August 8, 2025 - West Highland Way Day 1

 


The first day started out with rain. It came on very slowly as mist so that by the time I decided that it was serious enough to put on rain gear, I was already wet. It didn’t last more than a couple of hours though, and not cold, so everything was fine. After dropping off my big duffel for luggage transport at the train station at 8:30 and stopping at a coffee shop for a croissant and flat white I left Milngavie (pronounced Mulgai) on my way to Drymen (pronounced Drumin), a distance of about 19 kilometers.  It was almost completely flat and very easy hiking so it was a very agreeable first day. I almost immediately met Ross and Morven, a local Scottish couple who have lived in Switzerland for many years.  They are also hiking with a friend, Julia, who now lives in Oxford but used to live in their same town in Switzerland.  

Milngavie to Drymen - 13 miles 

The start

There was a big storm just a few days ago that broke lots of trees and left debris in the river 


The West Highland Way symbol is a white thistle. It’s a little hard to see. It has white brackets/arrows on each side of the thistle. 


A colorful house along the path 


Lots of sheep!











Ross said that Irn Bru was a local soda that was more popular than Coke in Scotland. He said that it was shockingly orange, tastes like bubble gum with lots of artificial ingredients, and that I would probably hate it. 
Unfortunately, he was right. It was pretty nasty. I’m glad I tried it though. 


Much of the trail was built on an old rail path so it was pretty flat. 





Under the trail is a pipeline transporting water from Loch Lomond to Glasgow and Edinburgh. 

The greenest green you’ll ever see 


A really old apple tree on the trail 






The night’s accommodation 



In town 







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