Retracing My Footsteps 8 Years Later, now with Lighter Gear... ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏

Retracing My Footsteps on the West Highland Way
I first walked the West Highland Way (WHW) eight years ago, when I was relatively new to long-distance walking. The WHW was a seminal experience for me. I had completed the Cleveland way, but the WHW, at that time, felt so much more remote, like a real adventure north of the wall in an unforgettable landscape. It inspired me to keep hiking and to seek out other long-distance paths. Since then, I’ve walked thousands of miles across England and Scotland. What once felt daunting has become second nature. The WHW was the foundation for that transformation. So, when Brian, my American friend with whom I have walked hundreds of trail miles, got in touch to tell me he was planning on hiking the WHW, I jumped at the chance to retrace my steps.

Back then I remember setting off with a pack that was far too heavy and a nervousness about whether I was really cut out for long-distance walking. Every stage felt like an unknown country. Returning now, with lighter gear and steadier legs, I wondered how the trail itself would feel. Smaller, easier, somehow tamed? Or would it remind me again that the Highlands never quite let you off easy. Brian took the high road (a plane), and I took the low road (a train), and he, indeed, was in Scotland before me. We met at Glasgow Queen Street station and, after a quick catch-up, made our way to the start of the trail, Milngavie. There are several ways to get to Milngavie from Glasgow, but we found that the simplest, quickest, and cheapest option was an Uber, which took less than 20 minutes. We quickly grabbed a few supplies and were ready to go.

Day One, Milngavie to Drymen 12.8 miles (20.70km)
The official start of the WHW is marked by an obelisk in Milngavie’s town centre. Once we had asked a friendly local (I imagine this is a daily occurrence for the residents of Milngavie) to take a photo of us, we were off... Read here.

Read Andy's West Highland Way Hike

Waypoint 35 Rucksack
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The Two Tent
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LT5 Three Piece Carbon Trekking Poles
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Pulse UL 20/30 Down Quilt
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Vecto 2L Water Container - 42mm (BeFree Compatible)
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BRS 3000-T Stove
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MTN Racer 4
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BeFree Filter AC 0.5L
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NB10000 Gen 2 Power Bank
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LIGHT Titanium 650ml Pot
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Read Andy's Ultralight 5.7kg Kit List Here

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