The Ochil hills stretch from Stirling in the west to east of the M90. Although their western and southern limits are well defined, their north eastern extremity is less obvious. Geologically they stretch all the way to Tayport in the northeast of Fife and north of the Tay through the Sidlaws. Topographically a convenient cut off point is Collessie Den where the col between the marilyns of Innerdouny (an obvious summit in the eastern Ochils) and Cairnie Hill (less obviously part of the Ochils) lies.
The western end of the Ochils is probably the best known area and the most popular with walkers. From the south they present steep slopes rising above the Hillfoots villages. Access from the south is either via a steep slog directly up the southern slopes or via the multitude of glens that cut into the hills from the south. The northern side of the Ochils and the lower hills further to the east are generally more undulating and consist primarily of farmland and forestry.
Please bear in mind when accessing the higher Ochils that that the weather can change quickly and navigation skills may be required. Some of the routes below are not on obvious easy to follow paths.
A comprehensive listing of the majority of the Ochils summits along with information on heights, prominence, summit features and links to relevant websites is available to download in an Excel spreadsheet.
View and download Ochils route maps and GPX files from Plotaroute.com.
See also North Fife Walks.
Fife Walking 