| Distance | 20.9 km; 800 ft of climbing |
| Time | 5 hrs |
| Difficulty | Flat-ish, just a long day |
| Good for | Woodland then open countryside |
I’m not quite sure how we came to do the West Highland Way as we were long distance walking novices, but it seemed like a good idea to start with a well known, safe route.
The West Highland Way is now quite a tourist draw and despite walking it in early May there will still plenty of others doing the same as us. About 99% of them walked as we did on a south-to-north basis, saving the best views until the end. On the walk it became clear that many fellow walkers were staying in the same hotels as us, also walking the route slowly(ish). Many were from overseas – we saw Germans, Belgians, but mainly, Americans.
The walk can be done in as quickly as 4 or 5 days but the point of the walk was to slow down, ‘smell the coffee’ as it were, and enjoy the surroundings. We did the walk over 9 days with B&B’s pre-booked at the end of each day.
Here we are at the start of the route by an obelisk which marks the beginning of the route in Milngavie High Street. Just behind my right shoulder you can see a grand gate tempting walkers onto the route proper.
Walking through the gate, the path quickly finds a woodland path out of the hustle and bustle of the high street. This pleasant path gently rises for the first 3 or 4 miles through Mugdock Wood.
After a couple of miles the path opens up into the countryside with views overlooking Craigallian Loch to the right.
After around 4 miles, the scenery changes to display the foothills of the Highlands. In the distance the 435m high Dumgoyne can be seen. The walk meanders towards it but bears left before reaching it. The new heathland seems to be the terrain for the lesser spotted Haggis, and the ones in theses parts would appear to be quite aggressive.
About half way into the day’s walk, and having traversed around Drumgoyne there was a pleasant 1km diversion to the right to the Glengoyne Whiskey Distillery . They offered tours and tastings but as we were keen to carry on we passed up the opportunity. We did take up the opportunity for a sit-down and a purchase of a wee dram or two for the journey.
The latter stages of the walk presented rolling fields and pleasant views. Whilst there were no ‘stunning’ views, the gentle introduction to heathland and hills promises much for the rest of the walk. This was the approach towards Drymen.
Not the best day for ‘views’ but the best view of the walk for me is the view towards the Highlands which captures the anticipation of what lies ahead.
Life Two 