5: A drop of the good stuff (Milngavie to Glengoyne distillery)

In our opinion the first day of any long distance walk should not be too challenging. Others will race off with a heroic distance to be covered and good luck to them. Experience has told us that we do better if we ease ourselves into the rhythm of a walk with a relatively straightforward day.  

The self luggage transfer service (£1 - cash only) never really got off the ground.

The West Highland Way is very accommodating by having a variety of conveniently placed staging posts. Drymen, where we are headed at just under fourteen miles is the resting place for those similarly minded to enjoy a comfortable first day. Others, whose ambitions are for a faster and more challenging trek will head to Balmaha, nearly nine miles further on and with an additional thousand feet of ascent.  A hardy few will carry on up the side of Loch Lomond, perhaps to Rowardennan, adding another six or so miles to their day.

The way out of Milngavie snaked past the back of industrial estates and houses before winding through Mugdock Country Park. The locals, in the shape of dog walkers looked a little frazzled at having hundreds of hikers trek past them while wishing them a ‘Good morning’. I expect the daily onslaught of greetings must take its toll. 

Within half and hour the drizzle had faded away and we were out of our wet weather gear and enjoying glimpses of sunshine on a slow climb though woods and plantation. At one point we passed a leering skeleton that suggested that serious privations were ahead.

Travelling light

Here the views opened up, a line of hills to our right and ahead the hillock of Dumgoyach. In a field just before Dumgoyach, about two or three hundred yards from the path on the right hand side there is short line of standing stones - or at least they stood once as some have fallen since the they were first placed here. It is thought they were aligned to match the outline of Dumgoyach and may have had some relationship with the midsummer rising sun. Carbon dating of fire remains found beside the stones suggested that these have stood for four to five thousand years. Local legends point to either an association with King Arthur or the stones may be a memorial to fallen Pictish or Cymric warriors, although either myth relates to a completely different era. 

Dumgoyach (l) and the peak of Dumgoyne (r)

I might not know much about Scottish pre-history but I do enjoy a good whisky (especially after spending several happy years as member of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society before their prices went into the stratosphere) and I was looking forward to arriving at Glengoyne distillery, nestling under the peak of Dumgoyne. 

Racing to the distillery

The aroma around this small distillery was toffee-ish and it seemed to me that the angels were enjoying more than their fair share. While wandering around the inevitable shop Jerome was tempted to buy a miniature bottle of the 10 year old whisky. We sat outside in the increasing bright sunshine and sampled this nectar and very good it was too. Curiously it is described as a Highland whisky, which in this case I would suggest is a geographically ambiguous term as the distillery sits on the fault line between the Lowlands and the Highlands. In straight whisky terms it was a light amber in colour, with notes of honey and caramel on the nose, the taste subtly sherried and oaked. Overall an excellent example of a light Highland style. A fuller appreciation would have been possible if we weren't necking it from the bottle.

A whisky to savour

There were large numbers of people on the short detour from the Way to the distillery. We chatted to a couple from Belgium who were keen to know if there was a shop and even more keen when we confirmed there were also some very fine toilets. 

Wikiloc GPS trail (link)