By Jo Perry
BBC Scotland news website, Tayside and Central reporter |
  The Ochils were once 10,000ft high although the highest peak now measures 2,363ft
It seems unsurprising that the Ochil Hills should be identified as one of Clackmannanshire's greatest assets. Forming an impressive border marking the north of the Forth Valley and covering 113km�, they were created over 300 million years ago as the Earth's crust cracked and forced the land upwards. Today they no longer reach a height of 10,000ft, their highest peak Ben Cleuch measures a mere 2,363ft (721m). However, the sweeping vista remains an impressive contrast to the low lying plain of the Forth Valley. Set up five years ago, the Landscape Partnership Scheme, led by Clackmannanshire Council, aim to boost the productivity of the hills by creating better access to the wooded glens and improving the quality of the rivers.  |  For us, the hills are an amazing resource. Many people think they belong to Perth and Kinross or Stirling, they don't realise that they are ours |
So far the organisation has secured �20,000 in the guise of a development fund from the Heritage Lottery Fund towards the realisation of their plans. That money is being used to hire ground staff like surveyors to help create a visitor centre and also for providing a detailed picture of areas like Alva Glen. In the 1950s the wood played host to hundreds of visitors who gathered annually to watch a light show that illuminated the glen. However the spectacle became a victim of its own success and a lack of facilities and cash support brought it to an end. It is schemes like these that the Landscape Partnership hope can be revived. They are currently in contention to receive �650,800 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to ensure the full realisation of their plans. Community space The group also want to create a project which charts how local people built mills, mines and quarries in the lea of the Ochils' peaks, shaping the area's cultural, social and industrial heritage. Priorities include the conservation and restoration of features like the silver mines and the remains of Alva's Ice House. The scheme also aims to conserve and celebrate local cultural associations such as weaving and printing. Roslind Mills, who is helping coordinate the lottery bid, said: "For us, the hills are an amazing resource. "Many people think they belong to Perth and Kinross or Stirling, they don't realise that they are ours. "We want to make them more welcoming, not just for people coming into the area from outside, but for the people of Clackmannanshire. "The money would have a huge impact because the schemes we are working on cover the entire Hillfoots area. "It's an absolutely great opportunity for the people of Clackmannanshire. In future we want them to see the hills as a place to meet, a community space where they can get together. "It's not just about tourism, we want local people to come to them."
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