My husband, Cade, and I got married in June 2023. We decided to delay our honeymoon in order to save more so that we could afford to take the trip we really wanted- to Scotland. We began planning and saving and in May 2024 we flew across the Atlantic and landed on Scottish soil. Our honeymoon was two weeks long and we split it into two halves: hiking and sightseeing. The main attraction to Scotland was walking the West Highland Way, Scotland’s premier long trail. Spanning 96 miles from Milngavie to Fort William, the WHW travels through quaint villages and past sprawling vistas en route to the infamous Scottish highlands. The WHW has numerous accommodations along the route and we learned that many walkers just travel inn to inn rather than actually backpacking.
Since it was our honeymoon we wanted to take part in this lavish way of hiking, but also wanted to stay true to our dirtbag roots. As a compromise we carried our tent and camped about half of the nights on trail, the other nights staying at hostels or bed and breakfasts. Because the WHW meanders through multiple towns each day, we did not have to carry any food with us because we chose to eat every meal at local restaurants. This helped make the trip feel fancy and special because it was so different than what we are accustomed to on our typical backpacking trips.
We walked along the WHW from May 2-9, 2024. After completing the trail, we transitioned to the sightseeing phase of our trip. We bopped around between Fort William, Inverness, and Edinburgh from May 10-16, 2024. If you are thinking about hiking the WHW or want recommendations for places to see in Scotland, please get in touch!
Magic in the Mountains 