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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.