Mid Scotland page 7

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This page illustrates a circular walk starting with a steep climb at Mill Glen in Tillicoultry. Stout boots and a change of clothing are recommended. Public transport to the area is excellent with trains to Stirling and regular buses along the foot of the Ochils. (The bus station is next to the train station.) I recommend the Harvey Superwalker map ISBN 1-85137-308-x www.harveymaps.co.uk.

Ben Cleuch is 721m or 2365 feet above sea level - so you'll need to be reasonably fit. Because the path is so steep at the top end of Tillicoultry's Mill Glen, I advise starting here because it's easier climbing up this section than coming down it.

	Tillicoultry 07 1152 x 864 409K	Near top centre is the path at the head of Tillicoultry's Mill Glen. If you just want to walk up the glen and back, then the steps leading up from this path provide an alternative route back. To climb further you cross a footbridge at what the Harvey map calls a spectacular confluence. The Daiglen Burn is visible below in this picture. To its left is the footpath up which you must scramble to reach this viewpoint.
	Tillicoultry 04 1152 x 864 348K	Once you're up here then the reward is this view, and there's no more difficult scrambling involved. The path is clearly defined through the bracken.
	Tillicoultry 02 1152 x 864 323K	Higher up and another shot looking back down at Tillicoultry. The path climbs steeply up the ridge of The Law (638m) before a more gentle climb up Ben Cleuch, the highest point of the Ochils.
	Ben Cleuch view north west 1152 x 864 171K	Approaching the summit of Ben Cleuch from the south and looking across to distant mountains. Sunlight plays through the broken clouds and the light changes constantly. Behind the source tributaries of Millglen Burn can be seen the rounded top of Ben Ever.
	Ben Cleuch view of River Forth 04 1152 x 864 159K	Excellent views of the Forth from up here. Kincardine Bridge is dead centre in this picture. The cooling towers of Grangemouth can be seen to the left, behind the upper reaches of the Firth of Forth. Tidal mudflats are covered by seawater in this photo; click here to see a wide-angle close up photo taken at low tide from beside the bridge.
	Ben Cleuch view of River Forth 03 1152 x 864 222K	The River Forth meanders across its flood plain. The two river islands visible are Inch (behind Alloa) and Tullibody Inch further to the right.
	Ben Cleuch view of River Forth 02 1152 x 864 203K	Further upstream, this meander resembles the Greek letter omega.
	Ben Ever view 1152 x 864 209K	On the way down from Ben Cleuch the path descends Ben Ever and meets up with a wider track below, to the west of Silver Burn. If walking the opposite way from Alva then it's very easy to miss the path up Ben Ever.
	Alva view of Pentlands 1152 x 864 140K	The rest of the journey down to Alva is quite easy. In this picture the outline of the Pentland Hills can be seen to the south of the Firth of Forth.

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