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It’s Day 7 on the West Highland Way, and I’ve officially hit our biggest mileage yet — 19 miles from the Drovers Inn to Bridge of Orchy!
Quick Recap of Day 7
Currently feeling: A bit tired from our longest mileage day yet, but also really happy. The final stretch into Bridge of Orchy was stunning and made the miles worth it.
3 good things that happened today:
- Found a little PCT sticker on a bridge early in the day — made me smile.
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Resupplied on empire biscuits, my new staple trail snack.
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Ended the day with a soak in the tub and the best dinner of the trip so far
Btw – if you missed my blogs from Day 1 or Day 6, I’d recommend checking them out so you can follow along on this journey from the very beginning!
Waking Up at Drovers Inn
Good morning from the Drovers Inn!
I slept 9 hours, but it wasn’t exactly restful. The mattress had sunk into a deep dip in the middle, and a large group of French tourists were chatting loudly in the hallway late into the night. One of my biggest travel pet peeves is when people forget they’re not the only ones staying somewhere. But hey — it’s all part of the experience, right?
I got dressed and headed down to breakfast around 9 a.m. It was included with our stay and ordered from a menu. Pretty underwhelming, to be honest. The bacon had a strange taste, and the coffee was just instant — barely drinkable. I’ve been dreaming about a proper flat white, but I know that’ll have to wait until Glasgow or Edinburgh.
Since they aren’t doing packed lunches this early in the season, Artifact and I ordered two extra bacon rolls to take with us and added a bit of brown sauce. They’d be our lunch on trail. We were planning to stop in Tyndrum anyway to grab a few more snacks.
Heading North: A Big Day Ahead
We had 19 miles ahead — our biggest day yet — so we didn’t hang around too long. I wasn’t super keen on the idea of arriving in Bridge of Orchy after dark, so I was a little on edge in the morning, wanting to keep a steady pace.
The first stretch wasn’t particularly scenic. The trail followed alongside the A82 for quite a while, with train tracks to one side and high-voltage power lines overhead. Near Crianlarich, we passed an active logging area — bulldozers tearing through the forest had really chewed up the trail. Not exactly the Highlands magic I was hoping for.
Not the dreamiest start to our 19-mile day — walking beside the A82, train tracks, and power lines. The magic wasn’t here yet, but I knew it was coming.
And then… the heartbreak: I realized I forgot to get my WHW passport stamped at Drovers. Ugh. My brain went straight to “Guess I’ll have to come back one day to fix that.” A classic perfectionist moment.
Small highlight: under one of the railway bridges, I spotted a little PCT sticker — a sweet moment of trail crossover between my first long trail love and this one.
Spotted a tiny PCT sticker under a railway bridge — a little nod to my first long trail love, all the way out here in the Scottish Highlands
Also, I have to mention the frogs. There’s something going on with frog season here — every puddle and stretch of still water is full of frogspawn. We’ve been seeing frogs hopping along the trail too, and it’s kind of the best.
Frogs everywhere! Every puddle is packed with frogspawn this time of year, and we’ve seen so many little frogs hopping along the trail. Spring is coming.
Tyndrum Break — Hot Chocolate + Resupply
Just before we got to Tyndrum, the wind picked up and it started to feel pretty chilly. I was ready for a break — a warm drink and a place to sit down for a bit.
Bundled up and ready for a break in Tyndrum. The wind really picked up here in this section.
We arrived in Tyndrum around 2 p.m. and made our way to the Real Food Café. It was packed, but we managed to find a couple of stools at the bar and ordered hot chocolates. It hit the spot.
There might have been another WHW hiker in there, but we didn’t get a chance to chat. We haven’t seen many hikers this early in the season — it’s been quiet in the best way. I’ve still felt really socially filled up just chatting with locals in each town.
Hot chocolate in Tyndrum = happiness. Real Food Café was packed, but we found a spot and took a much-needed break. A little trail warmth goes a long way.
Afterward, we stopped at the Green Welly Stop to resupply. We grabbed enough for about eight sandwiches, plus crisps, chocolate, and (of course) Empire Biscuits. The whole lot cost us £38 for the two of us.
Resupply haul from the Green Welly Stop in Tyndrum — enough snacks and sandwich supplies to get us all the way to Fort William. Empire Biscuits secured.
Mountains, Finally!
As soon as we left Tyndrum, everything changed — the trail opened up and the views were incredible. It finally felt like we were in the mountains. Ben Dorain towered in front of us, and I kept stopping for photos. This was the moment I’d been waiting for — the Highlands that had existed in my head before this hike even started.
We passed a sweet little stone bridge nestled in a grove of oak trees, right by a quiet stream. I kept imagining what it must look like in late spring — lush, green, alive. I felt a little pang of wishing we were seeing it then, but I also love the peace and stillness of hiking in March.
This is what I pictured when I dreamed of hiking in the Highlands. Big views, wide skies, and Ben Dorain towering ahead. Worth every step to get here.
Following the signs to Fort William — and soaking in that stunning Ben Dorain backdrop. These waymarkers keep us on track every day.
Evening at Bridge of Orchy
We arrived in Bridge of Orchy around 5 p.m., crossed the train tracks and the highway, and reached the hotel. Ramona at reception was so kind — I’d called earlier to say we might be late, so she was happy to see us come in early.
We booked dinner for 6:30 and went up to our room to shower and decompress. The biggest surprise? A bathtub. After 19 miles, it was everything I needed. I soaked in hot water and lavender-scented gel from The White Company and just felt so… restored.
After 19 miles, this room at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel felt like pure luxury — a huge bed and a bathtub? Absolute heaven.
Before draining the tub, we gave our hiking clothes a quick wash — sun hoodies, socks, pants, underwear — and hung them on the heated towel rail to dry. Honestly, this is peak hiker luxury.
Dinner with a View
Dinner was in a beautiful bar and dining space tucked behind reception, with huge windows looking out over the hills. The atmosphere was so cozy — soft lighting, warm staff, and really good food.
Our server let me try a couple of local beers before I chose one, and Orion went bold with an 11% whisky barrel-aged beer. I ordered a ricotta and wild mushroom lasagna, and Orion had a tomahawk pork chop with honey BBQ sauce. They were both amazing — probably our favorite meal on trail so far.
The bill came to £62.47 — and after a day like that, totally worth it.
Hands down our best meal on trail so far. Ricotta mushroom lasagna, tomahawk pork chop, local beer… it was the pick-me-up I didn’t know I needed.
Ending the Day Right
After dinner, we went back to our room, read for a bit, and passed out around 9 p.m. I’ve been averaging 9 hours of sleep every night out here. My body is tired in that good, earned-it kind of way — and I’m so grateful for how this hike keeps giving me space to rest, reflect, and reset.
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