West Highland Way 2019 Day 1

Day 1 Saturday 21^st September 2019

After staying at the Glasgow Youth Hostel the previous night, I lugged my pack to the train station for a short journey to Milngavie, a suburb on the outskirts of the city, and the official start of the West Highland Way.  

I had arranged for a luggage company, that I had used many times before, to take my larger pack each day.  When I arrived at the official start, I looked about for a van with the wording on the side as instructed in the email I had been sent.  I couldn’t see it.  That was okay, as it was prior to the time they had told me to get there.  I spent some time moving things from my main pack to my day pack, and filling my water bladder at a conveniently located tap (that I had not seen until I had asked about water in a local food shop, when they pointed out the obvious).

The time for my pack collection had come and gone and I was beginning to get nervous.  Eventually I tried calling the luggage company but, being a Saturday, there was only an answer machine.  I began to panic a little, wondering if I would have to try and lug the 20+ kgs over 19 kms to where I had booked accommodation that night.  Re-checking emails, I discovered a reference I had not noticed previously, to a sub-contracted company with, Hallelujah, a phone number!  I called and was told I had to start the walk, and then I would see the van.  Slightly confused, I did as told, and realised that the start led me down to another car park (that was not obvious) where the van was still waiting half an hour after drop-off time.  Phew!

After that, the trail quickly left suburbia behind and became a pleasant walk beneath the trees alongside a stream.  Very nice.  The trail was wide most of the way, with a clear white stone base.  You could not go wrong.  The unfortunate thing was, because I had started late, there were hundreds of people ahead of me on the trail.

With my fast pace, I was constantly overtaking them.  Much of the latter part of the day was walking along an old railway line which, being dead straight, meant for very quick walking, meaning I arrived at my destination, Drymen, at 12:49.

I spent the afternoon sitting in the village green, eating lunch, reading, and watching people, including an attractive young lady I had passed earlier on the trail, but unfortunately she was likely less than half my age.

I visited the B&B (where I had reserved a bunk in a bunkroom) a few times before someone answered the door.  After a shower I went to an extremely busy local pub (apparently a very old one) to sit at the bar in the corner for a quick meal.  Back at the B&B I discovered that the other 3 beds in the bunkroom were now taken by 2 American guys and an English girl on her own.  The Americans (albeit one has been living in Spain for many years) had arrived in the U.K. that day, but decided to take a taxi from Glasgow, rather than walk the first day.  I mention this because tomorrow the story gets a little weirder.

Day 2