▁the ▁Way ▁was ▁ge ograph er ▁F iona ▁Rose ▁who ▁survey ed ▁the ▁route ▁over ▁a ▁year ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁covering ▁some ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁miles ▁on ▁foot . ▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁the ▁West ▁High land ▁Way ▁was ▁co - design ated ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁International ▁App al ach ian ▁Tra il . ▁ ▁The ▁route ▁▁ ▁The ▁path ▁uses ▁many ▁ancient ▁roads , ▁including ▁ancient ▁dro vers ' ▁roads , ▁military ▁roads ▁d ating ▁to ▁the ▁Jacob ite ▁u pr is ings ▁and ▁old ▁co aching ▁routes . ▁It ▁is ▁usually ▁walked ▁from ▁south ▁to ▁north , ▁making ▁it ▁a ▁journey ▁from ▁the ▁Low lands ▁to ▁the ▁High lands . ▁The ▁route ▁is ▁commonly ▁walked ▁in ▁seven ▁to ▁eight ▁days , ▁although ▁many ▁f itter ▁and ▁more ▁experienced ▁walk ers ▁do ▁it ▁in ▁five ▁or ▁six . ▁The ▁route ▁can ▁be ▁covered ▁in ▁consider ably ▁less ▁time ▁than ▁this , ▁but ▁a ▁less ▁hurried ▁progress ▁is ▁the ▁choice ▁of ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁walk ers , ▁allowing ▁for ▁appreci ation ▁of ▁the ▁coun tr ys ide ▁along ▁the ▁Way . ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁walk ers ▁being ▁const rained ▁to ▁a ▁single ▁track , ▁some ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁Way ▁have ▁become ▁badly ▁er oded . ▁However , ▁a ▁considerable ▁amount ▁of ▁work ▁is ▁undert aken ▁to ▁maintain ▁the ▁route . ▁ ▁A ▁walk ▁along ▁the ▁Way ▁is ▁often ▁broken ▁up ▁into ▁sections ▁or ▁stages