Munros and Other Walks

It's coming up for a year since I last walked the West Highland Way, it certainly doesn't feel like it. Of all the posts I made last July, this one had stayed in draft form. A post I was meant to get around to months ago, well better late than never.  Below I have included some places to stay on the West Highland Way, as always I'll try to include places to suit a range of budgets. this isn't an exhaustive list and doesn't include options like Air BnB. I have stayed at some of these places on this list but i have not been paid by any of the campsites or hotels for my opinion (unfortunately)  The Start Milngavie Glasgow has far and away the largest choice of accommodation to choose from. Milngavie is only a 40 minute train ride from Glasgow, however if you wanted a place to stay before starting your walk then there are a few places to stay. Premier Inn  budget hotel room, well kind of.  Best Foot Forward  is a B and B which caters ...

Strathblane to Croy How to Get There From Glasgow I caught the early morning train to Milngavie. There is a regular service from Scotland's biggest city, and the entire journey only takes about 40 minutes. From the train station at Milngavie I got the B10 bus to Strathblane. This journey only takes just over 10 minutes. My commute took just over an hour to complete. At half seven in the morning, I was ready to start the next part of my journey. Civilisation I know that the John Muir Way isn't a trek through the wilderness, so when I say that the route passes through small villages and towns, it all sounds pretty obvious. However up until this stage you would move from urban area to countryside back to an urban area at the end.  At section 3 of the  walk, you pass through Lennoxtown and Kirkintilloch and smaller settlements like Milton of Campsite and Twecher. Unlike other walks where it is about getting to the next checkpoint, this section of the JMW can be enj...

  Balloch  to Strathblane How to get to Balloch From Glasgow there is a regular train service that runs through Glasgow Central and takes just over an hour to get to Balloch. You will have to change trains at Westerton, but you only  need to wait  afew minutes for the connecting train to Balloch. There is a regular bus service from Buchanan Street bus station however the train is more convenient. Where Does it Start? From the train station, cross the road and take a right. At the end of the bridge take a left where the route will start at Balloch Country Park. The Route From Balloch the route takes you through the Country Park before heading east. The path takes you out through the main entrance to the park. There is a Children's Hospice on the left, you would be looking to walk straight on. The first section of this walk is on minor roads that connect farms and small cottages to the main road. Farm Roads More Farm Roads Proper Trac...

Helensburgh to Balloch Sculpture At The Start The John Muir Way comprises of 10 sections, which make the 134 mile distance. The Way starts at the Firth of Clyde and finishes on the Firth of Forth. My plan this year is to walk the route over the course of 2019 and the route primarily runs through the central belt, there is good access to public transport. The link to the route map is below. John Muir Way Route Maps How to get to Helensburgh . Helensburgh is 20 miles west of Glasgow. If travelling by car from Glasgow head along the M8 west, following signs for the Erskine bridge and then Dumbarton. There is a regular bus service from Buchanan Street, however I decided to take the train from Queen Street station direct to Helensburgh. The overall journey by train is just under an hour.  Where does it start? View over the Firth of Clyde The starting point is at Helensburgh pier, which over looks the Firth of Clyde. There is a couple of small sta...

It's that time of the year again when the world doesn't seem quite as dark as it did a few weeks ago. You think that the weather will decide to heat up some as well, however, what happens is that it starts to snow and we have record low temperatures for the time of year. Anyway the plan for this year is to walk the John Muir Way, a coast to coast walk starting in Helensburgh and ending in Dunbar. The total distance is 134 miles and is broken into 13 stages. The plan is to walk the entire route over the course of a year. I know, what a cheat! But the reason for this is that I don't spend too much time away from my young family. The plan for April is to do the first two stages, the first of which is a 9 mile hike between Helensburgh and Balloch. I will be using the John Muir website to use their maps and information.  https://johnmuirway.org

Fort Augustus Even though it may not look it, this is one of the bigger places on the Great Glen Way with a range of places to stay. The most cost effective if your on a budget would be the Loch Ness Highland Resort, where walkers are welcome. The camp site is located in the middle of the small town. There are also a large amount of B&B's, which could set you back about £60 + per night  during the summer season.  Another option would be to stay at the local youth hostel, Morag's Lodge. The lodge itself is  located in the The Great Glen Way and  would be slightly less expensive at about £50 per night.  Morag's Lodge Loch Ness Highland Resort Invermoriston Okay, the first couple of places on this list are located a few miles outside of Invermoriston, however they are still worth mentioning. The Lochside Hostel is located just off the Great Glen Way, there are signs from the track down to the hostel. The hostel offers budget accommodation bu...