Getting to the start
Most walkers take the train from Glasgow to Milngavie. Direct ScotRail services leave from Glasgow Queen Street and Glasgow Central Low Level two or three times an hour, and the journey takes roughly 25 minutes. From Milngavie station, the trail's start obelisk is only a couple of minutes away on foot. If you fly into Glasgow Airport (GLA), take the Airport Express 500 bus into Glasgow, then continue by train to Milngavie. The bus journey usually takes 15–25 minutes, depending on traffic. A taxi from the airport to Milngavie typically costs £15–£30; allow around an hour for either route. If you drive, follow the A81 north from Glasgow to Milngavie (postcode G62 8PG), then plan how you will retrieve the car after this one-way walk.
Leaving the finish
Fort William station sits a short walk from the trail's finish in the town centre. Most walkers take the West Highland Line back to Glasgow Queen Street (about 3 hours 40 minutes, scenic, some services split/join at Crianlarich), or use the Caledonian Sleeper's Fort William portion ('the Deerstalker') direct to London Euston overnight — it leaves Fort William at 7:50pm, calling at Birmingham (~6:20am) and reaching London around 8am, per Caledonian Sleeper's own timetable pages. This return leg is one of the genuine highlights of the walk, not just a logistics chore — book sleeper berths well ahead as they sell out. Scottish Citylink and Ember coaches also run to Glasgow and Edinburgh from Fort William bus station, next to the rail station.
The one-way journey
This is a strictly linear trail with no dedicated car-relocation service found. Most end-to-end walkers travel to both ends by train rather than driving, because rail links exist at both ends and because Milngavie in particular has no sanctioned way to leave a car for a full week — the free station car park works in practice but has generated real local complaints about walkers doing exactly that. Those who do want to leave a car at the start tend to use the dedicated West Highland Way Car Park (a paid, purpose-built long-stay facility a few miles north of Milngavie on the trail itself) or arrange it informally with a Milngavie hotel/B&B. At the Fort William end, Highland Council's Local Parking Season Ticket (£11/calendar month, valid at the town's long-stay car parks) is a cheap, genuine way to leave a car there while walking south-to-north and taking public transport back to collect it.
If you need to leave the trail early
The trail runs close to the A82/West Highland Line corridor for much of its length (Citylink coaches and the train both call at or near Inverarnan/Ardlui, Crianlarich, Tyndrum, Bridge of Orchy and, via a connecting bus, Glencoe/Kinlochleven), so escape is usually straightforward on the western half. Two stretches are genuine exceptions with NO road access at all: the east shore of Loch Lomond between Balmaha and Inversnaid/Inverarnan (the only way out is the Cruise Loch Lomond waterbus, which is seasonal and not a year-round guarantee), and Rannoch Moor between Inveroran and Glencoe/Kingshouse, which has no road, no bus and often no mobile signal — the only way off is to keep walking to the next road end. Plan around these two sections specifically rather than assuming a taxi can reach you anywhere.
Useful access hubs
AirportGlasgow Airport
No direct link to Milngavie. Glasgow Airport Express bus 500 runs into the city centre (Buchanan bus station / near Queen Street and Central stations, roughly 15–25 minutes depending on traffic), then a ScotRail train to Milngavie (two or three services an hour, about 23–26 minutes from Queen Street or Central low level). Allow about an hour door to door, or a taxi direct for roughly £15–£30 (a 40–60-minute run). For the Fort William end, Ember's electric coach route E5 (Glasgow-Fort William) actually calls at Glasgow Airport itself, so a finisher heading back this way can pick it up without going into the city first.
Bus 500 runs year-round, very frequently. Ember E5 runs year-round but only a handful of times a day; check live times.RailMilngavie railway station
The trail starts right outside the station concourse (the granite obelisk is a couple of minutes' walk into the pedestrianised town centre) — no onward transfer needed. Frequent ScotRail service to/from Glasgow Queen Street and Glasgow Central (low level), two or three trains an hour.
Year-round, including Sundays (reduced Sunday frequency).RailGlasgow Queen Street railway station
Direct ScotRail trains to Milngavie, about 23–26 minutes, two or three services an hour. This is the route most walkers actually use to reach the start rather than flying into Glasgow Airport.
Year-round, including Sundays.RailFort William railway station
The trail finishes in the town centre a short walk from the station. The station is the northern terminus of the scenic West Highland Line to Glasgow Queen Street (about 3 hours 40 minutes, some services split/join at Crianlarich) and of the Caledonian Sleeper — the return leg from here is a genuine highlight of doing the walk, not just a logistics chore.
Year-round; West Highland Line day service and the sleeper both run every night except Saturdays (sleeper) — confirm the live timetable for exact days.CoachFort William bus station
Adjacent to the railway station in the town centre — no transfer needed from the trail end. Scottish Citylink coaches 914/915/916 and Ember's electric coach E4/E4X/E5 depart here for Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Year-round. Sources and research notes · 32 sources
- amsscotland.co.ukluggage transfer price, coverage, weight limit, seasonChecked 29 Jul 2026
- amsscotland.co.ukluggage transfer wild-camping/collection notes, weight limit, daily collection timeChecked 29 Jul 2026
- amsscotland.co.ukluggage transfer phone, email, address, hoursChecked 29 Jul 2026
- travel-lite-uk.comluggage transfer coverage (named stops), season, historyChecked 29 Jul 2026
- travel-lite-uk.comluggage transfer pricing (full/part/reverse/storage), weight limitChecked 29 Jul 2026
- travel-lite-uk.comluggage transfer phone, email, addressChecked 29 Jul 2026
- sherpavan.comluggage transfer pricing, coverage, weight/bag limits, seasonChecked 29 Jul 2026
- sherpavan.comchecked for luggage transfer booking/lead-time detail (not found)Checked 29 Jul 2026
- westhighlandwaycarpark.comparking price, security, booking, contact, servicesChecked 29 Jul 2026
- thehiking.clubparking/ general framing of Milngavie/Fort William parking optionsChecked 29 Jul 2026
- scotsman.comparking community complaints about week-long walker parking at Milngavie station (via search summary; direct fetch blocked 403)Checked 29 Jul 2026
- nationalrail.co.ukaccess hubs Milngavie station spaces/free parking; parkingChecked 29 Jul 2026
- oneparkingapp.comparking Transport Centre tariff and season ticket pricesChecked 29 Jul 2026
- highland.gov.ukparking LPST/HPST season ticket prices, dated 22 Sep 2025Checked 29 Jul 2026
- highland.gov.ukparking confirmation of the four named Fort William long-stay car parks and season-ticket availabilityChecked 29 Jul 2026
- nationalrail.co.ukaccess hubs Fort William CRS code, station parking spacesChecked 29 Jul 2026
- en.wikipedia.orgaccess hubs Glasgow Airport IATA code and coordinatesChecked 29 Jul 2026
- railwaydata.co.ukaccess hubs Glasgow Queen Street CRS code and coordinates (via search)Checked 29 Jul 2026
- westhighlandwayscotland.combus network and ferry overview; confirmation that the east shore of Loch Lomond has no road access; Ardlui-Ardleish ferry seasonChecked 29 Jul 2026
- westhighlandway.orggetting to start/getting from finish official framing; Citylink bail-out stops; Ember mentionChecked 29 Jul 2026