Walking in the Ochils, Campsie Fells and Lomond Hills. Patrick Baker
of responsible access within the guidelines of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
SCOTTISH OUTDOOR ACCESS CODE
The main points of the code relevant to responsible hillwalking are summarised below.
Take personal responsibility for your own actions.
Respect people's privacy and peace of mind.
Help land managers and others to work safely and effectively.
Care for your environment.
Keep your dog under proper control.
The guidelines of the code should translate into responsible action, with an awareness of the particular environment walkers find themselves in.
Some specific advice that hillwalkers should consider for the areas covered in this guide is as follows.
Minimising disturbance to sheep, especially during lambing season (March–May). Dogs should be kept on leads at all times near sheep and efforts should always be made not to unduly upset them.
Carry a plastic bag in your pocket to collect any litter you see. Don't just take your own litter home with you; walking past the litter left by the ignorant few is almost as bad as dropping it in the first place.
Be aware of the grouse-shooting season (12 August – 10 December). Also be aware of work carried out near farms and on forestry tracks, observing any reasonable request from land managers. It is respectful to ask permission to use the land if the landowner is met, and they will often be able to give you good advice on areas to avoid or good routes.
A lot of the routes in this guide cross fences. Wherever possible use the stiles provided or walk around fences. If a fence does need to be crossed, avoid applying weight to the fence, in particular by taking off heavy packs before crossing.
Stick to paths when possible, keeping to the middle of the path to avoid further widening it.
Minimise the environmental impact of your walking by using public transport or one car for transporting several friends to the start of a route.
Do not disturb wildlife or the environment by picking plants/flowers or interfering with the habitats of birds and animals.
THE OCHILS
Rising abruptly from the carseland of the Forth Valley, the southern escarpment of the Ochils forms one of the most dramatic and distinctive profiles of any range of hills in the country. The steep southern slopes and crags have been gouged by fast-flowing burns to create some breathtaking gorge-like glens that lead onto broad, whalebacked ridges and summits.
The highest peak, Ben Cleuch, sits curiously beyond immediate view from the bottom of the hills, but is the main spinal massif that branches out to several main ridges that can be linked in many different combinations of walks. For instance, the popular Ben Cleuch Circuit (Walk 8), which is a fine walk in its own right, can easily be extended to include neighbouring peaks such as Andrew Gannel Hill, Ben Buck (Walk 5), Craighorn and even Bengengie Hill, yet still remain a pleasant circular route.
Separate smaller walks should also not be overlooked, with Dumyat (Walk 2) providing remarkably different approaches from three directions, the most exciting being the route up the cavernous gully of Warlock Glen (Walk 2C).
Other shorter routes such as the Nebit (Walk 6), Wood Hill (Walk 7) or Kirk Burn Glen (Walk 13) are also an excellent opportunity to explore in detail some of the unique terrain and features of the southern escarpment.
As the Ochils slope away gently towards the Strathearn Valley from their highest peaks in the south, the interior landscape changes from predominantly grassy tops to a mixture of blanket bog, tussocked grass and heather. While the peaks also become less defined, the sense of solitude is much increased, and some particularly fine and undisturbed routes include the Innerdownie Ridge (Walk 12), Blairdennon (Walk 1) and Steele's Knowe (Walk 17). The longest routes, such as the old drovers' route from Tillicoultry to Blackford (Walk 11) and the Round of Nine (Walk 20) provide rewarding traverses across the range.
Access is gained to the hills on the southern escarpment from the Hillfoot towns of Menstrie, Alva, Tillicoultry and Dollar, while the interior and northern routes are best accessed from Glen Devon.
WALK 1
Blairdenon Circuit
| Start | Sheriffmuir Road (GR827021) |
| Distance | 9.8km |
| Total Ascent | 372m |
| Grade | 3 |
| Time | 2hr 30min |
| Maps | OS Landranger 57 (1:50,000) OS Landranger 58 (1:50,000) OS Explorer 366 (1:25,000) Harvey's Map – Ochil Hills (1:25,000) |
The westernmost Donald in the Ochils, Blairdenon, is also the most remote. As such it is often only visited as a supplementary peak to routes started from the southern escarpment. This little-known and pleasant circular route, however, approaches the peak from the historic moorland of Sheriffmuir on the western reaches of the range. Conveniently starting and finishing near the solitary Sheriffmuir Inn, the route forms a long horseshoe around picturesque Glen Tye. Defined paths are absent for the majority of walk, but the going underfoot is unchallenging except for some boggy ground at Menstrie Moss.
A lack of paths and any real navigational features on the first half of the walk means that in poor visibility it is only suitable for those skilled in micronavigation.
The walk starts from the Sheriffmuir Road at the western edge of the Ochils. Parking is available off the road just down from the Sheriffmuir Inn, next to a row of trees and a drystone dyke (GR827021). This historic area of the Ochils is near the site of the Battle of Sheriffmuir, where in 1715 the Jacobite Army led by the Earl of Mar clashed with Hanoverian forces in a bloody and equally incompetently fought encounter.
Looking towards the picturesque Glen Tye from Sherrifmuir
To start the walk, go through a dilapidated metal gate into the heather-strewn field opposite where the car is parked and take the immediately obvious quad tracks in an eastward direction. The quad tracks soon melt into a narrow and barely visible path which essentially takes the line of least resistance through the heather, wending its way east for 600m from the gate to arrive at the obvious end of Glen Tye. To the left at this point is a set of almost perfectly linearly aligned standing stones, visible by the only remaining upright stone, ‘Wallace's Stone’, so called as it was apparently often used as the meeting place for William Wallace's army. The placement of these stones, however, almost certainly predates Wallace's time.
On reaching the bottom of Glen Tye, cross the drystone dyke and descend to cross the Old Wharry Burn, just below where it is joined by a smaller burn, and ascend up the bank on the south side of the glen. Without a path, head towards the obvious plantation, passing it on the northern side just south of the glen, reaching a small burn shortly afterwards. Cross the small burn and begin to ascend the gentle slopes of Little Hunt Hill by moving southeasterly and away from Glen Tye. The going underfoot is full of small tussocks, but fairly easy. The small, flat and unmarked summit of Little Hunt Hill (421m) provides good views immediately over Sheriffmuir and west to the Gargunnock Hills.
Leaving Little Hunt Hill, navigation can become difficult in poor weather. Head easterly from the summit to cross a fence, entering temporarily