I'm hoping someone here can help me. I'm planning to be in Scotland in September 2018 (yes, a month from now) and will be starting in Glasgow, flying out of Edinburgh 8 days later. I'm an experienced hiker from the Pacific NW in the US and have done some backpacking and was hoping to hike and camp 1 or 2 portions of the West Highland Way. It's becoming increasingly obvious to me that bringing a tent and all the overnight supplies I would need to camp will make the international travel demands more than I can handle solo, so I'm rethinking converting the camping idea into day hikes from a centrally located Highland home base like Ft William. I am also looking at parts of the Great Glen Way for inspiration but ideally I'm looking at day hiking in and around Ft William with trails I can access via buses and trains. I welcome all suggestions! Thanks very much!

This is one of my favorite sites for finding walks, day hikes, and longer treks.

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk


Pretty much anything in this region you could manage at least partly by public transport.

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/fortwilliam/

Hello,

Fort William is indeed a great base and there is also a mountain gondola near Ben Nevis, to ease access. As the second primary base in would recommend Aviemore and the Cairngorms. Once again, great access by road and rail and especially for public transport. Loch Morlich, halfway between Aviemore and the Cairngorm Mountain Railway (funicular) is perhaps one of the most scenic mountain lakes anywhere in Scotland and will remind you of the Rocky Mountains or scenery similar to Montana. So I would recommend a strategy based around those 2 towns, using hotels or B&Bs and then doing rewarding daytrips and excursions from there.