Arrival at the trailhead in Milngavie
Distance: 19 km
Start: 10am
Arrival in Drymen: 3pm
Should we walk or take the train from Glasgow to the trailhead at Milngavie?
One of the (many) questions we asked ourselves when we were planning our West Highland Way trip was whether we should take the train from Glasgow to Milngavie - that's pronouned Mull-guy, by the way - or walk the ~12k instead. The main benefit of taking the train would of course be to save energy for the 154km hike ahead. On the other hand, after flying on a redeye from Montreal, a nice leisurely hike might be just the thing to keep us up throughout the day. This could lead to a good night's sleep starting at an appropriate hour - a strategy we usually follow to avoid jet lag.
And of course, we do love hiking.
We eventually decided to take advantage of the opportunity to spend a few hours exploring Glasgow before taking the short train ride to Milngavie. This made it possible for us to also have a leisurely evening in Milngavie. Plenty of time to pick up our WHW passport* (cost 10 pounts) and enjoy a yummy Sunday roast at the West Highland Way Beefeater, situated conveniently beside the inn we were staying in.
On the trail
As our guidebook suggested we had a easy day ahead of us, we figured 10am would be an adequate start time. We had a nice, big breakfast at the Beefeater, picked up snacks at the Tesco and subs at Subway just across from the trailhead (gluten-free buns!) and hit the trail.
The hike from Milngavie to Drymen was for, for the most part, a laid-back hike through pretty parks and rolling farmland - almost a stroll really. We passed lots of farms with sheep, goats, cows and ponies. As an added bonus we stopped at the Glencoyne Distillery, where we filled our water bottles distilled water from their outside tap and washed our lunch down with a few drams of their scotch. We both preferred the 12 year over the 18 year.
Arrival in Dryman
We arrived in Dryman around 3pm and went straight to the pub at the Clachann Inn (the oldest licensed pub in Scotland) where we were staying the night. We initially intended to check-in - and get my first stamp in my passport - before heading to our room to freshen up, but the bartender was so friendly we decided to pull up a chair at the bar and enjoy a few pints instead.
We had dinner in the restaurant at the Clachann that evening. I tried Cullen Skink for the first time (the first of many bowls I would enjoy on our journey). YUM!
Our guidebook noted that the noise from the restaurant next door can make it difficult to sleep in the rooms located next door. We didn't find this to be a problem at all.
* Purchasing a WHW passport to collect stamps along the way is not necessary. I just like doing these kinds of things. It also provides an opportunity to contribute funds that go towards the maintenance of the trail.
See more photos of our first day on the West Highland Way in our album on Flickr
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