West Highland Way · Overnight stop
Accommodation in Inverarnan
64km / 40 miles in — the end of stage three, at the head of Loch Lomond where the glen opens out.
64km from Milngavie · Stage stop
A hamlet at the top of the loch, arriving at which is the moment the West Highland Way stops feeling like a lowland walk. The day that ends here is the rooty, rocky loch-shore section — flat on the profile and slow in reality, so people reach Inverarnan later and more tired than they planned.
The standard third night on the 7-day schedule.
What is actually in Inverarnan
The Drovers Inn, Beinglas Farm campsite and a bunkhouse. Small supply, and one of the establishments is a destination in its own right.
How far ahead to book
Four to six months in high season. The constraint here is not popularity so much as arithmetic: there is nowhere else within a sensible day.
When it is full
Ardlui is across the loch and reachable by the seasonal ferry, which is the local trick worth knowing. Crianlarich is 13km on and has a station. Between Rowardennan and here there is effectively nothing.
Getting there, and getting out
Buses on the A82. Ardlui station is a short distance south and is the nearest rail. Reasonable as a bail-out point, and the first properly easy one since Drymen.
Camping
North of the Loch Lomond permit zones, so ordinary Scottish Outdoor Access Code wild camping applies from here on. There is also a campsite. The change in rules at this point catches people out in both directions.
Food and resupply
A shop and food. The planning guide lists it among the standard resupply points, and the next one is Tyndrum.
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