Day 25: West Highland Way Campsite to Kilsyth
Distance: 16.60 miles / 26.72 km
Weather: Warm with intermittent sunshine
Start: 09:33
Finish: 15:39
(No blog for Day 24 - it was a rest day and I did virtually nothing!!)
After the hills of the Highlands, today I was walking again in the lowlands - mostly flat walking, which gave me a chance to get back into my stride after a day off.
The day started with a bit of a climb for the first couple of miles, but after that the route settled into a long, level stretch that carried me through different landscapes. For 9 miles, the track ran along an old railway line. It was straight, and a bit monotonous at times — but the old railway relics along the way added some interest, hinting at the line’s past life.
The scenery shifted subtly as I went along, and eventually the path gave way to the Forth and Clyde Canal towpath — a much more dynamic stretch, both in terms of layout and wildlife. The canal the twists and turns which mades for a more engaging walk. There was plenty of activity on the water too — ducks, swans, and fish jumping to catch flies on the surface of the water.
I passed the site of a Roman fort built along the Antonine Wall, the lesser-known but older cousin of Hadrian’s Wall, and finished the day at the Marina just outside Kilsyth, where we’re stopping for the night. It’s a peaceful spot and a place to rest up before tomorrow’s 21-miler.
The good news is it’s more canal towpath walking so again, relatively flat.
