You've seen the photos...

This is a record for my own diary. I didn't keep a diary as it meant extra paper and pens to carry when I was doing everything to keep down the weight of my rucksack so this a restropective account.
I had booked the accommodation for August 8th - 11th, except for the last night in Fort William (12th Aug) by Feb 5th. I am the sort of person who needs to do things ASAP.
I used the WHW website accommodation list and booked a YHA, 2 B&Bs, and a hotel, plus my friend's place in Drymen.
I have a lot to thank Jo for because it is due to her that we picked the week that we did. I needed to fit in Sandra's English school holidays with Jo and Adie's holiday in France and their visit to London for the Olympics. Perhaps I would have chosen the following week so as not to miss the 2nd week of the Olympics but at that time I didn't think I would become as captivated as the rest of the country did by our home games, so I chose the first week following Jo's return to Drymen.
Sandra bought a bus ticket from Derby to Inverness so she changed at Glascow then continued up the A9 to Aviemore. I had asked her to try and alight at Aviemore because this town is just 14 miles away not 32 miles like Inverness Like her trip past Glascow, she would duplicating an immediate return journey on the same route.
She arrived in Grantown at 10.15pm and by 9am the next day we were on our way back down the A9 to Glascow.
Milngarvie is the starting point of the West Highland Way. Ralph left us to drive on down to York to his mother's, and by the time he reached York, Sandra and I were already sitting in the garden chez Jo, being plied with French cheese and oat cakes and our contribution of cold tins of larger which Sandra and I mostly polished off.
The first day was hot. We walked the 12 miles through the lovely (although not so lovely named) Mugdock Country Park. People were smiling and offering us good wishes for our journey ahead and we were full of life on the nearly flat well made up path.
The tarmac from Gartness into Drymen was the worst part of the whole trip. Although still fairly gentle and undulating, it was too hot and too hard underfoot. Hence the cold lagers!
This 12 miles took us 4 hours.