John Muir Way
205 km (127 miles), in Scotland, through 1 national park.
- Distance
- 204.6 km
- In miles
- 127.1 mi
- Day stages
- 10 at ~20 km
- Typical trip
- 8–10 days
- Countries
- Scotland
- National parks
- 1
- Listed summits within 2.5 km
- 0
- Within 1.5 km of the coast
- 30% of the line
- Managed by
- Green Action Trust
One of the 29 routes designated by NatureScot as Scotland's Great Trails — largely off-road, well-managed long-distance routes that are signposted and mapped end to end.
How long it really is
We measure John Muir Way at 204.6 km (127.1 miles), computed by walking the OpenStreetMap route geometry point by point across the 10 relations the route is mapped in.
This is horizontal distance only. Our trail dataset carries no elevation profile, so we will not quote a total climb or a confident walking time — on hill routes ascent can add hours a day. A flat-ground pace gives roughly 48 h 58 min of walking for the whole route, which is a floor, not an estimate. Add your own ascent figure in the walking-time calculator for something usable.
Access rights along the way
The route stays within Scotland, so one access regime applies along its length.
Scotland
Yes Right to roam: Statutory right of responsible access to most land and inland water.
Yes Wild camping: Wild camping is broadly lawful under the 2003 Act.
In defined Camping Management Zones (roughly 1 March – 30 September) camping requires a permit or use of a designated site, despite the general Scottish access right. Zones cover parts of east Loch Lomond, Trossachs lochshores and other honeypot areas.
A waymarked route is a route you may walk — it does not follow that you may camp beside it, leave it, or take a dog on it. Long-distance paths cross farmland, estates and access land in turn, and byelaws and seasonal restrictions override the general position. This is general information, not legal advice. Check a specific spot with the access checker.
National parks on the route
The line passes through one national park, each with its own byelaws and camping position.
The route in day stages
John Muir Way cut into 10 stages of roughly 20 km, measured along the line itself. These are equal-distance splits computed from the geometry, not an official itinerary — they will not always land on a village, a bunkhouse or a station, and the real day you walk should be set by where you can sleep.
OpenStreetMap does not hold John Muir Way as one continuous line, so the stages below run through the pieces in order of length and the joins between them are not walking distance. Treat the stage boundaries as approximate, and check the official route for the sections between them.
| Stage | Distance | Cumulative | Starts near | Ends near | Flat-ground time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20.7 km | 20.7 km | NT 2547 7255 | NT 4237 7591 | 4 h 33 min |
| 2 | 20 km | 40.7 km | NT 4237 7591 | NT 5512 8534 | 4 h 24 min |
| 3 | 20.3 km | 61 km | NT 5512 8534 | NT 6626 7857 | 4 h 28 min |
| 4 | 20 km | 81 km | NT 6626 7857 | NS 4871 7892 | 4 h 24 min |
| 5 | 20.2 km | 101.1 km | NS 4871 7892 | NT 0549 8018 | 4 h 27 min |
| 6 | 20.1 km | 121.2 km | NT 0549 8018 | NS 6579 7566 | 4 h 25 min |
| 7 | 20.2 km | 141.4 km | NS 6579 7566 | NS 8039 7892 | 4 h 27 min |
| 8 | 20.1 km | 161.5 km | NS 8039 7892 | NT 1896 7580 | 4 h 25 min |
| 9 | 20.2 km | 181.7 km | NT 1896 7580 | NS 3678 8182 | 4 h 27 min |
| 10 | 16.9 km | 198.6 km | NS 3678 8182 | NT 5531 8423 | 3 h 43 min |
Positions are 8-figure (100 m) OS grid references for points on the line, computed from WGS84 coordinates. Flat-ground times are Naismith at 5 km/h with a 6 min/hour rest allowance and no ascent — add the climb in the walking-time calculator before you plan around them.
Conditions on the route
Weather at the route midpoint live
Loading forecast for the midpoint of the route…
Forecast for the midpoint of the John Muir Way, at MET Norway's own ground level — we hold no elevation profile for this route, so nothing here is altitude-adjusted, and conditions vary considerably end to end on a route this long. Weather data from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0).
Daylight at the midpoint today
- Sunrise
- —
- Sunset
- —
- Daylight
- —
- Civil twilight ends
- —
Computed astronomically for 56.063, -2.778. Set a turnaround with the daylight safety planner.
Plan this walk
- Walking-time calculator — add ascent, terrain, pack weight and fitness to get a usable time.
- Pack-weight calculator — multi-day routes live or die on base weight.
- Kit-list generator — season and terrain aware.
- Access checker — what a specific grid reference on the route allows.
- Best month to walk — historical rainfall, temperature and wind by area.
- Safety notes — conditions change fast; build in margin.
Other long-distance paths nearby
Sources for this route
- Route geometry, name, waymark and operator: OpenStreetMap relation 20115739 and 9 further relations making up the route — © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
- Distance, stages, country crossings, park crossings and summit proximity: computed by OpenFell from that geometry.
- Boundaries: Office for National Statistics (OGL v3.0). Summits: Database of British & Irish Hills v18.3 (CC BY 4.0).
- Official route website: johnmuirway.org
OpenStreetMap data is licensed under the Open Database Licence. Our derived trail measurements are published under the same terms — see data sources.