A complete guide to the West Highland Way accommodation
What is fantastic about the West Highland Way is that the accommodation is comfortable. Compared to say multi-day treks in the Alps or Iceland where trekkers are experiencing dorm life in high altitude refuges up close and personal often sleeping next to a stranger – those who prefer privacy will love the fact that the West Highland Way accommodation is so varied that it can done on a budget or in relative luxury but definitely in private rooms!
My West Highland Way accommodation guide will talk you through the options of where to stay along the West Highland Way route. Accommodation ranges from homey B&B, mid-range or luxury hotels to glamping pods and bunk houses, however the biggest piece of advice is, if you are an independent trekker, you need to book your accommodation early!
How soon do I need to book my West Highland Way accommodation?
The answer to this is as far as you can in advance. The West Highland Way, along with other long distance walking trails, has seen unprecedented popularity since Covid meaning that you should try to book your accommodation months in advance, ideally though one year in advance. Crazy I know – its the new norm.
You need to know that the peak month to trek the trail is in May. This month gets booked very quickly as generally the weather is fine but more importantly the dreaded midge hasn’t yet emerged.
The thing is there are a few sections on the trail where there is limited accommodation. This creates bottlenecks where, unless you’ve booked early, you’ll be stuck in your planning phase as everything within this area is fully booked. There are a few ways around this by being creative – there are some public transport options which can overcome fully booked sections and I talk about them in my public transport/short cuts post, however the best advice is to simply book early to avoid planning headaches further down the line.
West Highland Way Accommodation
Below is a list of all West Highland Way accommodation along the trail. You can see that in some overnight stops there are only a handful of accommodation options so you need to book early to secure these or alter your West Highland Way itinerary to a fit with availability at another nearby village or town.
Rowardannan and Kingshouse are the renowned bottlenecks with limited beds that get booked very quickly. Bridge of Orchy and the Inveroran Hotel (3 miles further) also sell out very quickly.
If you can’t get into Rowardannan you can alter your itinerary to stay in Balmaha and walk to Invernsaid instead. There are still only a handful of places to stay in Inversnaid however more than Rowardannan. I actually really like Inversnaid and I think the accommodation options are better so this is useful tip.
Kingshouse is hands down the critical overnight stop to book. I would go so far as to say it’s a good idea to book this night first and then work each way to book your itinerary. There are only two real options of an overnight stay in Kingshouse – either at the hotel or bunkhouse (the hotel owns the bunkhouse) or just before at Glencoe Mountain Resort pods.
Milngavie
- Premier Inn
- West Highland Apartments – The Lomond and The Nevis
- West Highland Way rooms
- Craigmaddie Glamping Pods
Drymen
Balmaha
- The Oak Tree – lovely inn with adjacent apartments
- Balmaha Bunkhouse – basic bunkhouse with a great reputation
- Birchwood Guesthouse
- Balmaha Lodges & Apartments
- Drymen Camping
Rowardennan
- Rowardennan Hotel
- Rowardennan Youth Hostel (newly refurbed!)
- Ben Lomond bunkhouse – check availability & book here (£35 per person a night)
Inversnaid
- Inversnaid Bunk House – fantastic bunk house in a converted church – also has private rooms
- Inversnaid Hotel (owned by a tour company so mainly older guests on tour holidays)
- Garrison of Inversnaid – excellent rooms with hot tub facilities – don’t miss the huge pig!
- Loch Arklet House – good rooms at the top of the hill next to the dam
Inverarnan
- Beinglas Campsite (chalets/bell tents/huts)
- The Drovers Inn
- Rose Cottage B&B – call 01301 704255 or murielrosecottage@hotmail.com
Crianlarich
Ewich (just after Crianlarich)
- Erich House B&B
- Lodgehouse Crianlarich (Bunkhouse with pick up and return from any point between Beinglas farm and Kinlochleven)
Auchtertyre
Tyndrum
- Clifton Cottage
- Muthu Ben Doran Hotel
- Dalkell Cottage
- Tyndrum Lodges
- By The Way Hostel (dorms) + pods + trekkers huts (sleeping bag required but can be rented)
- By the Way Chalet sleeping 3 and two bed apartment (bed linen included)
Bridge of Orchy
- Bridge of Orchy Hotel
- Greenstone Lodge B&B (recommended)
- West Highland Way Sleeper
- Bridge of Orchy Eco Pods
Inveroran
Kingshouse
Kingshouse accommodation is one of the hardest to secure on the West Highland Way to book this one early!
- Kingshouse Hotel (website often says 2 or 3 night minimum stay but its possible to stay for just 1 night – call the hotel direct)
- Kingshouse Bunk House
- Glencoe Mountain Resort pods – basic camping pods for 2-4 people, sleeping bags can be rented
Kinlochleven
£
££
- Highland Getaway Guesthouse (recommended)
- Bankhouse B&B (recommended)
- Eakie House Apartments
- MacDonald Hotel
- Tigh na Cheo Guesthouse (recommended)
- Tailrace Inn
- Edencoille Guesthouse
£££
- Nevis Glamping Pod (2 night minimum)
- Etive Glamping Pod (2 night minimum
- Coe Glamping Pod (this pod can be booked for 1 night only)
Glen Nevis
Glen Nevis is a good option if you are considering climbing Ben Nevis the day after your West Highland Way trek.
Fort William
£££
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