Overview of Ochil Hills

A range of hills in Central Scotland, the Ochil Hills extend for more than 24 miles (35 km) eastwards from Dunblane and Bridge of Allan in Stirling Council Area through, Clackmannanshire, Perth and Kinross and into Fife where it tails off eastwards along the south side of the River Tay. Largely comprising volcanic andesite from the Devonian period, the highest point in the range is Ben Cleuch which rises to 721m (2363 feet). The steep sided north-facing slopes of the range above the hillfoot towns of Menstrie, Alva, Tillicoultry and Dollar are the result of the Ochil Hills geological fault which caused the subsidence of land now forming the Clackmannanshire plain, an area comprising younger sediments including coal. Associated with the volcanic rocks of the Ochil Hills are deposits of copper and silver which have been worked, as at Bridge of Allan and Sterling Glen. Largely given over to hill farming, the Ochil Hills is the largest area of remote land in Central Scotland. The main access routes traversing the range from south to north are through Glen Farg and Glen Eagles.