West Highland Way: Inversnaid to Inverarnan

Directions

Pass in front of the Inversnaid Hotel and pass through the car park. Continue on northwards along a track paved with concrete blocks through trees along the shore, passing a toilet block on the right. The track soon becomes rougher as it reaches a boathouse. It runs along the side of the boathouse and then behind it; there is a good wild camping spot on the right of the path. Shortly after it curves to the left over a footbridge the path becomes rockier. It crosses another footbridge and continues on; the going soon becomes harder as it crosses a series of rockfalls. It soon reaches Rob Roy’s Cave, a nick in the rocks on the shore - it is hard to find, even with a sign on the ground beside the path.

The path then becomes even rougher, climbing and falling as it continues north through the trees along the shoreline, including a set of 14 steep wooden steps that leads to a bridge over a chasm, with water pouring down the cliff. It is a wonderfully strenuous stroll, especially when it passes streams that thunder down the hillside, and the intermittent views over the loch to the left are superb. Navigation is easy; the path is well-walked and there are no branches leading off it.

At about NN333134 the path leaves the foreshore and follows a path that crosses a flat area of land. Cross a footbridge over a stream and turn right; the path follows the stream on the right before crossing it to reach a low stone wall on the right. It climbs up to pass inland of the little hillock of Creag a’ Mhadaidh before descending to reach the shoreline near Doune Bothy on the left at NN332144.

After this the path remains near the shoreline as it heads northwards for two-thirds of a mile towards Ardleish and the northern end of the loch; the going is easier than it was before but is still not easy. On the way it crosses a bridge and heads up some steps and across a stile through a stone wall before descending to another bridge over a stream to reach Ardleish.

A path heads north from Ardleish, heading slightly inland as it climbs uphill and passing below the summit of the small Cnap Mor on the left. It crosses a couple of wooden causeys before passing the eastern shore of Dubh Lochan and then the ruined farm at Blairstainge as it slowly descends to meet the Ben Glas Burn at NN321185.

When the path approaches the southern bank of the burn, turn left and then right to cross a bridge over the burn to reach the Beinglass Farm campsite at NN321186; to reach Inverarnan turn left to cross a bridge over the River Falloch to reach the A82, then turn left to walk south along the main road to reach the small hamlet.

Places of interest

Transport

Public transport on this leg is very difficult; Scottish Citylink service 914 runs along the A82(T) on the other side of the loch, but the problem is how to get across the loch from the Inversnaid Hotel to the western bank. Cruise Loch Lomond operate a ferry, but the service is infrequent and does not operate all year round.

Likewise, the bus stop at Inverarnan is on the A82(T) on the other side of the river from the trail; a bridge allows access to the main road.

As usual, Traveline Scotland is an excellent resource for planning public transport journeys.

Other walk accounts

This leg is mentioned in the following web pages:

• Rowardennan to Inverarnan (WalkHighlands)
• Ardleish to Tynudrum (JButler)
• Rowardennan to Ardleish (JButler)
• Invesnaid to Tyndrum (Britishwalks)
• Ardess to Inverarnan (AdventureJournal)

Map information

Landranger (1:50,000)		Explorer (1:25,000)
Landranger 56 (Loch Lomond & Inveraray)	or	Explorer 364 (Loch Lomond North)