Winter on the West Highland Way (January 2026)
I finally got around to editing photos and my trip report from my January/winter hike on the West Highland Way. I got pretty lucky with the weather! Only light rain and pretty mild for January. It was super quiet on the trail -- barely saw anybody and no midges. Short daylight hours and most amenities were closed for the season, which was the downside. Hiked it in 7 days with 1 night in a hotel, 1 night in a bothy, and the rest camping.
A week before I head out there was snow and -10C overnight on the trail, so I was worried about the cold. I brought an emergency mylar bivvy as a vapor barrier liner in an attempt to prevent condensation in the sleeping bag. But the weather was mild, so I was warm and dry basically the whole week.
Winter gear: neoair xtherm and western mountaineering antelope with decathlon fleece and puffer jacket (the -10C version). Stuffed in a 2018 Osprey Exos 58.
Tent: a YAMA 2P cirriform dw that I bought in 2018 for my PCT, but ended up using a different tent for that hike, so it was a barely used tent, but still almost 10 years old. Held up well and they even provided email support to me when I recently emailed them about the viability of using such an old tent, which was greatly appreciated.
I'm not sure if links are allowed? If they are, I typed up a full report with details, etc ( matthiking.wordpress.com/west-highland-way/ )