West Highland Way · Overnight stop
Accommodation in Rowardennan
42km / 26 miles in — the end of stage two, at the foot of Ben Lomond.
42km from Milngavie · Stage stop
Not a village. A hotel, a hostel and a car park at the end of the public road up the east shore of Loch Lomond, with Ben Lomond directly above. The road stops here; everything north of it is path only, which is what makes the bed supply so tight and the next section so committing.
The standard second night on the 7-day schedule.
What is actually in Rowardennan
The Rowardennan Hotel and the SYHA hostel. That is close to the whole of it, and both are on the trail rather than near it.
How far ahead to book
Six months or more for June to August, and check the hostel the moment your dates are fixed. Two establishments take an entire night of walkers.
When it is full
This is the hardest gap on the southern half. Backwards is Balmaha at 12km; forwards is Inverarnan at 22km over the slowest ground on the route, which is not a sensible extension for anyone. Most people who cannot get in here rebuild the itinerary around Balmaha and a longer day three.
Getting there, and getting out
The end of the public road, with a limited bus and a seasonal loch ferry to Inverbeg on the far shore. Once you leave here northbound you are committed until Inverarnan — bail-out options in between are poor.
Camping
Within the camping management zones, so a permit applies from 1 March to 30 September. There is a campsite here. North of Rowardennan the shoreline is steep, wooded and short of flat ground — pitches are scarcer than the map suggests.
Permit price: £4.50 per tent/motorhome/campervan per night. Full detail of which stretches are covered and how to book is in the Loch Lomond camping management zones guide.
Food and resupply
Very little. Carry what you need for the loch-shore day; the next reliable shop is at Inverarnan and the section between is the slowest walking on the Way.
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