Day 1 Bolton - Milngavie - Balmaha

So we are finally here and the big day has arrived.

The selfie at the start

The alarm went off at 3.45am after an early night and for a brief moment I thought I was back at work again.  The traffic on the M6/M74 was fairly light and so the drive to Milngavie was pretty uneventful.  I then parked up at the railway station and from there it's just a short walk to the start.  I settled down at the Costa right by the start where I had a quick drink at the coffee shop and then the obligatory selfie.  Last April I walked the West Highland Way and as I sat outside the Costa I got chatting to an old guy who was walking a Shetland Sheepdog aka a Sheltie (same breed as my own dog).  Amazingly this morning I saw him again and chatted to him and he remembered much of our conversation from over a year ago.  He probably thinks I'm stalking him now.

The path that lies ahead

Having finished drinking coffee and chatting i popped up to the Milngavie Library and Community Centre as that was the nearest place I could use the loo.  Whilst there I got chatting to one of the staff about the walk and when she heard I was fund-raising she insisted on giving a donation.  Milngavie has some lovely people.

Today's walking from Milngavie (roughly 6 miles north of Glasgow city centre) to Balmaha (at the southern end of Loch Lomond's eastern shoreline) was 20 miles and this will actually be the longest of all 6 days in terms of distance covered.  The reason for this is that, going South to North, the West Highland Way eases you in gently.  The first section between Milngavie and Drymen is pretty flat, with much of the walking being done along well established paths, country lanes as well as a disused railway line.  The Way passes through Mugdock Country Park, past Craigallian Loch before joining the long-abandoned Blane Valley Railway line.  

Craigallian Loch

As to be expected the walking was easy going but, having left Milngavie only a couple of miles behind, the views were already starting to impress.  To the right the impressive Camspie Fells were rising up, whilst to the left there were meadows and pastures with sheep, horses and cattle - it didn't take long for Glasgow to feel very distant.

The Way takes you past the Glengoyne distillery.  Last year I spent a very pleasant couple of hours in there but today I was pressing on.  The weather, though forecast for some rain, stayed very pleasant for the first 13 miles and the sun was shining as I arrived in Drymen.  Now Drymen is home to the Clachan Inn which claims to be the oldest licensed pub in the whole of Scotland, the first licensee being Mistress Gow, the sister of Rob Roy.  And so I popped in to see what it was like and to sample the local stout, Belhaven Black.

Clachan Inn

2 very quick hours were spent chatting to the landlord, one of the locals and a couple of Americans about the pros and cons of Donald Trump, healthcare provision, Manchester's 'soccer' team (I had to point out there were 2 and then move the conversation on when questions were asked about whether City or United were the better team) and finally the public transport options available to get an individual from Fort William to St Andrews.  As the discussions came to a natural close it felt right to venture back outside to finish off the last 7 miles over Conic Hill and down into Balmaha.  And yet as soon as I stepped outside it started to rain.

Conic Hill, lying in wait

Leaving Drymen the WHW changes quite drastically.  From gentle paths and lanes you move into the Garadhban Forest and through a number of wooded plantations.  The path is rougher, much more undulating and in the distance you see the imposing sight of Conic Hill, standing at at 361m above Balmaha and with Loch Lomond beyond.  Conic Hill stands on the Highland Boundary Fault, and marks the transition from Lowlands to Highlands.  The climb up and around the summit is the first proper test and after having had a drenching an hour or so earlier I was pleased that the clouds had gone and we were treated to the best weather of the entire day.  

Looking back at the way I came

The view as you come round the summit really opens up and the improvement in the weather meant that I wasn't disappointed.

Loch Lomond from Conic Hill

Leaving Conic behind

Oak Tree Inn, Balmaha

From Conic Hill the descent to Balmaha is steep and seems to go on for ages.  However eventually I arrived at the car park in Balmaha that also houses the Visitor Information Centre.  Straight opposite I could see the Oak Tree Inn - my stopping point for the day.

A shower, a drink and a meal in the hotel bar were all very well received before I went back to the room for hopefully a good night's rest.  My room looks out over Loch Lomond - a body of water that I'll become very familiar over the next 2 days.

Tomorrow I head for Inversnaid, so let's see what fun awaits there.  There are less miles to walk but the terrain will definitely be cranked up a notch or 2.  I won't see anything vaguely resembling a railway line (whether disused or not) until Crianlarich at the end of Day 3.

Goodnight