Tuesday 26 June – Milngavie to Drymen
Once again we had enjoyed a very comfortable and welcoming B and B last night. Morag, our host at Best Foot Forward in Milngavie, had greeted us warmly, showed us to our very spacious room and also given us a great pointer for dinner – an Italian restaurant which certainly lived up to its reputation. And then this morning each breakfast table had the national flags of the guests as decorations – a lovely touch. Tonight we are staying with Frances at Lander B and B, and we could not have been made more welcome. And another great recommendation for dinner! Overall we have been so impressed with the various B and Bs, hostels and pubs we have stayed at – very fortunate.
We knew that today was going to be a short day by our standards, so there was no need to race off early. Leaving at a scandalously late 9.45am we headed to the centre of Milngavie to pick up the very start of the West Highland Way. It is certainly a “big thing” in Milngavie – at the start of the track is an obelisk and a very ornate iron gateway. And the signage is excellent – no chance of getting lost here. Initially the track threads its way out of town through a couple of park areas and a patch of woodland before it emerges on to a path beside our first loch –Craigallian Loch – a small one but a loch nonetheless.
As we walked along, with several fellow Way walkers in front and behind us, we were stopped by a local man heading in the opposite direction and handing out leaflets to everyone on Lyme Disease Awareness. We had heard plenty about the midges in Scotland, but in many areas ticks are also an increasing problem, and some carry Lyme Disease. Yikes! Alerted to be vigilant and check exposed skin if we had to venture off track, we also vowed to purchase a tick removing device at the next pharmacy!
After passing a second smaller loch the track took us across a road before delivering us on to a pathway through meadows, taking us up over a saddle. We had great views back towards a range of hills – the Campsies. The Way then joined a disused railway track – the Blane Valley trail – which we followed for about 6km. Nice easy walking of course, through farmland. We were never far from the road but fortunately there was not too much traffic noise.
You ‘ll never believe it but along the way the rail trail passed……. yes, an inn ! Who would have thought…. We strongly support local ventures and so were compelled to give our patronage and a coffee / lemonade / chocolate cake were purchased and devoured. Again, this inn made a huge fuss of walkers – the increasing popularity of the West Highland Way providing a great opportunity for them.
Energy levels restored, we continued along the rail trail until it joined minor roads to take us through the tiny village of Gartness and into Drymen, our destination for today. By our standards 19km is a short day, and we actually had plenty of time to stop and admire the views on more than one occasion and still arrive in Drymen by 3.15pm. Just as well time was on our side – it was very exciting to catch our first glimpses of Loch Lomond and Conic Hill, where we will be walking tomorrow. Already we are eagerly anticipating the spectacular scenery, just from those first sightings.
Our day was finished perfectly when we met old friends of Val’s for dinner at The Clachan Inn in Drymen. The Clachan is the oldest registered licensed pub in Scotland, established in 1734 and serves fabulous food and a great range of ales and malt whiskies. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening with Kate and Angus and thank them so much for travelling from Glasgow to spend the evening with us.
Distance today: 19km / 12 miles
Looking back to the Campsie Hills
Scrumpy to Scotch 