Journey Begins and Instant Friends

Day 1 Walking

Thursday June 6

Premier Inn, Milngavie to The Hawthorns, Dryman

13 miles from hotel, 35,260 STEPS, 7 Hours

NO RAIN!

Simple breakfast of a bowl most filled with fresh cherries and raspberries, a bit of muesli, and, a CROISSANT!! 

Pack up gear and set off in good spirits. On the mile walk to the official start of the WHW met two elderly women on the sidewalk.  The first congratulated me and wanted to know if I had midge spray and had met hikers from Oregon and Minnesota.  The second has a friend from Milwaukee.  

Scottish accents are definitely not English accents.  And they often speak in Scottish amongst themselves.  

Met Jonathan from Brooklyn NYC and his walking buddy Dave from the south of England.  They took my photo and I took theirs before actually getting started.  

Mostly a flat walk on a wide path leading out of Milngavie with many locals walking their extremely well behaved dogs whom where not on leashes.  

With in a short distance a solo woman came up fast behind me.  We talked and walked for a few minutes and expected she would soon stride away from me.  But, Lynne from Canada stuck with this slow walker - for the entire day. We struck up chatting and had a hard time stopping.  Began to leapfrog with another couple until finally a group of 4 was stuck together for the rest of today’s walk.  Joe and Sue are from the Washington DC area.  Good combination and they didn’t seem to mind that I was a slow poke. 

As the path was mostly narrow and single file walking was often needed there was much talking over the shoulder, and switching between walking/talking partners.  

The route led uphill through Mugdock wood past a few slightly swampy smallish lochs. A few short sections of road walking which is a bit dangerous with the narrow road and overly confident drivers coming around curves.  Past fields with pretty sheep (baa baa), long haired cattle (hairy coo), and the beginning of rolling hills in the distance.  

Lynne from Canada

A side trip off trail was to the Glengoyne Distillery as it seems like the ‘required’ thing to do. We looked around the gift shop and decided not to do the tour and tasting.  Back on the trail there was a lunch stop at the Beech Tree Inn which the trail passed directly through.  

I had chili with a hoagie.  Apparently I was supposed to spoon (no spoon but only a fork was given) the chili into the very long bun.  It was very long.  Ended up eating the chili with the fork and picked half the bun apart and fingered the cheese on the bite sized bits.  It worked. 

Back on the path and Chatting.  There are a LOT of West Highland Way people starting off today. And the path overlaps with the John Muir Way so a crisscrossing of lots of people on adventures. 

Forecast called for rain and it was a miracle that none happened and currently it is sunny with pretty clouds. 

Our group decided to meet for dinner at the historic Clachan Inn.  Joe and Sue, the couple are staying at a B&B which is also owned by the separate place Lynne is staying.  I am a block away, and we have a reservation at the most popular place (my host says that is where his family goes to eat or take visiting family to).   

Kirstin on the left, joined the group, next to her is Lynne, me, Sue, and Joe.  

“Man can not discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore”. Andre Gide

Lois has crossed an ocean and beginning to discover a new land and friend.