The West Highland Way begins its 96-mile route at the obelisk on Douglas Street, in the centre of Milngavie and finishes in Gordon Square of Fort William, marked by a statue of a weary traveller. The trail is often walked from South to North, but there are plenty of travel options in either direction to make it to and from the endpoints of the trail.
Photo: @KirkyWordini taken at the start of the West Highland Way in Milngavie
Getting to the Start Point
Train: Situated just 8-miles outside of Glasgow, Milngavie is the start of the West Highland Way walking trail. If you’re arriving by train, you’ll want to head to Milngavie Railway Station where the start of the West Highland Way is well sign-posted from there. Catching the train to Milngavie is probably the easiest option as trains depart from both Glasgow Queen Street and Glasgow Central Stations approximately every 15-minutes. A single ticket will cost around £4 with fewer train services running on Sundays.
If you plan to tackle the West Highland Way in stages, there are plenty of train stations along the route including Ardlui, Crianlarich, Tyndrum and Bridge of Orchy.
If you’re arriving by plane at Glasgow Int’l Airport, you can easily take one of the frequent airport shuttle buses to Glasgow Central Station, where you can catch the train to Milngavie directly.
Public Transport
Bus: There are a few bus services from Glasgow city centre to Milngavie Railway station. This service can take around 40-minutes and will cost around £4 for a single ticket. You can also get a bus from Fort William to Milngavie which will take around 4-hours, requiring a couple of changes along the way. Check out Traveline Scotland for more details on routes and fares.
Taxi: Of course, you can always hail a taxi or book one to take you from Glasgow city centre to Milngavie. This will cost anywhere between £15 – £30 and take around 20-minutes. If you’re arriving from Glasgow Int’l Airport and heading straight to Milngavie, a taxi is the easiest option and will cost around the same as if you were leaving from the city centre.
Car: If you fancy going at your own pace, then why not travel to Milngavie by car? The postcode, G62 8PG, will take you directly to Milngavie Railway Station. However, there are no dedicated car parks at either end of the West Highland Way, but there is limited free parking outside the station and the police station. If you choose to park outside by the police station, inform them of your vehicle and leave your contact details in case of an emergency.
Waterbus: Whether you want to give your legs a break or just fancy something a little different, the West Highland Way runs along the shores of Loch Lomond where you can book yourself onto a waterbus. Explore the loch on a tour or simply get from A to B. Check out Loch Lomond’s waterbus services here.
For more information on transport services, head to our Tours & Services page.
Private Transport
To make accessing the WHW much easier, simply book a private transfer for either the start of your journey or after you have completed your walk. You could even book a transfer for both ends of your adventure for ultimate convenience!
The main advantage of private transfer is that you can customise the pick-up and drop-off points to virtually any specification and travel in exclusive company – find out more and book here.
Photo: @KirkyWordini taken at the end of the West Highland Way in Fort William