODATION IN ADVANCE?
In a nutshell, YES. It is highly recommended to book your West Highland Way accommodation in advance. While some towns along the route have multiple accommodation options (such as Tyndrum, Kinlochleven, and Fort William itself), other common overnight stops have very limited options (such as Rowardennan, Inverarnan, Bridge of Orchy, and Glencoe/Kingshouse). What’s more, the accommodation available along the route isn’t just used by WHW walkers – these destinations are popular tourist spots in their own right so there can be a lot of competition for beds!
Accommodation can book out weeks, if not months, in advance. If sleeping indoors on your West Highland Way walk is a must for you, it’s best to book as far in advance as possible.
I CAN’T FIND AVAILABLE ACCOMMODATION, WHAT CAN I DO?
If you can, avoid starting your walk on a Saturday or local holiday weekend, as accommodation is likely to be busier along the route with more people following a similar itinerary. Check for any special events in the area (such as trail races or motorcycle trials) which will also put a strain on accommodation.
If you’re struggling to find availability for your chosen dates, try altering your itinerary to overnight somewhere earlier or later on the trail. If you can’t find any availability at all along the route, check nearby settlements accessible via bus, taxi, or private pick up. You could also try reversing your route, starting in Fort William and ending in Milngavie to see if this helps with availability.
Another option is to stay more than one night in a place and use public transport or a taxi service to return there after your day’s walk. For example, using the train and/or bus links connecting Inverarnan, Crianlarich, Tyndrum, Bridge of Orchy, and Glencoe.
Mixing and matching camping/glamping and accommodation is also an option if you can get availability for some nights but not all. Baggage transfer services will deliver to campsites too. Check out our WHW camping guide for more information.
DO BAGGAGE TRANSFER SERVICES DELIVER TO ALL WEST HIGHLAND WAY ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS?
Luggage transfer services are very popular for hikers on the West Highland Way. They lighten your load and allow you to walk from accommodation to accommodation with just a day pack. Companies such as AMS Baggage Transfer and Travel-Lite offer a pick-up and drop-off service for any accommodation on the route, however if your chosen accommodation isn’t on their list, it’s best to just double check with them before booking.
WATCH OUR WEST HIGHLAND WAY FILM
WEST HIGHLAND WAY ACCOMMODATION DIRECTORY
Here you’ll find an extensive list of West Highland Way accommodation options along each section of the route. These include hotels, inns, B&Bs, hostels, bunkhouses, lodges, glamping pods, self-catering apartments, and more.
Some places include breakfast as standard, others charge extra, or don’t offer it at all. Dinner is normally available at or near each accommodation option, and some places offer a packed lunch service if ordered in advance.
No campsites have been included in this directory* as we assume that if you’re looking to stay in accommodation each night, you will not be packing camping gear. We have included some glamping options though, and noted where linen hire is required, or linen isn’t included at all.
*If you are planning to mix-and-match accommodation and camping along the way, check out our separate guide to Camping The West Highland Way for everything you need to know.
MILNGAVIE & GLASGOW
Milngavie (pronounced Mill-guy) is the southern trailhead for the West Highland Way and has a few budget to mid-range accommodation options, although no hostels. Milngavie is about 25 minutes by train from Glasgow Queen Street Station, so staying in central Glasgow or near any of the stops on the train line (eg. Charing Cross) is also a good option. Trains run regularly from approx 0630 – 2330 Mon – Sat, and 0830 – 2230 on Sundays.
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