Day 1: Milngavie to Drymen (14.21 miles hiked)
When our family was invited to thru hike the West Highland Way (WHW), a 96-mile trail in Scotland with one of our favorite families in all the land, we jumped at the chance! We had spent the last two summers taking backpacking adventures together and the Laursen kids are like an extension of our own kids, so there was no doubt in our minds that we were setting ourselves up for another successful adventure! We met in Milngavie (pronounced “mull-guy”) the morning of June 27 and were eager to start our 8-day trek of the trail!
After a restless night sleep with excited anticipation of the day ahead, we woke up to a full Scottish breakfast (Aidan was the bravest among us, eating both black pudding and haggis!). We met the Laursens at the trailhead at 9 a.m., took our obligatory trailhead picture and we were off into the wilds of Scotland! “Wild” is a relative term as the day started in public park but it was lush, wooded and nice terrain to get started. In true Scottish fashion it was raining but not hard enough to drive us completely nuts, thankfully.
And they’re off!
So lush and green everywhere we looked
I half expected Snow White or one of the dwarves to walk out! This house was right off the trail
Spirits were high but as we approached the Glengoyne Distillery which was practically on the trail, the adults picked up the pace! The tour included a dram of scotch, the perfect warm up for a chilly, wet day.
Glengoyne Distillery
Cheers!
It was interesting learning how scotch is aged and how the color changes the longer it’s stored and depending on which type of wood in the barrel its exposed to.
After the tour we hiked a short distance to something the kids were more excited about this time–a restaurant that served fried Mars bars with ice cream (apparently this is a Scottish “thing”). The kids loved the extra boost of sugar and calories!
The fried Mars bar was served with Irn Bru flavored ice cream (pronounced “iron brew” but you must say it with your best Scottish accent for it to sound right!), which is Scotland’s version of a Fanta. We weren’t the biggest fans of it but the Mars bar was pretty tasty!
The restaurant/inn with the fried Mars bar had a menagerie of farm animals on the property that kept the kids even more entertained
The kids got a kick out of this sign since we live near Clyde, NC
As the afternoon wore on, we were eager to get to our first town stop for the night. You see, the WHW is fairly unique in that it passes through many towns, strategically placed to tempt walkers with a cozy B&B vs. camping for the night (although there are places to camp too). We, however, opted to stay under a roof for the duration this trip, and with Scotland’s rainy climate and midges (more on those later), I wouldn’t do it any other way.
Such beautiful pastoral views
Not sure if this really Queen Ann’s Lace but if it was, it’s been taking steroids!
Paige and I loved this sculpture!
There were so many spots like this, places that made you pause, take a deep breath, and say a prayer of thanks for such simple beauty in the world.
Troll’s Bridge–that’s really what it’s called!
The last few miles into town were via country roads which are much harder on tired feet than true trails, so we were ready to be there already. Finally, we arrived in Tyndrum and found our inn, The Hawthorne. It was quaint, homey and the hosts were incredibly accommodating, including free use of the washer and dryer! Yep, one day on the trail and we were already spoiled with clean clothes for day two!
Almost to town and the kids were definitely ready to get off their feet
I’m not gonna lie, it sure was nice staying in a quaint inn (The Hawthorne in Drymen) versus a tent!
Yard art
We ate at the oldest licensed pub in Scotland (dating to 1734!) and toasted over local brews to a successful start to the trip!
I enjoyed this recount! Thanks Nancy.
Your post brings back fond memories of our walks in the British Isles. We tried the Irn Bru drink and decided that one can was all we ever needed to taste! We loved the inns and the pubs and meeting people along the way.
Yes, Irn Bru just wasn't our thing! Wogene was convinced he should like it though and ordered one on the train after we were finished with the WHW, heading back to Glasgow. One sip is all he took! I had forgotten that you and Mel told us you walked in the British Isles–I can only imagine how beautiful that must have been!
Thanks for reading, Noel! I wish everyone would post travel journals of some sort when they go fun places because I find it very enjoyable to read about other people's travels. 🙂
We've walked Hadrian's Wall and the Cotswold's in England, The Firth of Fourth in Scotland, the River Dee in Wales, and day hikes in Ireland. We love visiting the British Isles!
Have not been able to get out and travel lately, thanks for the window to Scotland!
p.s. Thanks for the cookies too. 🙂