The Ochil Hills, Clackmannanshire August 2013

This 6 mile walk is id=3384 in the Walking World website. The first half is an easy circuit of the Gartmorn Dam and the second half extends, on part of the Devon Way, a little further afield ending in the town of Sauchie. The going was easy underfoot throughout which allowed my sodden boots to dry out a bit after a very wet trail on the west coast the previous day.

It's a pleasant walk. The water level of the reservoir was low, the Ochil Hils scenic and a range of tracks and paths made for a walk of variety and interest. It's just a pity that the last half mile was through a dull housing estate in Sauchie!

Clackmannanshire is the smallest county in Scotland. It is surrounded by Perthshire, Fife, and Stirlingshire. North to South it is between 2¼ and 9¾ miles; East to West up to 8¾ miles; and it is 31,876 acres in area.

In comparison, Rutland in England, surrounded by Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, is at its greatest, 18 miles long, 17 miles wide and 94,889 acres.

So don't believe those who say Rutland is the smallest of the traditional UK counties: Clackmannanshire in Scotland is the winner!