Images free for personal non-commercial use only © Dave Henniker

Mid Scotland
Page 7 - Ochil Hills - Tillicoultry, Forth Views, Alva
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.
Tillicoultry07.jpg (418709 bytes) Tillicoultry 07
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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. 
Tillicoultry04.jpg (355715 bytes) Tillicoultry 04
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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.
Tillicoultry02.jpg (330684 bytes) Tillicoultry 02
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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_vnw3.jpg (174863 bytes) Ben Cleuch view
north west
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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_v_Forth04.jpg (162274 bytes) Ben Cleuch view
of River Forth 04
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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_v_Forth03.jpg (226726 bytes) Ben Cleuch view
of River Forth 03
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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_v_Forth02.jpg (207749 bytes) Ben Cleuch view
of River Forth 02
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203K		 Further upstream, this meander resembles the Greek letter omega. 
alva-2_05view_forth.jpg (213159 bytes) Ben Ever view
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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-2_02view_pentlands.jpg (142726 bytes) Alva view of
Pentlands
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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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