| West Highland Way |
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THE ROUTE The path uses many ancient roads, including Drover s' roads, Military roads and old coaching roads and is traditionally walked from South to North . As well as increasing the sense of adventure, tacking the route in this direction keeps the Sun from one's Eye s. The route is traditionally walked in seven to eight Day s, although fitter and more experienced walkers do it in six. The route can be covered in considerably less time than this, but less hurried progress is the choice of the majority of walkers, allowing for appreciation of the countryside along the Way. Indeed, enjoyment of the natural surroundings of the walk are the primary motivating factor for many people following the route. The path officially starts in Milngavie town centre, where a Granite Obelisk is located. Most walkers arrive at the Railway Station located close by. Milngavie is a town located on the northern fringe of the conurbation of Glasgow, and the path rapidly emerges into open countryside. It proceeds by way of country roads, an abandoned railway, the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park and scenic Conic Hill , to reach Balmaha on Loch Lomond . From here, the route follows the isolated, wooded, eastern shores of the loch to Inverarnan , crossing the Highland Boundary Fault . The Way broadly follows the valley of Strathfillan before crossing the desolate yet beautiful Rannoch Moor and descending into Glen Coe . From here, the most mountainous part of the route climbs the ''Devil's Staircase'' before a great descent into Kinlochleven at sea level. The final stage skirts the Mamore Mountains on an old military road and descends into Glen Nevis . From there, it proceeds into Fort William. The last stage passes the foot of Ben Nevis , and many walkers crown their achievement by climbing the highest mountain in Britain . However, the mountain is extremely dangerous in poor Weather , which can occur at any time of year. Due to the large number of walkers being constrained to a single, track, many parts of the Way have become badly eroded, with mountain paths being eroded into tracks wide enough to drive a vehicle along in parts. As with all well documented long distance paths, walkers seeking solitude and grassy tracks might be advised to look at less-travelled routes. RACING An annual race along the full north–south distance of the West Highland Way has been run since 1987 . Starting around midnight on the morning of the Longest Day of the year runners proceed non-stop all the way to Fort William. Current (as of 2005) male and female record holders are Wim Epskamp from The Netherlands (16 Hour s, 26 Minute s, 50 Second s) and Kate Jenkins from Scotland (17 hours, 37 minutes, 48 seconds) both set in 2000 . SETTLEMENTS ON THE WAY Listed south to north, with approximate distances from Milngavie along route of The Way, the settlements on the route are as follows:
(Settlements with no distances do not lie ''directly'' on route of the Way, yet are associated with it by their proximity.) EXTERNAL LINKS
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