Walking the West Highland Way Day 1: Milngavie to Drymen
Day 1 of my West Highland Way solo hike in Scotland was everything I’d hoped for and more. Lush green ferns and moss, streams and rivers under beautiful blue skies.
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West Highland Way videos
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Getting started on the West Highland Way
My day started in Glasgow. The plan was to take the train from Glasgow to Milngavie (pronounced Mull-guy) in the morning to start the hike. I had come in from the States, so I had a suitcase as well as my hiking gear. I arranged for luggage storage in Glasgow for the rolling suitcase in Glasgow using CitySpareSpace. They had a storage facility in Glasgow near the Queen Street Station I would use to get to Milngavie. Leaving from the Queen Street Station gave me a direct route to Milngavie, no stops.
Baggage transfer service on the West Highland Way
I had also hired a baggage transfer service for the West Highland Way (I used AMS Scotland). They would take my larger pack (the one with the tent, sleeping bag, etc.) in Milngavie and drop it off for me at Drymen Camping. They would continue to do this every day on the trail so I only had to carry a day pack with what I needed for the day. This was great as I had only decided to do this trip a month before I left, which didn’t give me much time to get in shape for it. This made my life so much easier and was absolutely worth the cost (£65 or about $70).
Taking the train from Glasgow to Milngavie
Getting train tickets in Glasgow was so easy. I used the ScotRail app, put in my Origin and Destination, chose the date and time I wanted to leave, and it showed me all my options. I was close to Queen Street Station and there were direct trains from there to Milngavie, so a day in advance I bought a ticket for early on the morning I was planning to leave. The ticket goes into the app, so I didn’t have to worry about an actual ticket.
After I bought it, I discovered the luggage storage facility where I was taking my suitcase didn’t open until 7:30 a.m. – about the time my train was supposed to leave. The ticket was actually good for all day though so it didn’t matter. I edited my ticket because it made me feel better to have it be accurate, but it wasn’t really necessary.
Day 1 of the hike I lugged the suitcase, my large backpack and the small backpack to the luggage storage facility where I dropped off the suitcase. From there I only had to manage the two backpacks for the train ride. I went to the train station and watched the signs for my train. I got on it and it wasn’t very full at all, so I had no problem with my two backpacks. It took around 25 minutes to get to Milngavie.
Milngavie: Getting to the start of the West Highland Way
When I got off the train in Milngavie, I recognized the underpass leading into the town from other people’s pictures and videos. I headed that way then up some stairs when I realized I didn’t know where the AMS baggage drop off was. I was so excited to start I forgot to look! It turns out it was back by the train station, so I turned around and dropped it off – there was a van waiting right outside the train station – then walked back through the underpass, now with just a day pack.
I walked through town and saw the starting obelisk, where I took the obligatory “I’m starting the West Highland Way” photo. I hadn’t eaten so I bought a danish in the near coffee shop, quickly ate, then went under the big “West Highland Way” sign.
The trail starts near a fast moving stream, going past signs that show highlights – and distances – of things along the way. From there an easy path has water on one side and a road on the other. It got more lush and green as I continued, with lots of ferns and moss (two of my favorite things). The path was wide and easy to walk, the skies was blue, and there was a dampness from early morning rain. It was a beautiful morning!
From the West Highland Way to Mugdock Castle, Mugdock Country Park
The walk to Mugdock Castle
I planned a side trip to see Mugdock Castle. It was only about 1/2 mile (.8 km) off the West Highland Way, so about 1 mile (1.6 km) roundtrip. I saw the sign for the park and turned to follow the path to the Castle. It was mostly uphill getting there.
Along the way a set of stairs went left from the path which continued on. I couldn’t resist the stairs, so I followed them up. They were wet and mossy, and I slipped and fell. I had only walked 1.5 miles before having the first fall of the trip! I managed to get both first mud and first blood of the trip with this fall, but I was fine. My leg was muddy and I had a very small cut on my thumb. It was a wake up call to be careful – I didn’t want to get hurt and have to end my trip!
Mugdock Castle
Mugdock Castle was built in the 13 century. It’s mostly in ruin now, but they are stunning ruins! There is one remaining tower and it’s now a museum. It was unfortunately closed while I was there, but I really enjoyed walking around the ruins. I saw a couple of people walking around the park, but I had the ruins completely to myself. Parts of it are filled with lush, green grass, other parts are gravel and there are even a couple of picnic tables.
I wandered around through the different sections, enjoying the quiet, the sunshine, and the blue skies. It was incredibly peaceful and I’m so glad I went (even if I fell on the way!)
Lunch on the West Highland Way at the Beech Tree Inn
I walked by the Beech Tree Inn right around lunch time – very convenient! The trail runs along the back of the restaurant so it’s a very convenient place for lunch on the West Highland Way since you don’t have to walk off the trail. There’s a very fun sign as you walk up that will give you a chuckle, and another that says they have food, drinks, and animals, so it sounded like a fun place
There’s a water tap out back so hikers can fill up on their way by. The entrance is very well marked – you go through a gate near the road to get to the entrance. Once there you grab a table, make note of your table number, then order at the bar. Oh, and don’t forget to use the loo! They will bring the food out to you. I had a chicken BLT which came with a small salad and it was so good! I spent some time looking at the animals, then re-joined the Way.
Honesty shops on the West Highland Way
Honesty shops or honesty boxes are not something I’ve encountered before, but they are pretty common on this section of the West Highland Way. People along the trail will set out a box or a container with food that you can buy. Prices are marked and there is a tray for your coins for payment. There are sometimes snacks, or drinks, or even baked goods or ice cream. I treated myself to some ice cream in Gartness – it’s a great trail treat!
Drymen Camping
My first night on the West Highland Way was at Drymen Camping. There was a person waiting to check walkers in when I arrived. She pointed me to the tent pitches and explained a few things about the common area and food options. They also offer camping pods here, a mini cabin you can sleep in if you’re not a tent person.
Tent pitches at Drymen Camping
I was in a tent site (they call them pitches here) and they are numbered – put your tent in between the numbers. You can choose any pitch you want, so I picked on close to the facilities that looked reasonably flat.
I usually do more wilderness or dispersed camping (wild camping they call it here) so it was strange for me to be so close to everyone else, but it was fine. The ability to sleep soundly almost anywhere is my super power.
Facilities at Drymen Camping
There was a large building used as a common area. It had a basic kitchen for washing dishes, as well as several picnic tables. This is also where the toilets and showers were, and there were several. Each one was its own individual stall with a fully closing door – good privacy. I took a shower that night and the water was nice and warm with good pressure. The toilets each had a sink in with them too. This was a really nice set up for camping – they set the bar high for the rest of the trip. I would definitely recommend staying here.
Food at Drymen Camping
The town of Drymen is a bit of a trek and I had already decided I would eat a dehydrated backpacker meal rather than walk into town for dinner. When I checked in though, they said there is someone nearby who makes pizzas and will deliver them to the campground. I had been talking with another woman solo hiker – Sonia from Belgium – and we both decided to get pizza. This was much more luxurious than any other hiking trip I’d been on – grilled sandwiches, ice cream, and pizza all on the first day!
Mileage for Day 1 from Milngavie to Drymen on the West Highland Way
I ended up with 12.6 miles (20.3 km) for the day. This included my side trip to Mugdock Castle so your mileage may vary (literally). My tracker said my average speed was 2.2 miles per hour (3.5 km/hour) which is a little slow for me, but makes sense considering I was taking all these photos and making videos of the hike. This wasn’t a difficult hike. Most of the trail was flat and often wide, and it was well marked. I arrived at Drymen Camping feeling great – the beautiful weather helped with that, too!
West Highland Way day 1 photo highlights
There were so many highlights that it’s hard to select, but here are a few of my favorite photos from the day that didn’t already make it onto this page.
