There is a version of the West Highland Way that exists on the official website. It involves covering 154 kilometres in around eight days, averaging close to 20 kilometres daily across some of the most exposed and demanding terrain in Scotland. It is a serious undertaking for a fit adult travelling light.
Then there is the version I did. Six days, roughly 10 kilometres a day, a two year old strapped to my back, 50 pounds of combined weight on my body in 25 degree Scottish heat, and one of the most empowering experiences of my life.
This is that version.
If you are a parent looking at the West Highland Way and wondering whether it’s possible with a toddler — it is. But not the way the website tells you to do it. Here is exactly how I would plan it.
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## The Route
We covered the southern section of the West Highland Way, starting in Tyndrum and finishing in Fort William. This section covers the most dramatic and varied terrain on the route — rolling farmland, the vast exposure of Rannoch Moor, the mountain crossing into Glencoe and the notorious Devil’s Staircase into Kinlochleven.
Total distance covered: approximately 60 kilometres over six days.
We did this in May. Scotland in May is unpredictable — you might get four seasons in one day or, as we discovered, a full week of blazing sunshine with temperatures that felt entirely out of place on a Scottish moor. Pack for everything.
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## The Carrier Situation — This Is Important
Before I get into the route I want to talk about carriers because this is the question every parent asks and the answer is not as simple as “just get a hiking carrier.”
I used two carriers on this trip and they served completely different purposes.
The **Trail Magik** was my workhorse carrier for days when I was carrying my full pack. The Trail Magik is designed to clip directly onto the back of your rucksack which means your toddler sits above your pack rather than you trying to wear two separate things at once. When you are carrying 10 to 12 kilograms of camping gear plus a toddler this is not a luxury, it is a necessity. It distributes the weight properly and keeps everything stable on uneven terrain.
The **Ergobaby Omni 360** came out on days when I had sent my gear ahead and was hiking with just a day pack. Without the full pack on my back the Ergobaby is significantly more comfortable — better lumbar support, better hip belt load transfer, and Freddy could fall asleep in it without the whole setup becoming unwieldy.
If you are planning to do this with a toddler and a full pack, look into the Trail Magik seriously. It changed the trip for me.
Freddy was two years old and walked a surprising amount of the route. He loved the challenge of scrambling up rocky sections and had his own little toddler determination about getting up hills. On flat sections he walked independently for stretches. On longer or more exposed sections he went into the carrier. We followed his lead and it worked beautifully.
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## Day by Day Itinerary
### Day 1 — Tyndrum to Bridge of Orchy
**Distance:** approximately 10km
**Difficulty:** easy
**Overnight:** wild camp by the river at Bridge of Orchy
This is your warm up day and honestly it is the perfect one to start with when you are travelling with a toddler. The terrain from Tyndrum to Bridge of Orchy is almost entirely flat — wide open valley walking with good path underfoot and nothing technical to navigate. It is the kind of day that lets you find your rhythm, check your pack weight feels manageable and see how your little one takes to being in the carrier for longer stretches.
We covered the 10 kilometres without any real difficulty. The wild camp spot at Bridge of Orchy is straightforward to find — essentially where everyone stops for the night, right next to the river. We pitched up, and Freddy did what every toddler does near a river in warm weather — went straight in for a paddle. May in Scotland was giving us genuine summer temperatures that week and the cold river water was an absolute blessing after a day on the trail.
Nothing dramatic about this day and that is exactly the point. Save your energy. The moor is coming.
*Stacey’s tip: Wild camping is legal in Scotland under the Land Reform Act. Leave no trace, use biodegradable soap, and camp at least 30 metres from any water source.*
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### Day 2 — Bridge of Orchy to Rannoch Moor
**Distance:** approximately 12-13km
**Difficulty:** moderate — long and exposed
**Overnight:** wild camp by the river on the moor
This was our longest day and the one that tested us most — not because of the terrain, which is largely flat once you cross onto the moor itself, but because of the conditions.
The morning section from Bridge of Orchy up and over to the edge of Rannoch Moor is genuinely lovely. A good climb to start, rewarded with views that open up dramatically as you crest the hill and the moor stretches out in front of you. On a clear day it is one of the most striking landscapes in Scotland — vast, ancient, completely treeless and stretching to the horizon in every direction.
And therein lies the challenge with a toddler in May.
No trees means no shade. We were crossing one of the most exposed stretches of the entire route in 25 degree heat with no shelter and a two year old who needed protecting from the sun. Sun cream, a hat that stayed on through sheer persistence, and regular water stops became the rhythm of the day. There is no wildlife to speak of on Rannoch Moor — it is too exposed and too ancient — so don’t bank on distractions. It is just you, the path, the heat and the horizon.
We found a beautiful wild camp spot by a river on the moor. After the heat of the day the sound of moving water was everything. Freddy was asleep before the tent was fully pitched.
*Stacey’s tip: Carry more water than you think you need across Rannoch Moor. There are water sources but the exposed crossing with a toddler in heat is genuinely draining. A Sawyer Squeeze filter means you can top up from any river safely.*
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### Day 3 — Rannoch Moor to Glencoe Mountain Resort
**Distance:** approximately 5-6km
**Difficulty:** moderate — some climbing
**Overnight:** Glencoe Mountain Resort campsite
This is your short recovery day and I planned it deliberately. After 12 kilometres across an exposed moor in the heat, a short day with a proper campsite at the end is not laziness — it is strategy.
The section from the moor into Glencoe involves a climb — you are essentially going up and over a shoulder of the mountain before dropping down to the resort. It is not technical but it is a real ascent with a toddler and a pack and after the previous day’s mileage your legs will know about it.
We made it into Glencoe Mountain Resort by around 10am.
And then we sat in the cafeteria for most of the rest of the day and it was absolutely perfect.
Glencoe Mountain Resort is a ski centre that operates as a campsite and waypoint for WHW walkers in summer. The staff were genuinely wonderful — warm, friendly, used to weary hikers arriving at their door. We ate hot food, charged our devices, dried out our gear and watched the clouds move across the Glencoe peaks from the window. Freddy charmed everyone in the building. It was exactly the reset we needed.
*Stacey’s tip: The Glencoe Mountain Resort campsite has toilets, showers and a cafe. After days of wild camping this feels extraordinarily luxurious. Take full advantage.*
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### Day 4 — Glencoe Mountain Resort to Kinlochleven
**Distance:** approximately 17km
**Difficulty:** hard — includes the Devil’s Staircase
**Overnight:** Airbnb in Kinlochleven
This was our biggest day by distance and our hardest by effort. I made a deliberate decision the night before — I arranged to have my full pack delivered to our accommodation in Kinlochleven so I could tackle the Devil’s Staircase with just Freddy and a day pack. Best decision I made on the entire trip.
The Devil’s Staircase is the highest point on the West Highland Way at around 550 metres. The name is not entirely accurate — it is a hard climb but it is a path, not a scramble — but with a toddler in a carrier on your back it earns every bit of its reputation. I had Freddy in the Ergobaby without the full pack and I was still working hard on that ascent.
And then you get to the top.
On a clear day — and we had another clear day — the views from the top of the Devil’s Staircase are among the best on the entire route. Mountains in every direction, Glencoe behind you, the descent to Kinlochleven stretching ahead. It is the kind of view that makes you forget your legs hurt.
The descent into Kinlochleven is long and your knees will feel it. At 17 kilometres total this was by far our biggest day and I will not pretend it was easy. But Kinlochleven at the end of it felt like the most deserved arrival of the whole trip.
Kinlochleven is a lovely small town tucked into the valley at the head of Loch Leven. We stayed in an Airbnb, had Chinese food for dinner and felt like actual human beings again. I cannot overstate how good a proper bed and a hot meal feels after four days on the trail.
*Stacey’s tip: If you are travelling with a toddler seriously consider the gear transfer option for this day. Most WHW baggage transfer services will move your pack between stops for around £10-15. It is worth every penny on the Devil’s Staircase day.*
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### Day 5 — Kinlochleven to Glen Nevis
**Distance:** taxi transfer
**Overnight:** Glen Nevis campsite
I am going to be honest about this one.
The final leg from Kinlochleven to Fort William is approximately 23 kilometres — the longest single day on the route. It is also largely forested walking without the dramatic views of the previous days. After carrying 50 pounds of combined weight across six days in the heat I made the call that I physically could not do another full day with the pack and Freddy and enjoy any of it.
So we took a taxi to Glen Nevis campsite on the outskirts of Fort William and I have zero regrets about that decision.
There is no medal for suffering. You are doing this with a toddler. Make the smart call when you need to.
Glen Nevis campsite is a brilliant final night base — right at the foot of Ben Nevis, good facilities, and the glen itself is stunning. We had one last camp dinner, one last night in the tent and woke up for the final morning.
*Stacey’s tip: Glen Nevis campsite books up fast in summer. Pre-book before you leave home.*
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### Day 6 — Glen Nevis to Fort William
**Distance:** approximately 5km
**Difficulty:** easy
**Overnight:** n/a — you’re done
The last morning.
We walked the final 5 kilometres from Glen Nevis into Fort William along a gentle path that follows the river into town. Freddy walked the last stretch himself — toddling through the streets of Fort William with a chocolate macaron in his hand like he owned the place.
And then we reached the sign.
I don’t remember exactly what it said. I remember that the moment we passed it, from somewhere nearby, bagpipes started playing. I don’t know where they were coming from. I don’t know if it was coincidence or if someone somewhere was busking on a warm May morning in Fort William. But in that moment it felt like the world was saying yes. You did it. You actually did it.
I stood there on a pavement in Fort William with a chocolate-faced two year old and I cried.
Not because it was over. Because I had done something I wasn’t sure I could do, in a way nobody told me was possible, with the best adventure companion I have ever had.
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## Kit List for the WHW with a Toddler
**Carriers:**
– Trail Magik — for days carrying a full pack *(affiliate link)*
– Ergobaby Omni 360 — for lighter days *(affiliate link)*
**Pack:**
– Osprey Renn 50L *(affiliate link)*
– Foldable 20L day pack for transfer days
**Sleep:**
– Thermarest Questar sleeping bag *(affiliate link)*
– MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2 tent *(affiliate link)*
– Inflatable sleeping pad
**Water:**
– Sawyer Squeeze filter *(affiliate link)*
– 1L Nalgene x2 *(affiliate link)*
**Toddler essentials:**
– High SPF sun cream — reapply constantly
– Sun hat that actually stays on
– Snacks in accessible hip belt pocket
– Change of clothes in a dry bag
– Comfort toy for tent evenings
– A river and a toddler’s natural instinct to paddle in it — priceless, costs nothing
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## Practical Information
**When to go:** May to September. May gave us exceptional weather but pack for rain regardless — this is Scotland.
**Baggage transfer:** Multiple services operate along the WHW moving packs between stops for around £10-15 per transfer. For a toddler trip I would use this on at least the Devil’s Staircase day.
**Wild camping:** Legal in Scotland. Follow Leave No Trace principles. Camp away from roads and farm buildings.
**Resupply:** Tyndrum, Bridge of Orchy pub, Glencoe Mountain Resort cafe, Kinlochleven all have food options. Carry enough for the Rannoch Moor section.
**Emergency contacts:** Download the OS Maps app with the WHW route saved offline before you leave. Signal on the moor is unreliable.
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## Would I Do It Again?
In a heartbeat.
Freddy was two. He scrambled up rocks, paddled in rivers, charmed cafe staff and walked into Fort William with a chocolate macaron like he’d done it a hundred times. He will not remember any of it. I will remember all of it.
The West Highland Way is not just for serious hikers travelling light and fast. It is for anyone who decides they are going to do it. Even if that means 10 kilometre days, a Trail Magik clipped to your pack, and a taxi on the second to last day.
Especially then.
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