Ancient folklore and historical documentation suggests that the Ochils once were inhabited by the Picts, or at least that a few Pictish settlements existed in the Ochil Hills. Illustrated with many diagrams and drawings and some photographs. Drew describes the Ochil Hills as a “Special Place”. 1). Covid-19 has significantly affected our fundraising. [3], The Ochils are formed from a thick wedge of Devonian age volcanic and volcano-sedimentary rocks, rising up from below the lower Old Red Sandstone sedimentary rocks to the north and terminated to the south by the major southerly downthrowing Ochil Fault. "[8]Old lore also told that some of the stones from the fort of Castle Craig were used in the construction of Stirling Castle, 7 3⁄4 miles (12.5 kilometres) to the west. The plateau is undulating with no prominent peak, the highest point being Ben Cleuch at 721 m (2,365 ft). In what was called "the fairest portion of the northern kingdom" by Sir Walter Scott, Gleneagles, the glamorous 850-acre retreat set beneath the Ochil Hills of Scotland in the heart of Perthshire, is introducing a trio of new meeting & events spaces for jaw-dropping gatherings. "[9], An 18-turbine development, approved in June 2006, has been constructed at Green Knowes, south of Auchterarder, north of Glendevon about 400 m (1,300 ft) north of the Ben Thrush summit. The Ochil Hills (/ˈoʊxəl/ (listen);[1] Scottish Gaelic: Monadh Ochail[2] is a range of hills in Scotland north of the Forth valley bordered by the towns of Stirling, Alloa, Kinross, Auchterarder and Perth. The Ochil Fault, one of the most prominent tectonic features in the Midland Valley of Scotland, juxtaposes Lower Devonian volcanic rocks against late Westphalian strata, implying a possible vertical displacement of … These are in part overlain by Old Red Sandstone rocks … [5], The Ochil Volcanic Formation, a sub-unit of the Arbuthnott-Garvock Group, consists of basaltic andesite and trachyandesite lavas and related rock types erupted during the Early Devonian epoch. He goes on to say "that the great crags of Dumyat less than a mile to the east is universally credited with being the last Pictish stronghold at the old hillfort there. Welsh uchel). Mining and Minerals This project showcases the importance of the industrial heritage in the Ochils area's development, which is closely linked to its geology. Abstract The Ochil Hills, running northeastwards from the Forth at Stirling, to Tentsmuir on the North Sea coast, are the most Impressive and most extensive of the several uplands which diversify the Central Lowlands of Scotland (Fig. It will focus on the Silver Glen in Alva, using this to highlight and interpret the mining features of the whole area. [11], The Ochil Hills are home to the Ochils Mountain Rescue Team (founded in 1971), a local division of the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland. In the upper part of the volcanic sequence there The Ochil Hills (/ˈoʊxəl/ (listen); Scottish Gaelic: Monadh Ochail is a range of hills in Scotland north of the Forth valley bordered by the towns of Stirling, Alloa, Kinross, Auchterarder and Perth. The site consists of fifteen 2 MW and six 2.05 MW turbines with a tip height of 100 m (330 ft). The Ochil Fault is the geological feature which defines the southern edge of the Ochil Hills escarpment in Scotland. A notional boundary for the Ochil Hills is shown in Map 2, bounded by roads, and stretching from Dunblane in the west to Glen Farg in the east. ... Drew Jamieson – has recently published a detailed geography of the Ochil Hills. The only major roads crossing the hills pass through Glen Devon/Glen Eagles and Glenfarg, the latter now largely replaced except for local traffic by the M90 Edinburgh-Perth motorway cutting through the eastern foothills. The formation comprises over 2000m of subaerial basaltic and andesitic lava flows with interbedded terrestrial debris-flow conglomerates. Modern movements of the fault are very minor but occasionally give rise to discernible earthquakes,[3] particularly in the village of Menstrie, and the town of Tillicoultry. [10] The windfarm is owned and run by EDF Renewables, who support the work of the Ochils Mountain Rescue Team through the Burnfoot Hill Community Fund with an annual donation of £5,000 guaranteed till 2039. The plateau is undulating with no prominent peak. The Ochil Faultis the geological feature which defines the southern edge of the Ochil Hillsescarpment, Scotland. Boyle, R. W., 1962, Geology of the Barite, Gypsum, Manganese, and Lead Zinc-Copper-Silver Deposits of the Walton-Cheverie Area, Nova Scotia: Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 62-25, 26 p. Google Scholar North of the fault, The Ochil Hills . There are ranges of gentler, rolling hills even in the central lowlands of Scotland. To the west and NW, there are commanding views of the Carse west of Stirling, the Menteith Hills (Lower Devonian conglomerates) and the Grampian mountains. The name Ochil, recorded as Okhel in the 13th Century, is of Pictish origin. Such ranges include the Ochil Hills, near Stirling, the Campsie Fells outside Glasgow, and the Lomond Hills in Fife. both from the geological setting and microchemical signature of the gold. There were several excellent locations but the most productive, Borland Glen (7), yielded gold with a distinctive telluride signature in … Castle Craig, a ruined ancient fort above the village of Mill Glen destroyed by industrial quarrying, was mentioned by local historian William Gibson in 1883 as being "a round Pictish fortress, the traces of which can still be distinctly seen. Northern Ochil hills PDF. The highest levels – Innerdouny (497 metres) and Mellock (479 metres) – are in the west, heights decreasing gradually to below 150 metres in the area north of Auchtermuchty . Some of the mills are open today as museums. They also acted as a boundary with Fife. Mountains in Scotland are categorised by their height. Fault Scarp - Ochil Hills The line of the Ochil Fault can be traced across this image, which shows the sheer scarp slope of the Ochil Hills rising up over the downthrown plain below. There has also been swarm activity in the Central Valley of Scotland by the Ochil Hills (near Stirling). The geology of the Stirling district. The Ochil Fault has produced one of the best examples of a fault line scarp to be seen in Britain. Title: 4. Berry Hill and The Shank (near NN 9591 0456) are marked as hills on OS maps, but fail to have distinguishable peaks. The Ochil Fault remained active throughout geological time, and some later movements allowed intrusive eruptions of diorite or quartz-dolerite to rise at various places along its length. The extent of the Ochils is not well-defined but by some definitions continues to include the hills of north Fife.[3]. [5], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}56°09′36″N 3°44′46″W / 56.160°N 3.746°W / 56.160; -3.746, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "The Ochil Fault and the Kincardine basin: key structures in the tectonic evolution of the Midland Valley of Scotland", "Geology of Scotland | NCAP - National Collection of Aerial Photography", "Geocaching - The Official Global GPS Cache Hunt Site", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ochil_Fault&oldid=996880058, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from October 2011, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 29 December 2020, at 01:25. Leader: Dr. Mike Browne. Although the geological structure of Old Red Sandstone lavas, continues into north-east Fife, the hills lose much of their presence and cohesion in this area. Since 1846 small shocks have been observed at Comrie on a regular, if infrequent, basis. The hills are part of a Devonian lava extrusion whose appearance today is largely due to the Ochil Faultwhich … It continues for about 9 miles along the southern edge of the Ochil Hills, from Blairlogie in the west to past Dollar in the east. The North Fife Hills form a continuation of the Ochil Hills and are separated from the rest of Fife by Stratheden, extending north-east from Loch Leven to the sea near Leuchars. The Ochil Fault is the geological feature which defines the southern edge of the Ochil Hills escarpment in Scotland. Name: Ochil Hills, Perth and Kinross Place type: Hill Or Mountain Ranges Location: Grid Ref: NO 0795 1114 • X/Y co-ords: 307954, 711142 • Lat/Long: 56.28379822,-3.48839362 Following approval in early 2007, the construction of a wind farm consisting of thirteen 102 m (335 ft) turbines on Burnfoot Hill, which lies north of Tillicoultry and Ben Cleuch and to the south of the Upper Glendevon Reservoir has been completed. 243 at the surface between the Ochil Hills and Stirling. Blairdenon Hill was the site of one of the Beacons of Dissent during the G8 protests in July 2005. Regional Geology. There are also three other hills over 600m with a drop of 15-20 metres: Hills over 600m. Edinburgh : HMSO, 1970 Heavy Metal Mines in the Ochil Hills: Chronology and Context By John G Harrison INTRODUCTION In recent decades the mines of the Ochil Hills, in east central Scotland, have attracted the interest of speleologists, mineralogists, ceramists, and botanists1. … [3][4] The name may involve *ogel meaning, "a ridge". The purpose of the trip on the hottest weekend of the year was to look at the Lower Devonian Ochil Volcanic Formation Lavas and volcanic conglomerates, and the … In the southern part of East Fife the hills are relatively isolated, e.g. Peaks over 3,000 ft (914.4 m) are known as Munros. Immediately to the north is the campus of Stirling University and Airthrey Loch. Ochil hills over 600m PDF. The oldest rocks cropping out in the County are of the Ochil Volcanic Formation in the Ochil Hills. Subsequent glacial erosion has served to highlight this giant step in the landscape. Explanation of one-inch geological sheet 39. Because the deposits thin towards the north, and there are few signs of volcanic necks within the Ochil Hills themselves, it is thought that the eruptive centres were south of the fault, however these are buried deep beneath the Carboniferous rocks including coal measures which are found beneath the low-lying carse lands to the south.[1]. The plateau is undulating with no prominent peak, the highest point being Ben Cleuch at 721 m (2,365 ft) . THE GEOLOGY OF THE COUNTRY ROUND STIRLING. The Path of Condie is a very old established collecting site. Intrusions of both mafic and felsic character are also found. The Ochils Mountain Rescue Team consists of 35 volunteer mountaineers with specialist training who "locate and recover people who find themselves in difficult situations in the outdoors."[12]. In the past they The hills are part of a Devonian lava extrusion whose appearance today is largely due to the Ochil Fault which results in the southern face of the hills forming an escarpment. 1. Ochil Volcanic Formation and the Quaternary of Glen Devon August 9th 2003. The whole massif is heavily faulted with some valleys such as Alva Glen and Glen Sherup having been eroded along these lines. Peat Hill, Lamb Hill, and Gled’s Nose are a selection of “hills” marked on OS Maps near NN 9768 0247. The Ochil Hills trend north-eastwards from the western boundary of the sheet. [6] Parts of the lower slopes on the northern side around Blackford and Auchterarder are formed from a volcanic conglomerate. The hills are part of a Devonian lava extrusion whose appearance today is largely due to the Ochil Fault which results in the southern face of the hills forming an escarpment. The south-flowing burns have cut deep ravines including Dollar Glen, Silver Glen and Alva Glen, often only passable with the aid of wooden walkways. The Ochil Fault is one of Britain's finest examples of a fault line scarp,[4] and can be best appreciated from vantage points such as the Wallace Monument near Stirling. The minerals, including ores of silver and cobalt, were probably emplaced by hydrothermal solutions percolating upwards through various minor faults and fractures, in the Tertiary period. Geography and geology The hills are part of a Devonian lava extrusion whose appearance today is largely due to the Ochil Fault which results in the southern face of the hills forming an escarpment. Another item of folklore existing in the Ochil Hills is Katie Thirsty's Well, a sacred well shrouded in mythology (OS Grid Reference – NS 81787 97653). North of the fault, Devonian lava flows and pyroclastic deposits slope gently down, thinning towards the north. Highland Boundary Fault - Conic Hill Glenfarg, Ochil Hills, Perth and Kinross, Scotland, UK : SUPPORT US. This spot was active in 1736, during 1900–1916 and in 1979. The highest point is Ben Cleuchin Clackmannanshireat 2,365 feet. A band of this formation runs from Gargunnock to the Clyde ; and 1 believe there are quarries in it near Gargunnock, but have not seen them myself. Includes geology, climate, natural history, human history, placenames and walks in Alva Glen, Menstrie Glen, and Dollar to Glens Quey/Devon. These occurred in the form of basins, and the pattern of movements was complex, however it is known that the greatest vertical movement was centred about 1 km east of the town of Alva, and almost certainly exceeded 5 km vertically. [4] It is less likely[4] that the name involves the adjective *uchel meaning "high, tall" (c.f. The Ochil Fault, one of the most prominent tectonic features in the Midland Valley of Scotland, juxtaposes Lower Devonian volcanic rocks against late Westphalian strata, implying a possible vertical displacement of … Sheriffmuir, the site of the 1715 battle of the Jacobite rising, is on the northern slopes of the hills. These hills have no distinguishable summit, disqualifying them as “peaks” in the Ochils, but rather they lead onto Glenquey Hill and Innerdownie respectively. These are in part overlain by Old Red Sandstone rocks formed later in the Devonian period. The hills are part of a Devonian lava extrusion whose appearance today is largely due to the Ochil Fault which results in the southern face of the hills forming an escarpment. In the early Industrial Revolution, several mill towns such as Tillicoultry, Alva and Menstrie (the Hillfoots Villages) grew up in the shadow of the Ochils to tap the water power. A scarp is a steep slope and that is exactly what you can see rising up above the low-lying Clackmannanshire plain. Path of Condie and the Ochil Hills The andesitic lavas continue in a broad arc around Perth, and agate bearing localities are found to the south-west around the Path of Condie and along the southern face of the Ochil Hills. To the NE, the scarp of the West Ochil Fault, one of the most spectacular in the Midland Valley, is well seen. Glacial till covers much of the lower ground around and within the range and peat accumulations occur on the plateau surface particularly in the west.[7]. References: British Geological Survey Photographic Archive (website) Francis, E.H. Our latest film, narrated by Dr Kirsty McAlister, explores the various ways in which people's lives have been influenced by the Ochil Hills. To put this in perspective, the prominent hill Dumyat which defines the western extremity of the Ochil Hills has a height of 418 metres. Marked as 350 metres. However the latter may be easily confused with the collapse of old room and pillar coal mine workings which undoubtedly underlie the southern part of the town. Alluvial gold is wide-spread and locally abundant in the central Ochil Hills, but the bedrock sources have not been identified. South of the HBF are younger sedimentary rocks with lava extrusions (Lower Devonian) which form the Ochil Hills on the southern fringes of Strathearn. The only major roads crossing the hills pass through Glen Devon/Glen Eagles and Glenfarg, the latter now largely replaced except for local traffic by the M90 Edinburgh-Perth motorway cutting through the eastern foothills. Black Hill (North-West) near Sherrifmuir is marked on OS Maps as “Black Hill", but has no distinguishable peak or summit, more of a slop leading onto Glentye Hill. The plateau is undulating with no prominent peak, the highest point being Ben Cleuch at 721m The south-flowing burns have cut deep ravines including Dollar Glen, Silver Glen and Alva Glen, often only passable with the aid of wooden … The point of maximum downwards movement south of the fault lies just south of the Silver Glen, which happens to be the part of the Ochil Hills where the greatest extent of mineralisation has been discovered. The deepest deposits of coal measures are obviously found in this region, but this has not been mined to its full extent, probably due to the great depth involved. Alluvial gold is wide-spread and locally abundant in the central Ochil Hills, but the bedrock sources have not been identified. [2] The nearest colliery, Manor Powis, approximately 2 km south of the fault, was approximately the same depth, in carse land that is scarcely above sea level, and was mining coal from Carboniferous strata at least many hundreds of metres above the top of the Devonian deposits. North of the fault, Devonianlavaflows and pyroclastic deposits slope gently down, thinning towards the north. Oblique aerial photograph of the line of the Ochil Fault, Ochil Hills, Stirlingshire. We take a look at the early Iron Age settlement on Dumyat, the possible medieval hunting lodge behind Castle Campbell in Dollar, the Ochils' contribution to local industries - not least textiles, urbanisation, and recreation. Historically, the hills, combined with the town's site at the lowest bridging-point on the River Forth, led to Stirling's importance as a main gateway to the Highlands. Stay safe in the Ochils and always take a map and compass. Local historians have struggled to discover exactly the identity of "Katie Thirsty", but Pictish researcher Ronald Henderson argues that "the name derives from a corruption of both St. Katherine of Alexandria [Katie] and the Pictish King, Drust or Drustan [Thirsty]."