Day 1 - Milngavie to Drymen 12 miles, a gentle start and no blisters (yet!)

Okay, I'm going to do this a week behind. So please just pretend it's last Sunday (10th April) !!

Started the day off saying bye to Calum and Lisa. That's him in the background, with the t-shirt that I kid him on that he can't remember his name.

Only mum dropped us off at the train station. Since the opening of the Bathgate - Airdrie line in December, you can now get a train from just up the road right to the start of the West Highland Way. The train opening  was certainly good timing for mum, who hadn't had her typical three cups of coffee that morning. So she dropped us off, with one of her embarrassing hugs. Only joking, I will miss her.

The temperature is 10C. That's amazingly warm for Scotland. Had a bit of a rest on the train - plugged into my ipod.

Arrived at Milngavie, and found the post that tells us where to start. The West Highland Way leaves Milngavie town centre by a path over the stream, then you are in a lane which used to be an old railway line.


Today was one of the easiest days as we were must walking on normal paths and much of it wasn't very rural or exposed. .We walked through Mugdock Country Park which is quite like Almondell. My dad tells me they used to make whisky illegally in Mugdock.


The Road that leads to nowhere.......




windswept...



It was a lovely walk to start off with but not as dramatic as some of the scenery, like the day mum joined us over Rannoch Moor. That's coming up.

Throughout the day, Lisa kept me up to date with texts about the happenings at home. Mum's in a guddle with wedding invitations, Calum has the garden upside down with paddling pools and various projects on the go that he needs her help with. Lucky her.





We were staying at the Ashbank Guest House. Eric Liddel stayed here between 1907 and 1908. Bet he could do the West highland Way quicker than me.  Also there's a pub called the Clachan (not an unusual name in Scotland) next to it that says it's the oldest pub in Scotland, an has connections with Rob Roy - but lots of pubs claim that ! Dinner in the Pottery that mum recommended ( she went while she was on placement, it was work she says, honest).

Tomorrow to Rowardenen, on the banks of Loch Lomond.