West Highland Way

April 6. Today I walked from Milngavie to Drymen. I am staying here at a B&B called the Kip in the Kirk (Kip means sleep in Scottish and the building is a former church). The woman working here dropped her chores to welcome me hours before check in time. I left for my walk at 6am and arrived here at 12:30pm. I liked it here on first sight. The owner is a lovely woman very considerate and clearly overworked. She’s a runner who has run the Camino!

People say here that you can go through all four seasons in one day’s weather. That wasn’t true outwardly today - it did include overcast, cold, windy, and sunny and bright. No rain! But my inner weather ran the gamut. Exultation as I started walking. Lots of “here I am” moments breathing in the air, watching the amazing transition from darkness to morning, listening to the birds sing (what a lot of singing I heard this morning). Then after my rest stop a heavy fatigue that was almost depression. And then unaccountably after a second rest stop, a resurgence of energy and delight in my surroundings. 

Here’s what I saw as I left the inn in Milngavie in the dark. 

And here’s the marker at the start of West Highland Way. 

Here’s the sky as the sun is coming up. 

I thought of this one as a big duck in a small pond. 

Here are my first lambs on this walk. 

And here’s my dinner - venison burger with black pudding and haggis. I thought I was being very Scottish and to my surprise I loved it.

 There was also a 6 page menu of whisky all made in Scotland. I asked if they could make me a flight for tasting and they declined but I plan to ask in every pub I go to from now on. I like getting tiny amounts just for tasting not for intoxicaron and being able to compare and contrast. 

Wish I had time and energy to try to describe the soft contours and curves of the hills, how they roll this way and that way and thus way and that way like lazy satisfied young lovers turning and stretching and caressing each other. Or all the human encounters and the laughter and the stories. Or.., but I don’t and I’d rather post something than nothing at all. 

And in case you want an overview of my hike here it is. 

Thank you for walking with me. Here’s hoping I can walk a second day!