Day 17: Drymen to Glasgow

Distance: 20.7 miles
Time: 6 hrs 50 mins
Weather: Cloudy
Cumulative distance: 299.8 miles

End of the West Highland Way and a warm welcome to Glasgow.

I breakfasted with a young Spanish couple from Valencia. David and Maria had come to the UK to seek better employment prospects, but were touring Scotland for a couple of days. They kindly offered to drive me to the village to rejoin my route. I checked out of the delightful B&B and Gail (otherwise known as Lisa) made a generous donation to the cause.

The final 12 miles of the West Highland Way passed along country lanes and an old railway line. The highlight was an "honesty shop" outside a house in a small hamlet, which offered cold cans, chocolate and ice cream, housed in a small display refrigerator. All items were £1 and the cash box was on one of the shelves. It was quite heartening to see such a trusting approach to commerce.

For the last few miles the route was busy with a parade of walkers heading in the familiar opposite direction. They ranged from long distance walkers who'd just started the journey, to large numbers of Sunday morning walkers. One even asked me why I was walking in the wrong direction!

It ended suddenly in Milngavie, about 8 miles north of Glasgow. A small monument, a couple of ornate benches and some decorative lettering. No flags, no welcome party, just a few Sunday shoppers carrying their Iceland bags. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the West Highland Way and would recommend it to anybody considering a long distance walk for a week. The walk covers a rich tapestry of topography, from country lanes to wooded glens, from forest tracks to loch shores, and from barren moorland to mountain footpaths. I'm really pleased that I included it in my itinerary, despite the additional physical efforts involved.

The crowds were lining the streets and clapping as I walked into Glasgow city centre. Sadly it wasn't for me, but for the cycle road race taking place around the city streets. Having lived in Glasgow for a year some twenty years ago, this was like a homecoming for me. My weary legs ambled up the hill and I finally located the Premier Inn. My room is on the 18th floor, with impressive views over the city. But what I wanted most of all was something that I'd dreamed about since Inverness - a hot bath!

Thank you for your ongoing blog messages, emails and texts. I find them really inspiring and they have helped to keep my spirits high. Please keep them coming in!

Tomorrow is a rest day,which gives me the chance to relax and catch up on a few chores such as laundry. However, I'm toying with the idea of splitting my next day's walk over two days.....I'll see what tomorrow brings first.