WHW
The West Highland Way
Part of a long-distance route that goes from Glasgow to Fort William
Stirling Council manages a 14km section of the West Highland Way. The following is a brief description of the route within the Stirling Council Area. The route is well signposted and waymarked but if you intend to walk the whole 90 miles then please obtain advice.
The West Highland Way begins in Milgavie but Stirling Council’s responsibility begins in Mugdock Country Park where for the first kilometre or so the WHW winds its way through Mugdock Wood alongside The Allander Water and flirts with the Dumbartonshire boundary.
After the path leaves the wood, you follow the road for about 200m then head off to the right towards Craigallian, still following the line of The Allander Water but the habitat changes dramatically from wood to boggy ground and plantation.
The WHW now heads due North, passes Scroggy Hill and Craigallian Loch (a nice stop for a picnic lunch) by its western shore and continues on to the hamlet of Carbeth and passes the pretty Loch by the eastern shore. You take a left turn here onto the B821 and walk for about 500m along the road, not forgetting to look to your left and watch for the view of Carbeth Loch and Easter Carbeth Farm.
Just opposite the farm the route turns right off the road through an old rambler stile then on over a stone stile in an old stone dyke. It then opens out as you reach the lonely homestead of Arlehaven. As you reach the ridge above Arlehaven some fantastic views present themselves. Down below you isDumgoyach, the prominent wooded hill and around which the WHW winds; to your left are the Campsie Fells and Dumgoyne – a 1500ft extinct volcano as the most obvious. On a good day you can see right to the Highland/Lowland fault line, the Trossachs and Ben Lomond – the munrostands guard over your progress along this Southern stretch of the way.
After winding your way around Dumgoyach and over a wooden stile you pass a farm of the same name, walk down through a wooded area and cross the Blane Water at Dumgoyach Bridge. The way then hits the trackbed of the Strathblane railway line and follows this in a northwesterly direction for the next 7km.
Once on the railway trackbed you pass Dumgoyne and Glengoyne Distillery on your right, go through a number gates and continue on to the village of Dumgoyne and the Beech Tree Inn an excellent stop of a refreshing pint.
Go over the road and through 2 bridle gates. This next section is surprisingly peaceful despite the busy A81 just meters to your left, helped by the thin band of woodland that fringes the route. You now enter the valley of The Endick Water; an area characterised by low-lying country, marshes, and pockets of woodland and pasture.
Continue along the way – you can’t go wrong. You cross beneath the B834 at Blane Wood and over the A81 just North of Croy Cunningham. The railway section terminates at a stopped-up bridge at Drumore. As you walk up onto the road the Wishing Well restaurant appears on your right and the way continues on your left.
The WHW now continues on the road, through to Gartness, passing a lovely waterfall until it enters the national park.
