Clackmannanshire - 15 Attractions You Must Visit

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About Clackmannanshire

Clackmannanshire is a historic county, council area, registration county and Lieutenancy area in Scotland, bordering the council areas of Stirling, Fife, and Perth & Kinross and the historic counties of Perthshire, Stirlingshire and Fife.

Types of Attractions in Clackmannanshire

Activities Around

List of Attractions in Clackmannanshire

Alloa Inch

Alloa Inch

Islands

Alloa Inch is an island in the tidal reaches of the River Forth near Alloa, just before the river opens out into the Firth of Forth. There is a derelict farmhouse on the island, as the land was farmed in the past. Due to subsidence caused by nearby coal mining, flood defences were breached. The land now consists of reed beds and salt marshes. The Scottish Wildlife Trust has managed the island as a reserve since 1996. The smaller islet of Tullibody Inch lies just upstream.

Alloa Tower

Alloa Tower

Iconic Buildings

Old Ruins

One of the largest and finest towers of its type in Scotland, it was home to the distinguished Erskine family, Earls of Mar, from the later 14th century until 1800. By 1693 a mansion, kitchen tower, brew house and other buildings had been added. In 1702 John, 6th Earl of Mar, began to convert the tower into an elegant modern house and created an ambitious and extensive planned landscape around his home.

Alva Glen

Alva Glen

Lake/ River/ Ponds

Outdoors- Other

Alva Glen is a spectacular gorge situated above the village of Alva at the foot of the Ochil Hills. It is a gem of a walk, offering broadleaf woodlands, waterfalls, paths with dramatic drops, and wonderful history about the Woollen Industry. To the north of the gardens, the path runs into a more rugged area offering views down into a steep gorge, it then passes the remnants of an old dam that supplied the mills with water.

Ben Cleuch

Ben Cleuch

1 Day Treks

Mountain Peaks

Ben Cleuch is the highest of the rolling Ochil Hills which lie to the NE of Stirling. . It is the highest point in the range, Clackmannanshire and the Central Belt of Scotland; the summit is marked by a trig point within a stone windshelter and a viewpoint indicator.

Black Devon

Black Devon

Lake/ River/ Ponds

The Black Devon is a river in Scotland. It rises in the Cleish Hills, specifically the area known as Outh Muir.It is a narrow and shallow river that holds wild brown trout, and also sees sea trout in winter months that come into the Firth of Forth, which is tidal as far as Stirling The river flows westwards through Balgonar, north of Saline, and then merges with the Saline Burn.

Cambus Pools Nature Reserve

Cambus Pools is a wetland reserve with reedbeds, grassland and open water attracting waders, warblers and wildfowl. The pools are on riverside flats and are a prime example of space for nature squeezed in between commerce and industry. This makes it particularly special for local wildlife-lovers and Trust members.

Clackmannan Tower

Clackmannan Tower

Iconic Buildings

Old Ruins

Clackmannan Tower is situated in the summit of a prominent ridge known as King's Seat Hill. The summit has been levelled, and probably at a later period, an area of about an acre has been enclosed as a garden by a wall which has now disappeared. The soaring five-storey structure is one of Scotland’s most impressive towers. It was originally built in the 14th century by King David II of Scotland. Shortly thereafter, the king sold Clackmannan Tower to his cousin Robert the Bruce in 1359.

Dollar Glen

Dollar Glen

Outdoors- Other

Dollar Glen is a small glen owned by the National Trust for Scotland. It is located in the Ochils that dramatically mark the Highland fault. It is near the town of Dollar, Scotland in the county of Clackmannanshire. It is popular with walkers and visitors, featuring on many routes in the area.

Gartmorn Dam

Gartmorn Dam lies between Alloa and Coalsnaughton in rural Clackmannanshire. The area has a rich industrial past but today it is a haven for nature and wildlife. It forms part of the Alloa Waterworks system and is associated with Derby hydraulic engineer George Sorocold for the works he carried out after 1710 to increase the reservoir's holding capacity.

Gartmorn Dam Country Park

Gartmorn Dam Country Park covers an area of 370 acres and offers visitors a peaceful retreat to enjoy walking, cycling, horse riding, fishing or simply have a picnic. There are fine views over Clackmannanshire and the Firth of Forth, and you can watch for red squirrels scampering among the branches. There are 3 miles of gravel and earthy paths in the forest, with some short uneven sections and short moderate slopes.

Glenquey Reservoir

Glenquey Reservoir

Outdoors- Other

Glenquey is a hidden gem of a fishery located high in the Ochils above Glendevon, providing fly only fishing for brown trout. The location is stunning, the reservoir being formed at the head of the glen, overlooked by the rounded ridges of the main Ochils ridge and to the north by maturing broadleaved woods planted by the Woodland Trust. it is now operated by Scottish Water for the supply of drinking-water to West Fife and covers an area of 15.4 ha.

Menstrie Castle

Menstrie Castle

Iconic Buildings

Old Ruins

Menstrie Castle is a three-storey manor house in the town of Menstrie, Clackmannanshire, near Stirling, central Scotland. From the early 17th century, it was home to Sir William Alexander. The castle was restored in the 20th century, won a Civic Trust award, and now incorporates holiday accommodation, private flats, and a museum and cafe run by the National Trust for Scotland.

Menstrie Glen

Menstrie Glen

Outdoors- Other

Menstrie Glen is the glen which separates Dumyat from Myreton Hill and the main body of the Ochil Hills in Scotland. Once farmed but no longer inhabited, it is now used for sheep pasture, a public water supply and recreation in the form of fishing and walking. A plan is under consideration for commercial forestry on the eastern and northern flanks of the Glen.

Myreton Hill

Myreton Hill

1 Day Treks

Mountain Peaks

Myreton Hill is the hill immediately behind the village of Menstrie in the Ochil Hills of Scotland. The hill is an outlier in the southern part of the Ochil Hills. It is not quite as high as its neighbour Dumyat, from which it is separated by the deep Menstrie Glen, but Dumyat is a more popular walking destination. It was one of the iconic attraction in this area and also a good trekking destination.

Sauchie Tower

Sauchie Tower

Iconic Buildings

Old Ruins

Sauchie Tower was built between 1430 and 1440 by Sir James Schaw, who came from Greenock. The tower is built of pink sandstone ashlar blocks, pinned with oyster shells. Externally the tower is very plain but internally it is much more elaborate, with ornate fireplaces, window recesses with bench seating, smaller rooms for family privacy and domestic comfort. There are now four storeys but the ground floor was once split into two levels and there were probably attic chambers in the roof.

Map of attractions in Clackmannanshire

Comments

For more information about Clackmannanshire, visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clackmannanshire