20mins of the West Highland and Great Glen Ways in a 10min multi-split screen montage. This walk from Milngavie heads through varied terrain, beneath Mugdock Castle, past Scotland's oldest Inn located in Drymen from where the Rob Roy Way also emanates, towards Balmaha "He set her on a milk-white steed, - Of none he stood in awe; - Until they reached the Hieland hills, - Aboon the Balmaha'!", along the shores of Loch Lomond "By yon bonnie banks, and by yon bonnie braes, - Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomon' - Where me and my true love were ever wont to gae, - On the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomon". to the summit of Ben Lomond "Right up Ben Lomond could he press, - And not a sob his toil confess. - His form accorded with a mind - Lively and ardent, frank and kind;" with views over to Ben Venue "And mountains that like giants stand - To sentinel enchanted land. - High on the south, huge Benvenue - Down to the lake in masses threw", Glengyle "And, bearing downwards from Glengyle, - Steered full upon the lonely isle", and Glasgow's water supply Loch Katrine "I well believe, that ne'er before - Your foot has trod Loch Katrine's shore", beside Loch Achray "But nearer was the copsewood gray - That waved and wept on Loch Achray"), and Loch Vennacher "Few were the stragglers, following far, - That reached the lake of Vennachar", the WHW continues past Inversnaid "What would the world be, once bereft - Of wet and of wildness? Let them be left, - O let them be left, wildness and wet; - Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet." - Gerard Manley Hopkins, and Rob Roy's cave "Rob Roy is frae the Hielands come, - Down to the Lowland border; - And he has stolen that lady away, - To haud his house in order." then continues along the Loch "Proudly our pibroch has thrilled in Glen Fruin, - And Bannochar's groans to our slogan replied ; - Glen Luss and Ross-dhu, they are smoking in ruin, - And the best of Loch Lomond lie dead on her side" - Sir Walter Scott, to Doune bothy and up to the ruins of Blarstainge en route to Inverarnan beneath the Beinglas Falls. Thereafter, the Way passes the Falls of Falloch picking up an old miltary road "If you had seen these roads before they were made, -You would hold up your hands and bless General Wade", and heads towards the old chapel and graveyard at St.Fillans "Harp of the North! that mouldering long hast hung - On the witch-elm that shades Saint Fillan's spring - And down the fitful breeze thy numbers flung, - Till envious ivy did around thee cling, - Muffling with verdant ringlet every string," - Sir Walter Scott, en route to Tyndrum, over the Scheduled Ancient Monument of the Bridge of Orchy beneath the Munro Ben Dorain "Let the wild herd seek their bed, - Let them slumber, free of dread, - Where yon mighty moor is spread, - Broad and brawly; - Where, with joy, I've often spied - The sun colour their red hide, - As they wandered in their pride - O'er Ben Dorain" - Duncan Ban MacIntyre, before going over Rannoch Moor "The deer in their fright prepared to take flight - They were stopped by the smell of Stag spoor - Accepting his right...acknowledging his might - The new Prince of Rannoch Moor" - Celticpoet, beneath the Fleming memorial and past Blackrock Cottage at the 'Glen of Weeping' before ascending the Devil's Staircase towards Kinlochleven then over a mountain pass en route to the shadow of Ben Nevis "Read me a lesson, Muse, and speak it loud - Upon the top of Nevis, blind in mist! - I look into the chasms, and a shroud - Vapurous doth hide them - just so much I wist" - Keats, above Fort William from where the Great Glen beckons. Can remember walking the now 118km Great Glen Way when barbed wire and deer fencing blocked part of the route before it was waymarked and when the converted icecutter the Scott II was the oasis berthed at Laggan Locks. Things change and the 'Eagle' has now landed. The dramatic Thomas Telford Bridge over the River Moriston awaits the walker at Invermoriston as does St.Columba's Well, and then Loch Ness: "Lochness monster name Nessie a Myth and a Legend all rolled into one. - Born in a time when there was no tourist trade,people still say they see her today, - on top of the loch swimming away. - A Myth and a Legend that lives on today" - John C Gillies, Urquhart Castle is probably the best spot for that Nessie pic - so check the Nessie full reflection image on this video! Anyway, for the record, the Great Glen Way was officially opened on the 30th April 2002. So, with Munro mountain views from Ben Lomond summit and also from the high-level official Mamore mountain end to the West Highland Way, sit back and watch 168-miles of historic Scotland. "O gang ye east, or gang ye west, - To a cauld land or hot land, - Be it o'ither lands the best, - It canna rival Scotland".

• published: 02 Jun 2015
• views: 1971