Nordic Walking The West Highland Way: Leg Two

Garadhban Forest to Rowardennan

When: Monday 14th September 2026

Miles Walked: 13.99

Steps taken: 31,040

Moving time: 4:49:07

Elevation gain: 1117 ft

Todays walk includes climbing up and then down Conic Hill and walking alongside Loch Lomond.

So, day two on the West Highland Way and we’ve woken up to sunshine! Yay! We started back at Garadhban Forest in our short sleeves looking forward to a pleasant walk on this initial stretch through the forest. in the distance there are always big hills peeping above the trees and an occasional glimpse of the famous Loch Lomond.

The trail here sticks to the top of the nice wide forest track and undulates along with the sound of running water never very far away.

At the end of the forest track there is a choice to make, continue or divert along the seasonal diversion along the road (during a four week period in April, but can also extend into May, the path over Conic Hill is closed due to lambing and calving) We choose to climb Conic Hill (361 metres above sea level)! The path narrows and weaves its way through ferns and bracken and crosses Killandan Burn across a lovely footbridge.

As we begin to climb towards Conic Hill the weather takes a turn for the worse or is it just low cloud? The stony steps take us across the flanks of Conic Hill and up and around where we meet some Highland Cows minding their own business! The calves are quite a different colour to the adults and haven’t developed horns yet. Moody and iconic cows in the mist on Conic Hill. There are a lot of humans milling about shoving phones in their faces! They seem wholly unbothered. The West Highland Way doesn’t summit Conic Hill, but there is another path you can take to get there. We decide we have had enough ascent already today and you can’t see much anyway and leave the crowds behind who are going up to the summit, or cow snapping, and begin our descent.

Conic Hill is a Site of Special Scientific Interest which lies across the Highland Boundary Fault- a great geological divide that runs from Arran in the West 160 miles to Stonehaven on the East coast.

As we descend the low cloud is left behind and we get a much better first look at Loch Lomond, the down is something else though! Steep crazy paving steps which have very unregular shapes and sizes to navigate. Not an easy task in proper walking boots, let alone what some of the folk we pass going up are wearing! We reach a plateau which allows great views beyond and decide to stop for a snack and more importantly a cuppa! Then we still need to negotiate our way down further crazy paving steps - my knees!

I have never been so happy to leave behind such a downhill! The path continues more gently downhill through forest and onto a broader track which goes through the Queen Elizabeth Forest park and eventually out into a large car park. The numerous coaches and minibuses explains why there were quite so many inappropriately dressed folks on the hillside!

We stop off at the Visitor centre as we are both desperate for a comfort break! Then we head through the car park to look for a venue that may have a stamp for our WHW passport! Only to find a massive queue in the restaurant and realise we should have got one in the visitor centre, so back we go and the lovely girl behind the desk had two different stamps and we had a nice chat!

We have reached Balmaha on the shores of Loch Lomond, a very popular place it would seem as it is quite busy. It has a wee natural harbour and a little park and statue dedicated to the memory of a guy named Tom Weir MBE - mountaineer, photographer, naturalist, journalist, writer, broadcaster and conservation campaigner ‘Scotland’s most loved mountain man’

Loch Lomond is 18.5 miles long, 4.5 miles wide at its widest point and covers 27.5 square miles. Just north of Inversnaid it descends to a depth of 623 ft! It also has 23 islands!

The West Highland Way continues along the shores of the moody looking Loch Lomond, into areas of forest up and down and around Arrochymore Point to a car park and shingle beach at Milarrochy where we are meeting Steve for lunch. Clara is a welcome sight and so is the lunch and cuppa that Steve has prepared for us! The three of us sit on a bench to consume lunch, overlooking the very enticing waters and enjoying the entertaining ducks who clearly know humans equal food. (sadly none was forthcoming from us!) After availing ourselves of the facilities we set off for the afternoon leg to Rowardennan.

The path continues through fine mossy forest and with short stretches along the road soon meandering back into woodland and just before Cashel Campsite (where we are staying) we pass two dry-stone walls with seats as part of them - great idea! We are both still in our short sleeves at this stage! We never seem far from the banks of Loch Lomond!

After Cashel we are back amongst the lovely woodland, and pass through a well thought out area for managed wild-ish camping called Sallochy, just 20 pitches for tents, but it feels like a fabulous spot to camp! Each pitch has its own designated fire-pit too! The next stretch of the WHW feels never-ending, we are still walking through lovely areas of forest, but with some rather tricky stone steps and punishing climbs. We pass a few groups of other walkers and are applauded by a group at the top of a hill while they await slower stragglers from their group. The path eventually leads out onto the road and we continue on a path separated from the road.

We pass by the Rowardennan Hotel, bar and shop and the path crosses over to the other side, now the rain has begun to fall quite heavily all of a sudden! Isaac spots Clara and carries on down the road while I take the official path leading to the entrance of the Youth Hostel. There are no photos from the end and is was hammering down with rain!

Todays fungi finds… Oyster Mushrooms growing all the way up a tree, Yellow Stagshorn and THE best example of a Fly Agaric I have ever seen!