The West Highland Way Day 1

12th November 2024
The Night Before

It's 7pm on a Tuesday evening, mid November.  I find myself stood in front of a tall granite obelisk in Milngavie (pronounced "mull-guy"), a town on the outskirts of Glasgow, marking the start point of the West Highland Way.

It's a foggy evening, the shops are all shut up and no one's walking the streets, giving the small town an eerie feel.  It's cold, very cold, I need to find some food and somewhere to warm up.  I'm parked in the train station and I'm sleeping in the van tonight.  I must be mad.

*The train station parking is free and there is no time restraints. 

The pubs aren't serving food so I opt for a bag of chips on a bench.  I hurry them down and pop back into the Talbot Arms on Main Street, cuddle up to a radiator and have a last minute read of the guide book with a pint to see what tomorrow morning entails.

*I'm using the Cicerone guide by Terry Marsh, which includes a separate map booklet of the whole route.

The West Highland Way is a 96 mile trek across highland Scotland starting from Milngavie in the south and finishing at Fort William in the north.

I've been back and fourth Scotland all my life, bagging Munroes and kayaking the coast.  Many times I have stayed at Beinglas campsite just to the north of Loch Lommond to split up the long journey south.  Swathes of weary looking walkers, soaked to the skin, have trudged into the campsite after a long day walking in the typical wet Scottish weather. I've had no such desire to follow in their muddy footprints. Yet here I am.

My life has taken a huge change in direction the past 12 months. This trip is completely spontaneous taking inspiration from the book 'Waypoints' by Sam Heughan (star of TV series Outlander).  I am an experienced outdoor enthusiast but I've never set out on long distance trail walking before.  Following in the footsteps of so many has never inspired me, I prefer to be off the beaten track. Whilst I find my way through this rugged remote landscape I also hope to find myself.

I have butterflies in my stomach, I'm not sure if this is fear or excitement.

My alarm is set for 7am. I have no plans other than to start walking for the 8 hours of sunlight I've been granted this late in the year, and find somewhere to pitch my tent each night.  I have no targets, no ambitions, it's not a race, it's a journey, who knows what lies ahead of me.

13th November
Day 1 - Milngavie to Conic Hill 19 miles

The alarm sounds and I'm straight up.  My bags packed and I'm ready to set off. I decide to move my van to the rear of the car park out of the way.  I turn the key in the ignition and nothing, it's dead. Typical, just my luck. With the help of some passersby we try to bump start it. No luck. I acknowledge defeat and decide it's a problem that will have to wait until next week on my return. 

I grab a Gregg's breakfast (right next to the start for those interested) and wolf it down, I'm eager to get on my way and I'm already late.  While I'm forcing down my sausage bap (with red sauce) and cappuccino a bird shits on my rucksack. I believe it's supposed to be good luck, I'll take it, I'm going to need all the luck I can get.

On my way at last the trail follows a stream leading away from the town and quickly feels very wild.  The hustle and bustle of the town is replaced with running water and birds call. Whilst I can ignore the fact I am just on the outskirts of a town, what I can't ignore is the weight of my pack. My God this thing weighs a ton.  Half a mile in I decide to empty my spare water bottle (I still have my camel pack), a decision I'd later regret.  I carried all my own water on this trip, I didn't take a water filter, something I would highly recommend to save weight.

The walking is gentle and easy underfoot and by 1pm I've reached Drymen, my end goal for the day.  Ideally I wanted to reach Loch Lomond so I push on.  The path doesn't run directly through Dryman village and for a moment I consider the short detour to restock the water I emptied from My bottle.  I choose to disregard this idea and continue on my way.  My aim is to wild camp as much as possible along the route, after all I'm not lugging all this kit about for the fun of it.  

The silver slither of Loch Lomond comes into view and reflects the last of the dying light in the distance.  Standing between me and the loch however is Conic Hill.  It's not a very big hill but after walking 18 miles with a heavy pack, it's not a welcome sight, despite it's beauty.  The climb is steep but I force one foot in front of the other in a bid to get this climb done. Flanked by dying bracken on both sides and steep ground I hope to find some level ground near the summit for tonight's camp. 

The steep stone staircase seems to go on forever and my body is swearing and complaining at me.  I finally round the flanks of the summit hill and I am stunned by the beauty before me, the weight of my pack momentarily forgotten.  The sun breaks through the cloud as it sets on the farther reaches of the loch reflecting off the still waters.  Bracken clad hills glow vibrant Autumn colours in its light and low cloud blankets the distant hills. It is breathtaking  I can't help but smile to myself. "This is why I'm here" I whisper to myself, the words lingering in a pale mist briefly before dissolving into the evening chill. In this quiet moment, I feel something settle in me, peace perhaps, or the simple truth of belonging. This is where I'm going to camp.

A little further on I find a flat grassy knoll to camp, almost like a front row balcony seat to the Glen below.  With the sun below the horizon the temperature starts to drop rapidly now. 

I settle in for the nightly routine. I was a little daunted by the long cold nights, especially as I am a night owl by nature and rarely settle down before 11pm. Sunset is around 4pm but it's surprising how much there is to do;

- Pitch tent

- Set up bed and empty rucksack 

- Change into clean dry clothing 

- Get dinner on the go

- Eat, clean and wash

- Plan the following days hike

- Write my diary

- Catch up with friends and family\video call the kids

- Update socials and photos

...And down for the night by 8pm. 

Day 1 complete, I'm well and truly on my way.  I've left my van 19 miles to the South and for the next 5-6 days I will continue to march on north. Who knows what adventures are ahead of me, It's mid November, will the weather even hold? Do I have it in me mentally? I'm about to find out.