Milngavie Day 1 Start
West Highland Way Scotland
📍 Official West Highland Way Start Point
West Highland Way Obelisk, Douglas Street, Milngavie, Postcode: G62 6PE
This is the granite marker in the town centre beside the train station.
That is the true start.
📍 Milngavie → Drymen ≈ 12 miles
(19 km)
Opening stretch of the West Highland Way. Wide tracks, farmland and forestry paths.
Good underfoot. Rolling terrain. Often sunny and exposed. A steady introduction to the trail. Good wide paths. Farmland. Forestry tracks. Rolling rather than brutal.
Most people feel fresh and optimistic.
By mile 10, give the baggage team a call.
Update 2026. Our website with all direct bookings is
coming soon. For now please use the booking form on the home page.
Any Questions Contact Gavin.
📍 Milngavie
🛏 B&B / Guest Houses & Bunkhouses
West Highland Way Rooms
West Highland Apartments
Glassford House
Milngavie Apartment
Pleasant Hill Scotland
In The Knowe
The Jaw Barn / Cosy & Central 2BD Apartment
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🏨 Hotels / Inns
Premier Inn Glasgow (Milngavie) hotel
Boclair House Hotel — in nearby Bearsden (very close to Milngavie)
Premier Inn Glasgow Bearsden hotel – popular hotel just outside town centre
*
🔹 Option A – Milngavie → Drymen
Distance: 12 miles (19 km)
Time: 4.5 – 6 hours
Wide paths, farmland and forestry tracks with rolling terrain. A solid first day and very manageable for most walkers. It’s a gentle introduction to the Highlands, although by mile 10 you may start questioning why you packed a few “just in case” items.
Sleep in Drymen.
🔹 Option B – Milngavie → Balmaha
Distance: approx. 19 miles (30 km)
(12 miles to Drymen + 7 miles over Conic Hill)
Time: 7.5 – 9.5 hours
Walk to Drymen, stop for lunch, then continue north. From Drymen you can either take the High Route over Conic Hill with its iconic Loch Lomond views, or the Low Route which avoids the climb and is easier underfoot. Both routes finish in Balmaha.
This is a long first day and best suited to walkers who are fit and comfortable with distance, but you’ll be rewarded with the Conic Hill views and the chance to wake up beside Loch Lomond. You will definitely earn your dinner in Balmaha.