Day-1 Milngavie to Drymen (12 miles)

We reached Milngavie at around 5.30 the previous evening and settled into the West View Guest House, dinner that evening was at the Cross Keys pub, this was washed down by a few pints of the local brew.

In the morning we settled into what was to be our usual routine, a substantial breakfast, normally a "full Scottish" consumed with plenty of cups of tea or coffee. Followed by half an hours rest, before we dropped our bags in the allotted place for the transfer company to collect (every day we dropped them off and every day they appeared at our next destination). Then came food shopping for the day's lunch.

Best View Guest House,
Milngavie

This was the first day of serious walking, 12 miles of gentle terrain. With no real climbs or rugged terrain to tackle (in fact it just like was just like a Sunday walk with Ivel Valley), except for the views of the mountains in the distance.

The West Highland Way (WHW) is extremely easy to navigate, just keep following the WHW (thistle) way markers for the next 95 miles, but be warned the first day is just a prelude for the things to come. The walk gets tougher, but more scenic as the days go by.

The day was to be dull and grey, with intermittent showers. In other words a day for "putting on and taking off" your waterproofs. The morning 7 miles took us to the Beech Tree Inn at Dumgoyne, for a cup of tea with our lunch. Just as we'd finished the heavens opened up, so we took shelter for a while. Before proceeding on the afternoon's somewhat hilly walk along the country lanes for the final 5 miles to Drymen. A small town overlooking the Southern tip of Loch Lomond.

We arrived at the Elmbank B&B early that afternoon, before having a stroll round town, and up to the view point that overlooked Loch Lomond. Dinner that evening was at the Clachan in the centre of town, a crowded little place but the beer was good.