Story Of The West Highland

Opened in 1980, the West Highland way was Scotland's first long distance walking route. This text is a companion guide for those taking the walk from Glasgow to Fort William and provides Ordinance Survey maps. It has been revised to incorporate changes in the character of the route over the years.

"The West Highland Way is Scotland's first official Long Distance Route and runs near 100 miles from Milngavie to Fort William. It was nicknamed the 'Way Way' by a trio from Fife who set off to walk it in the year of the Millennium. This is not a guidebook but an account of their experiences, the highs and lows which any challenge presents of their marvellous, surprising, amusing and weird memories. They met many hundreds of people along the way but, naturally, those they recall were the more eccentric. Although the trio never managed another bigger trip together they realize how lucky, and wise, they had been to grab the chance when it came. There is remarkably pleasant rural walking at the start to reach the Highlands at Loch Lomond, fine woodland on its banks and later, the contrast of lonely, empty miles across Rannoch Moor, the Devil's Staircase and the great pass of the Lairig Mor to finish. Encounters with other people are an important part of Long Distance Routes. Anyone who has walked the Way Way (or is planning to do so) will enjoy this story, bringing back plenty of similar memories of people and places, adventures and misadventures. The illustrations too give a wonderful idea of the rich variety of country traversed and well capture the atmosphere of this walk through Scotland's fine landscapes."--Publisher's description.

A guidebook to Scotland's West Highland Way, a 95-mile walk from Milngavie near Glasgow to Fort William, passing Loch Lomond, crossing Rannoch Moor and finishing in the shadow of Britain's highest mountain. The walk, which takes roughly one week to complete, is described in seven stages, with each stage ranging from 8 to 20 miles. The guide details the 'classic' south-north direction but also provides a summary description for those wanting to walk the route in the opposite direction. The guidebook, which features step-by-step route descriptions, 1:100K mapping, handy practical information as well as notes on the region's history, culture and geography, is accompanied by a separate, pocket-sized 1:25K OS map booklet, providing all the mapping you need to walk the route. Passing from the lowlands to the highlands, the West Highland Way, which is one of Scotland's Great Trails, showcases the splendour of glens flanked by great mountains, majestic moorland and sprawling farmland. It is the perfect adventure for distance walkers keen to discover the wild beauty of western Scotland.

The West Highland Way is one of the finest of Britain's long-distance paths. It passes through six separate mountain ranges, from the tall elegant cone of Ben Lomond and the crag towers of grim Glen Coe to the seductive Mamores. But it doesn't go onto those enticing Stobs and Bens. NOT The West Highland Way makes the most of the surrounding area, taking in sights that the linear Way doesn't allow. With mountain alternatives to all but one of the West Highland Way's nine standard stages, this guidebook takes you on a higher and wilder journey. By taking the best of what the standard Way has to offer and adding in all its diversions away from the linear paths, and get to the heart of what makes the West Highland Way so great. It crosses Ben Lomond and Beinn Dorain, the charming Campsie Fells and the mighty Mamores, while the crossing of the Black Mount from Inveroran to Glen Coe represents the best pub-to-pub to be found in Britain.

The West Highland Railway, which opened to Fort William in 1894 and to Mallaig in 1901, follows a scenic route by Loch Lomond, Breadalbane and Lochaber to the west coast of Scotland and is one of the most famous railway lines in the world. This book describes the late-nineteenth-century 'railway mania' in the Highlands, addressing the politics of promotion and the disputes over state assistance for the Fort William–Mallaig line, rather than the heroics and the romance of construction and operation. It discusses the uneasy alliances and battles between the railway companies of Scotland, as well as those between Scottish lines and their English counterparts. It also reviews other schemes, more or less successful, and examines the expectations bound up with railway development, asking how far these had been achieved, or remained relevant, by 1914. 'This is a meticulously researched book . . . a unique and comprehensive history of the origins of the West Highland Railway . . . an essential addition to the library of anyone with an interest in Scottish railway history' - Ewan Crawford, University of Glasgow 'a fascinating and revealing study of rail development issues in the western Highlands between the 1840s and 1914' - Tom Hart, University of Glasgow