Blogs from Dunbartonshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe

Friday 15 June 2018 - 12 miles (13.41 actual); Awoke at 7am to ominously dark room - was expecting torrential rain when I opened curtains but no just blackout curtains! Dark skies but no rain as was forecast! After a nice continental breakfast & a couple of muffins smuggled out for later, we happily abandoned our monstrous suitcase to the care of Ginger Routes & made our way to official start point of the walk. The first few miles were dry then we had a couple of showers - nothing too heavy, mainly drizzle but enough to keep my hood up to avoid the dreaded hair frizz. Stopped after 7 miles at lovely cafe/restaurant, Beech Tree, for much needed pee & scone! This place must be mobbed in summertime - fantastic place & so accommodating for ... read more

Der erste richtige Eintrag :-) Ich sitze hier in meinem geräumigen und gemütlichen Hotelzimmer ( im Premier Inn Milngavie ) am Schreibtisch und gewöhne mich langsam an meine neue kleine Bluetooth Tablet Tastatur. Als ich vorhin zum ersten Mal das Zimmer betrat, konnte ich meinen Augen kaum trauen. Ein superweiches Doppelbett, den bereits genannten Schreibtisch, ein Sofa auf dem ich mich komplett ausstrecken kann und das so weich ist, dass ich fast darin versinke... So viel Luxus hätte ich nicht erwartet. Gewöhnen sollte ich mich dennoch nicht daran, denn die nächsten B&Bs sehen im Internet eher kleiner und rustikaler aus. Aber wie bin ich überhaupt hierher gekommen? Mein Tag fing früh an...SEHR früh! Abfahrt nach Düsseldorf war für 5:30 Uhr angesetzt. Wenn ich vorher noch geduscht und gefrühstückt habe, kann man sich vorstellen, wann ich aufgestanden ... read more

I'm not sure if we took the high road or the low road, but we enjoyed a lovely day out on the banks of Loch Lomond. It wasn't too far to drive from Glasgow, but many, many people had the same idea so the traffic was pretty bad in places. Our first stop was the lovely village of Luss. There is a visitor centre where you can get all sorts of maps, leaflets and information. It is also a lovely place to stop for a picnic which is exactly what we did - and then we got soaked by a passing shower! The village itself is very pretty and the church is worth seeking out if only to amble around its ancient graveyard. Following a path at the back of the church we found ourselves on ... read more

Few things in this world ever made me feel smaller than I felt whilst standing above the vast body of water that is called Loch Lomond. I stood across from Ben Lomond and its mighty craggs were covered by clouds but it stood before me masking the dark islands that floated below. I expected vikings and warriors to spread out all around me or for dragons and fairies to tug at my sleeves pulling me into the dark watery abyss that surely had been laid out before me. It was such a beautiful and awe inspiring location, a place that for so many people must have always stood as a comfort of home. To me it was one of the last sights that I ever saw in the UK, at least for this chapter in my ... read more

So let’s set the record straight….the first 39 miles of the West Highland Way (WHW) is no walk in the park…it is BLOODY HARD! The 3 days walking on the WHW have definitely been the most physically hard & exhausting for me considering all the walking I have done in 2012. A fair description would be HAVEN & HELL on earth. The scenery is amazing, however the weather can be cruel (rain, wind & sun) and the terrain gives your whole body a complete work out. My experience has brought about a new found respect and admiration for those prepared to complete this walk in between 5 to 8 days & in particular those staying in campsites…now that is truly hardcore! My mind fails to comprehend how my uncle and so many of his friends are ... read more