I love adventures as you might have guessed from the name of this podcast so try to seek them out whenever I can. I have travelled to many different countries and experienced lots of things but one of my most enjoyable adventures happened right here in Scotland when I walked the West Highland Way. In  this episode I’d like to tell you about this famous walk. The West Highland Way is a very famous long distance walking trail that starts near my city, Glasgow. This walking trail goes all the way from the lowlands to the West Highland town of Fort William.  It is 96 miles (154km) long and takes around a week or so to walk although some people actually run it in around 35 hours!  Every year around 40,000 walkers of all ages, come from far and wide to complete the walk, many people love it so much they do it several times during their lifetime and this year the walk is proudly celebrating its 40th anniversary. The walk starts in the small town of Milngavie and the first section is relatively flat, taking you past small villages and rather conveniently, close to the Glengoyne whisky distillery where you can enjoy a dram of whisky and a tour of production! By day 2 you are in Loch Lomond national park, and the first hill climb, Conic hill provides breathtaking views. The walk continues along the banks of the loch, that’s our Scottish word for lake and this is one of my favourite parts of the whole walk as it’s fairly gentle and it’s always nice to be beside the water. Towards the northern part of the loch you can enjoy a wonderful waterfall and step back in time by stopping off for a drink at the Drovers Inn, an 18th century hotel and restaurant with an atmosphere like no other. Leaving the loch behind the scenery changes as you get closer to the mountains.  It’s another 28 miles to the next shop so this is one of the most remote parts of the walk with only dramatic scenery, other walkers and wildlife to keep you company. Finally, the welcoming lights of the Kings house hotel come into view and you’ve reached Glencoe where parts of James Bond’s Skyfall was filmed.  This remote hotel is another memorable moment of the walk for me, a truly wonderful location facing one of our most photographed and distinctive mountains, Buachaille Etive Mor. The final 2 days are the toughest of the whole walk, There’s more climbing to do from here as the walk climbs up to 550m before gradually descending again. During the final day of walking you can see the  UK’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis before arriving into the centre of the town of Fort William and the finish line. The scenery throughout is spectacular and ever changing as along the way you journey across mountains, past lochs (lakes) through glens, into forests and past waterfalls. It is a truly unforgettable trip but hard work! Along the way there are places to stay, campsites, hostels and hotels.  Some parts of the walk are quite busy and you can enjoy the company of other walkers but often you are alone and can enjoy the views and atmosphere in peace.  You can either carry your rucksack yourself or make use of a baggage delivery service which will drop off your bags at your next overnight stay.  I made good use of this service and it made a big difference not having to carry a heavy pack all day long. However, there are some annoyances, during the summer there can be a big problem with midges!  These insects are like mini mosquitoes and during some parts of the walk you have to wear protective netting over your face as there are so many of them all eager to bite you.  I've even seen people running to try to escape from them!  They don’t like windy weather but are especially active at dawn and dusk.  A good insect repellent will help to keep them at bay.  Getting to the finish felt like such an accomplishment and I can honestly say it's one of the best things I've ever done.