The Beginning
September 7, 2021
It was almost a surreal moment. I was about to start day 1 of the West Highland Way, Milngavie to Drymen. After two canceled trips and years of almost obsessing about the West Highland Way, I was actually on the train from Glasgow to Milngavie. Stepping off the train, I made the short walk to the official start of the West Highland Way with its obelisk and dramatic entrance. It was about 10:00 and I hadn’t yet had anything to eat so I stopped at the Subway shop for some breakfast and sat outside across from the start.
It was a very humid day which I wasn’t expecting. The sky was overcast but thankfully it wasn’t raining as I set off through the gates. I still had to pinch myself that I was actually here since I had seen this so many times online and in YouTube videos while preparing for the walk. The beginning of the walk goes through a public park and eventually into the countryside and farmlands on the outskirts of Glasgow.
There was no one else starting at the same time as I did so I was all alone for the first few miles except for the occasional runner in the park. Eventually, the path crosses a road and goes through several sheep pastures with some glimpses of the hills ahead. After a stroll through the beautiful village of Gartness, the path stays on a backcountry road all the way to Drymen. One bonus, all of the blackberry bushes along the road! My foraging probably added another 30 minutes to my walk that day but was totally worth it.
Food on Day 1
This night I was staying at Drymen Camping which is about a mile from the town of Drymen. The only place to get food on this first day along the trail is the Beech Tree Inn. Since there would be no food at the campground that evening, I needed to get something for dinner as well. The Beech Tree was fairly crowded and I couldn’t get their app to work to order food so I kept on walking. I had heard on the WHW Facebook page that there was another new restaurant about a mile further.
Well, Turnip the Beet was there but it was not open on Tuesdays. This meant that after I arrived at the campground, I would get to walk another mile into Drymen where I got dinner at Skoosh Cafe and also some breakfast for the next day. It ended up working out since I also had to deliver my day 2 covid test to the Royal Post but it was still poor planning on my part for the food.
Day 1 ended up being just under 11 miles, plus the 2 bonus miles into town and back.
Photos
Here are some photos from Day 1. Click the image to enlarge it.
My accommodation for the night:
Drymen Camping I stayed in a Kocoon which was a small hut with 2 platform mattresses and a table. Very cozy though no electricity. Cost: £36
