Milngavie to Drymen

Description

Departure and access point: Milngavie Station.
- By train, from Glasgow Central or Glasgow Queen Street stations.
- By taxi, from Glasgow city centre (aim to be dropped off near the official departure point (1) on Douglas Street).

WHW official signposting: signposts with thistle flower + signposts with yellow arrow for changes of direction + written signposts.

(D) Leaving the station, go north and go through an underpass under road B8030. Then turn left and follow Station Road. Cross Ellangowan Road and follow Douglas Street until the small obelisk marking the official starting point of the West Highland Way.

(1) Go under the big metal WHW banner and go down a ramp. Then follow the river keeping it on your left and walk into a wooded park.

(2) At the edge of a pond, turn right and continue along the river.

(3) Where a large building appears on the opposite bank, at a fork, take the right path uphill. At the top, at a T-junction, turn left and go northwest.

(4) Find the river and continue northwest on a stony path. This opens onto a road and follow it to the left for around thirty meters.

(5) Leave the road for the 1^st path on the right. Walk north-north-west into a thinned forest. Then go along Craigallian Loch on the right. Continue north in the forest.

(6) At a fork, take the right path. Cross a river, pass houses on the left side and end up on the B821 road.

(7) Follow the road to the left for around 500m.

(8) Then take a path on the right (through a fence) and cross a meadow.

(9) At the edge of a small hill, turn left and descend, winding across the meadow. Go around a heavily wooded rocky outcrop on the left (Dumgoyach on the map). Pass an old farmhouse that seems to be abandoned. Cross the Blane Water.

(10) Immediately after the bridge, turn left, pass a fence and follow a good path parallel to an underground aqueduct dotted with small masonry works. At the intersections, go straight (in addition to WHW, follow the John Muir Way).

(11) Cross the A81 road (take care) and continue on the opposite path, always parallel to the underground aqueduct. Further on, the path crosses a small road (houses) and continues parallel to the A81. Come onto a small road and follow it to the right for around twenty metres.

(12) Before a sign that reads "speed limited to 5 miles/h", leave the tarmac, cross a fence on the left and continue on a path, still with the underground aqueduct. Pass under a road and continue straight.

(13) Cross the A81 again (take care) and continue on the path opposite. At the end of a small road, turn left along the path. Cross a fence and return to the road.

(14) Follow the road to the left and cross a river. Then cross through a hamlet and continue on the road.

(15) At the intersection at the top of a hill, continue straight. Further on, stay on the tarmac and leave the John Muir Way go left on a path.

(16) At the next fork, take the small road on the right. Pass by the Drymen campsite on the left side and continue on the road. After a sharp turn to the left, follow the road for a few tens of metres.

(17) Then turn right onto a path and take a footbridge over a stream (pay particular attention to locate this departure). Climb a small hill. Go back down through a meadow and turn left to find the exit fence. Cross the A811 road ( Caution! Fast traffic) and continue on a path.

(18) After a few tens of metres, come out on a small road and follow it to the left. At the intersection that immediately follows, continue straight on the right pavement to the centre of Drymen (A).