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WEST HIGHLAND WAY 2010 from Milngavie.

MILNGAVIE to STRATHBLANE on the WEST HIGHLAND WAY [March 2010]. First stroll of the year since I got rid of the crutches! This was the easy walk along the Way towards Dumgoyne with great views over to the snow-covered Campsies and also of distant Ben Lomond, whereafter we followed the Strathblane path for the bus back to Milngavie then train [three pounds twenty off-peak day return] back to Glasgow.

Arriving at Milngavie via the lower line from Glasgow Central the walk heads under the repainted underpass under the watchfull eye of Jimmie MacGregor (fortunately only a mural depiction!) and heads towards the West Highland Way obelisk erected on 20 Nov 1992 in Douglas Street.

Milngavie underwent dramatic upheaval due to the cotton industry and there were six small bleachfields and two printworks all in the vicinity of the Allander Burn. Older maps certainly reveal the spelling as Millguy. Glasgow tramcars headed out to Milngavie as by the 1930s Glaswegians were heading out to Mugdock and Loch Lomond. Also during the 30s, approximately where the Allander Sports Centre was built, was the test track of the Bennie Railplane described as like something from the works of Jules Verne or H.G. Wells as it was so far ahead of its time. Other countries have adopted monorail systems but Bennie died in 1957 without having found a customer.

The 95-mile WEST HIGHLAND WAY or rather the now 96-mile WHW (what a joke eh? - everyone always walks the last mile into Old Bill anyway) stretches from Milngavie to Fort William and offers various other detours for the more adventurous walkers. The only real way to end the Way is of course by following the high level trek out over the Mamores.

This short video sequence of the initial part of the Way departs Milngavie along the old stage-coach road via Craigallian and Carbeth Lochs towards the volcanic hump of Blanefield's Dumgoyne (now complete with its helicoptered-in summit stone).

The Way passes the historic Carbeth huts - where you can now look out for Spiderman! The first huts were erected in 1919 with the main development taking place in the 1930's. One development was created almost overnight at the request of the local authorities following the Clydebank Blitz in 1941. The occupiers own the huts and they rent the site from the estate. The huts, which are for weekend and holiday use only are owned mainly by people residing north of the River Clyde from Ballieston to Clydebank and tend to be owned by families for a considerable period. The tenancies of the sites are on an annual basis.

However, times change, land becomes valuable, rents get hiked up, hutters withhold rent payments, huts get burned down and a court case ensues: Ten miles north of Glasgow at Carbeth, over 100 tenants face eviction from their homes, or rather huts, they built at their own expense. For the best part of a century~ these huts, for which the tenants traditionally paid a fairly low ground rent, have formed an almost unique social experiment. Recently the owner massively hiked rents, with the suspected hidden agenda of clearing the hutters from land which was formerly valueless, but is now within striking distance of suburban Glasgow. Land here is valued at monopoly money per acre. The rises led to a bitter rent strike, and huts of leaders of the struggle were mysteriously torched to the ground.

What YouTube now say about this video: Your video, WEST HIGHLAND WAY 2010, may have content that is owned or licensed by WMG. No action is required on your part; however, if you're interested in learning how this affects your video, please visit the Content ID Matches section of your account for more information. In other words, any excuse to load Scottish and other stupid adverts onto this video - which means if they don't remove them I'll no doubt just delete the video like I have the others. I don't imagine YouTube even know who the artist is on the soundtrack.

Anyway, the route was originally designated 'The Highland Way' but was changed by the Countryside Commission to 'THE WEST HIGHLAND WAY ' in order that it did not conflict with or prejudice further long-distance walks in the Highlands. The Secretary of State approved the route in September 1974 and the Earl of Mansefield officially opened the route on Monday 6th October 1980. The wayside markers along the trail are denoted with the Thistle motif.

MUNROS: mountainside wildcamp with views of the Munro Na Gruagaichean - West Highland Way 2010.

Departing the West Highland Way at Kinlochleven [Ceann Loch Lìobhann] and heading into the Mamores with views back over Loch Leven, the Pap of Glencoe and of course - the West Highland Way. Kinlochleven's industrial heritage though was in the aluminium industry; the metal was smelted and exported throughout the world.

The now 96-mile/154km Way passes through Mugdock Country Park but beneath Mugdock Castle and the Second World War gun sites before continuing into Strathblane passing by Dumgoyne and the Distillery through Gartness and Drymen before heading over Conic Hill and down to the bay at Balmaha and onto Craigie Fort then follows the east bank of Loch Lomond, under Scotland's most southern Munro Ben Lomond towards the Falls at Inversnaid that are heard before arrival, then heads via wild goat territory to Inverarnan beneath the Beinglas Falls then past the famous Drovers Inn and the Falls of Falloch and into Strathfillan while passing above Crianlarich before visiting Tyndrum and Bridge of Orchy before crossing Rannoch Moor at Inveroran to reach Kingshouse for the subsequent Glencoe Devil's Staircase ascent with Ben Nevis views before descending to sea level to cross the River Leven at the head of Loch Leven [as seen in Part 1 of this video] subsequently climbing from the village to the Lairigmor Pass that leads to Glen Nevis and onto 'Old Bill', The Fort' or to give it its Sunday name - Fort William, although the town in 1834 was dubbed Duncansburgh, before which it was called Gordonsburgh and before that Maryburgh, even though its old name was actually Inverlochy! After which the Great Glen beckons (see other videos).

Long before the West Highland Way was even imagined Seton Gordon commented about the landscape thus Relics of the Caledonian forest are in evidence near Fort William, extending across to Rothiemurchus, and farther eastward, and are also found on the Moor of Rannoch and in certain districts of Argyllshire. As a general rule, it is the tree stumps and the roots alone which are present in these peat mosses.

This video features excellent views of the Munro Na Gruagaichean that lies four kilometres north north-west of the village of Kinlochleven on the West Highland Way. The mountain is double topped at the intersection of three ridges, the South top being the higher and therefore the summit. The narrow North-East ridge connects to Binnein Mor via a minor top (1062m) and the narrow West-North-West ridge connects to Stob Coire a' Chàirn (981m) where a path ascends from Coire na Ba. The third South ridge leads to steep slopes overlooking Kinlochleven which provides excellent views of the village and the area. The mountain is accessed from the hamlet of Kinlochleven and has a stony and, in places, craggy summit which gives great views of Britain's highest mountain Ben Nevis and the nearby fellow Mamore Binnein Mor.

[all pictures and text - roddymck 2010]

Falconry

Falconry at Cameron House Hotel on Loch Lomond.

Cameron House on Loch Lomond Falconry Promo

Video showing the falconry activities on offer at Cameron House on Loch Lomond, Scotland.