It 'Combines woodland, heathland, marshland and moor along with formal walking routes, a loch, castles and gunsites left over from WWII', alright, and this country park can be found just seven miles north of Central Glasgow by flying crow.

It's the first place people pass through on the start of the West Highland Way, you know the 100-mile-long trek from Milngavie to Fort William, although some of us have been heard to bang on a bit too much about it?

That means there's fun to be had by smugly sniggering at the prospect of the interminable slog up the east side of Loch Lomond they currently have no idea of, hee-hee!

Here's the thing, we're not entirely sure how to get here other than a random car park appearing on a road out of Milngavie that still doesn't exist in SlyBob's mind.

Drumclog Moor might not sound the most enticing, but it sounds authentic, and you'll find it next to a reservoir where there's ample space to park and to get the boots from the boot.

They're not strictly necessary, by the way, the paths are well established in a park covering 270 hectares, which is 667 acres in old money, which is about 350 football pitches with room for throw-ins and corners.

Not a massive area, but big enough, and not so big that you'd have to be a complete idiot to lose your bearings but more on that in a minute.

A broad track heads west into the park and it's not far to where this will be a carpet of bluebells in a couple of weeks.

Oh! It already is a carpet of bluebells, a couple of weeks early given the usual visiting time of year. We're not used to seeing them out in such force and that's down to milder winters and deceptively warm spells in spring before the frost has fully gone, probably.

We've seen the evidence and are right with you now, right Greta?

Bearing left will bring you to meet the West Highland Way, but that's ancient history, and a path on the right through ancient woodland eventually leads down to what's believed to be called a 'burn'.

When we say ancient woodland, it's our understanding that simply means a load of trees that hasn't got all pines in it. There's at least one pine in here, though, a pine marten - WOW!

Too quick for these not-so-nimble fingers - thanks caroline  - it scampered across the path into undergrowth refusing to reveal itself again, it honestly did.

A first in the fur, so to speak, and with fewer than 4,000 estimated to live in Scotland, what a rare treat considering this isn't even a particular stronghold.

Sly didn't see it so Bob will be talking of nothing else for the rest of the week although a couple of ranger types won't be quite so impressed.

I'm sure there was a shrug and an 'Aye we hae thaim', which roughly translates as 'Yes, whatever.'

Random signposts point to a castle and a fair bit of the 14th-century fortification still stands. The West Highland Way follows an age-old route and this high spot meant an eye could be kept on the comings and goings.

The Grahams were the main clan occupiers although the Campbells claimed brief ownership and the Buchanans of Ross Priory fame tried their best to add it to the property portfolio.

With the historical ding-dongs all done, the currently incumbent Graham, AKA the latest Earl of Montrose, created the walled garden and summerhouse behind.

There's no romantic clan history by the beginning of the 19th century, the Grahams were now a succession of London-based noblemen and prominent politicians. No strangers to an Eton education, neither, Mugdock Castle was no more than a spot for holidaying toffs.

If the reviews are to be believed, the lodgings weren't that grand and would be lucky to receive a from advising trippers, these days.

The toffs' frolics may well have involved some period-appropriate appreciation of Mugdock Loch where fisherfolk and canoeists can carry on in a 21st-century manner.

The path continues around the water with signs to a visitor centre, and a second, now known to be fenced off, 'castle', which was more of a country house from the early 1800s.

No time for that today, however, we need to get back, but mindful of just a mental map of Mugdock, I'm sure it's this way?

Hmmm, the Khyber Car Park, pretty sure that's not it so carry on but we're now heading towards the Visitor Centre. No problem, the castle is definitely this way but no, the South Car Park isn't the one we need, neither.

The West Highland Way? We cut off to avoid it earlier, remember, I think it's just through these trees and back the way we came.

Crikey! That's quite a drop down, and there's a fence in the way, anyways, and is that the imaginary road we drove in on, and who put the golf course there?

It's genuinely not known how this happened, the park isn't that big, other than SlyBob likes to navigate by the sun.

Rough time of day and with it behind, a slight issue with that system is this is Scotland in early May. The sun disappeared about two hours ago and locals might say that many months.

The only option is to retreat to the South Car Park and walk by the road, which now definitely exists because of at least three-quarters of a mile of it!

Back at Drumclog, oh look, here are some West Highland Wayers just setting off even if it's a little late in the afternoon.

Who's laughing now?