| Friends
of the Ochils Draft
Policy Our
fundamental principle Of course the landscape has been profoundly affected by man over previous centuries, particularly through the clearing of original tree cover, the building of monuments (such as standing stones), houses and farm structures, in historic and prehistoric times, and the current ubiquitous grazing of sheep. Nevertheless, the OchiIs remain almost uninhabited, and have a timeless and unspoilt quality that offers something rare and very special. While somewhat less high and perhaps less wild than some of Scotland's remoter and more distant mountains, the accessibility of the Ochils to so many people – no less than half the population of Scotland lives within an hour's drive - gives them a unique importance. This can only increase in the future, as the cost and ethics of travelling mean that more of the population will look to areas closer to home for their outdoors experience. The hills offer fine, wide, unspoilt views - to the Highlands in the north, over central Scotland to the south, and over the Loch Leven basin to the east. With easy access into the hills themselves via the various beautiful glens, it is not surprising to find that the highest hill, Ben Cleuch, attracts 20,000 visitors to its summit each year – as many as does Schiehallion, a popular and accessible Munro in Perth & Kinross. Dumyat, the smaller hill at the western end of the OchiIs, attracts even more: some 36,000 visits in 2004 (See note 1). Craig Rossie and Lendrick Hill are also popular viewpoints. In terms of visual impact, the southern scarp face of the hills, rising so boldly and so beautifully out of the flat carse lands of Stirling and Clackmannanshire, creates an especially important landscape. Similarly, the eastern Ochils provide an important and imposing backdrop to the attractive landscapes of the Loch Leven basin and Strathearn. And the hills provide wonderful views for travellers on some of Scotland's main transport arteries – the A9 from Stirling to Perth, the M90, and key rail links.
"The Ochils are a predominantly uninhabited landscape, forming a stunning backdrop to the contrasting farmed, settled floodplains of the Devon and Forth rivers.... The powerful sense of contrast in topography between the serried steep profile of the hills and the flat valley is further emphasised by the change from the rough vegetation and craggy outcrops of the scarp slope to the man-made grid of the carselands.... Location and geography combine to make the OchiIs, particularly the south-facing slopes, one of the most visually sensitive areas in Scotland. .... A landscape experience which is unique in Scotland." The exceptional landscapes, great popularity for recreational use, and proximity to such large numbers of people mean it is not surprising that substantial parts of the OchiIs have long been designated Areas of Great Landscape Value. Friends of the OchiIs believes that the entire OchiIs area merits such designation or, preferably, even greater protection. However, we also fully recognise both the need of those living within the OchiIs to gain a living and the critical contribution made by many residents, especially farmers, to the character of the OchiIs. It is a priority that an active and prospering resident community continues and thrives. We believe nonetheless that the protection measures offered by the planning system need to be rigourously and scrupulously upheld to protect and conserve the landscape, wildlife and natural beauty of the OchiIs, and their historical and social character. Implications • There should be no waymarking of paths on the open hills. Limited signage of the start of key paths (e.g. at car parks and roads) may be appropriate, provided it is discreet in nature and uses suitable materials and design. • Well-designed and suitably located interpretation boards can encourage appreciation of the natural environment and its historic heritage, but should be used only at the urban fringe, in larger car parks, and to a very limited extent on well-used rights of way through glens (e.g. Glen Quey). Materials and design must suit the environment and not be excessively intrusive. • While substantial networks of well-made paths and bridges allow significant numbers of people to gain access into a number of glens with little effort and at negligible risk, a clear distinction needs to be maintained between the end of these low-level "tourist" networks and the start of the true hill paths. If this is not done, there would be a danger of enticing people who are not skilled or equipped to venture out onto the hills themselves, and to put themselves unwittingly at risk in doing so. • Apart from this low-level network of "tourist" paths in the glens, work on paths in the hills and glens should be confined solely to essential maintenance to combat excessive wear and tear, and to facilitate the crossing of boundaries and barriers such as streams, boggy areas and fences. Path maintenance should normally use only natural local stone, striving for minimum visibility and maximum blending with the environment. Most of all, there should be no new paths or tracks which are either wide or smooth surfaced, in the hills and the glens or on the southern scarp. Access
for all? 1 Friends of the Ochils: "The Dumyat Action Group's surveys of usage and users of Dumyat / Cocksburn Reservoir in 2004: methodology and analysis". Beauly - Denny Public Inquiry Document StBP/4/11, 2007. 2 Scottish
Natural Heritage Review No. 123: "Central Region landscape character
assessment". Ash Consulting Group, 1999. |