Walk 8 Ben Cleuch Circuit
Walk 9 Mill Glen to Dollar Glen
Walk 10 Castle Campbell Circuit
Walk 11 Tillicoultry to Blackford
Walk 12 Innerdownie Ridge
Walk 13 Kirk Burn Glen Circuit
Walk 14 Seamab Hill
Walk 15 Frandy Burn Circuit
Walk 16 The Glendevon Reservoirs
Walk 17 Steele's Knowe and Eastbow Hill
Walk 18 Ben Thrush Circuit
Walk 19 Glendevon Forest Circuit
Walk 20 The Round of Nine
Introduction
Walk 21 Dumgoyne
Walk 22 Ballagan Burn Circuit
Walk 23 Cort-Ma Law and Lecket Hill Circuit
Walk 24 Dungoil
Walk 25 Meikle Bin
Walk 26 The Corrie of Balglass and Earl's Seat
Walk 27 Little Corrie and the Corrie of Balglass
Walk 28 Stronend
Walk 29 North Third Reservoir Walk
Introduction
Walk 30 The Lomond Circuit
Walk 31 East Lomond Circuit
Walk 32 Glen Vale and West Lomond
Walk 33 Benarty Hill Ridge
Viewpoint from just below Benarty Hill (Walk 33)
INTRODUCTION
Area Guide
The Ochils, Campsie Fells and Lomond Hills form a prominent band of high ground across the central belt of Scotland, providing a dramatic backdrop to the nearby cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Perth. Overlooked by many walkers on their way to larger hills in the north, these three ranges provide uniquely wild, challenging and beautiful walks literally on the doorstep of many towns and cities. Ironically, it is perhaps their proximity to these major areas of population which means that although they are some of most accessible wild areas in the country, these hills remain a relatively uncrowded oasis for walkers.
Formed from predominantly igneous rock, each of the ranges shows signs of volcanic creation, perhaps the most obvious indicators being the hills of Dumgoyne, Dumyat and West and East Lomond, whose conical shapes offer distinctive and appealing walks. The other main geological influence is glaciation, which has smoothed away rock to give characteristically broad, plateaued ridges and summits into which burns have gouged steep glens, creating precipitous gorges and waterfalls, in particular on the southern escarpment of the Ochils. The undulating nature of most of the hills is sharply contrasted by some large and spectacular crags and cliffs, most notably the breathtaking Corrie of Balglass in the Campsie Fells, and interesting quartz dolerite intrusions along the west-facing Lomond Hills.
Collectively the three ranges combine a rich mixture of distinct neighbouring habitats, ranging from: montane moorland, ancient and managed forestry, deep lochs and reservoirs, fast-flowing burns and meandering rivers, to rocky crags and fertile carseland. The walker is thus treated to flora and fauna in greater abundance and of greater accessibility than in many of the larger, more remote ranges of Scotland.
This guide offers a mixture of routes, including many popular peaks such as Ben Cleuch, Meikle Bin and West Lomond, as well as areas that are well off the beaten track. The walks have been chosen to reflect the diverse landscape that exists in these ranges, and affords as much importance to smaller peaks and lower-level walks as it does to larger hills and high traverses. Several of the walks include peaks known as ‘Donalds’ – hills in lowland Scotland over 2000ft that have a drop of 100ft on all sides. They are named after Percy Donald, who compiled the original list of these hills.
Evening sun on the Ochils
While some walks are justifiably popular and lined with obvious tracks and paths, walkers are also encouraged to explore routes following the natural lines of ridges and glens where few or no paths exist, so that the guide not only gives details for enjoying some classic routes, but also acts as a starting point for linking and creating endless combinations of different routes. The majority of walks included are circular, and wherever possible start from a suitable place to park a car.
Flora
Human intervention has altered the landscape in this area from almost completely woodland-covered hills hundreds of years ago, to what is now largely characterised by either grassy plateaued peaks colonised by sheep and livestock, or high, heather-strewn moorland and peat bogs.
At lower levels the slopes are often covered with gorse and broom, which produce large, vibrant patches of yellow as the plants flower from spring into summer. Bracken also proliferates on the lower slopes, providing excellent cover for birds and mammals, as well as enriching seasonal colours as it turns from lush green in summer to deeper browns in autumn, perfectly complementing the purple flowering of the dominant local heather, ling.
Heather in bloom
Ancient or regenerated natural woodland is also found, mainly on the lower reaches of the hills, in particular on the steep-sided glens of the Ochils and Campsie Fells, where trees that would previously have been felled for fuel or industrial purposes are now assured regenerative protection from sheep and deer by enclosed fencing. Fine examples of these pockets of predominantly deciduous woodland can be seen at Dollar Glen, Mill Glen, Alva Glen and Menstrie Glen in the Ochils, and Campsie Glen and Fin Glen in the Campsie Fells. Amongst the most recognisable trees to be seen are: oak, birch, ash, sycamore, rowan, horse chestnut, beech, elm, larch and Scots pine.
Commercial afforestation has also played a conspicuous and controversial role in changing the appearance of these hills, with unmistakable areas of densely packed coniferous forestry (mainly spruce) evident from almost anywhere in each of the three ranges. The largest and highest plantation of this kind is to be found completely encircling Carron Valley Reservoir and almost reaching the summit of the Campsie
