Leave West End Car Park by the ramp, and cross the roundabout to take the high street, passing in front of the Muthu Fort William Hotel
Walk along the high street, continuing into the pedestrianised area, passing Cameron Square on your right and continuing until the high street ends where the main road crosses, and you’ll need to take the steps down to cross the main road via a pedestrian subway, coming up outside the station.
Turn left out of the subway, following signs to Great Glen Way (GGW). Walk through the supermarket car park and cross at the crossing towards McDonalds.
Go past the fire station and the petrol station on your left and follow the Great Glen Way signs – you’ll go through a collection of small houses, turning right and then left at the walking and cycling sign for Inverlochy, Caol and Corpach to cross the River Nevis via a footbridge.
Immediately after crossing the bridge, the path turns to the left – again follow the GGW signposts as the path now follows the riverbank to your left, crossing a couple of footbridges, then into open heathland.
When you get to the railway line, you’ll go through a metal gate, turning left to cross the railway via a small bridge.
Where the path comes back to the river, you have a choice of either taking the zigzag pedestrian bridge over the river, or bearing around to the right to go under the railway – follow this route, going under the bridge, following the lane around to the right. Where the lane forks, keep right and cross the river using the bridge.
Where the lane meets the main road, cross the main road and turn left, walking along the pavement, with the road on your left-hand side.
After around 250 metres, this road will meet the A82. Keep to the pavement, turning right on the A82, and at the roundabout, stay on the pavement to go straight over.
Keep walking along the A82, going past the Ben Nevis hotel on your right. In total, you’ll walk for around 1.4km along the A82, eventually crossing the River Nevis, and coming to a roundabout in front of the Ben Nevis Highland Centre, where you’ll turn left to follow Glen Nevis Road.
Walk along Glen Nevis Road for 1.25km, until you come to Braveheart car park signed on the right. Turn right to enter this car park, go through the it, and leave on the path at the south of the car park, signed “Dun Deardail”.
This path follows the contours of Cow Hill, so staying fairly flat through the forest, but after just over half a mile, you’ll see a sign for “Peat Track” off to the right. Take this, and you’ll begin to climb steeply. After about half a mile, you’ll have completed about 2/3 of your climb, and you’ll leave the forested area through a metal gate.
Keep on the path for about another ¼ mile, before taking another path off to the right, signed “Cow Hill Circuit”. You’ll still be climbing, albeit more gently – but the views, over Ben Nevis and Glen Nevis make it all worthwhile!
Follow the signs for “Cow Hill Summit” – which is marked by a television transmitter nearly 350 metres tall. If nothing else, it gives you a nice visual pat on the back – you’ve now climbed pretty much the height of that transmitter!
Once you’ve had your fill of the view, head away from the summit via a path heading South West, aiming for houses in the distance, and descending steeply – take care of your footing as you drop down the other side of Cow Hill.
The path crosses a stream, and arrives at another path via a metal gate – turn right on this path, and eventually coming to a junction, with the path to the left being signed “Henderson Row” – you’ll follow this path, passing allotments, and dropping down the steps at the playground.
Where you come to a T junction with Kennedy Road turn left, then bear right on Hill Road, passing Argyll Road and Cameron Road on the left. Hill Road comes to a T Junction at Fassifern Road – turn right here, then left down Bank Road (there are green bollards in the road to prevent traffic from taking this route).
Bank Road descends to meet High Street at the start of the pedestrianised area – turn left here, and then walk along the high street to the roundabout at the corner of West End car park where you started.
