The top of Gowan Hill

Image: © Lairich Rig Taken: 23 Jun 2018

Not far ahead is one of several interpretation panels for the Gowan Hill Heritage Trail. At the time of writing, the 1:25000 OS map uses the form "Gowanhill", but the two-word spelling is used on older maps and on all the interpretation panels and signage in the area. The built-up area occupying much of the picture is Stirling. Some of the following details are hard to pick out, except in large versions of the image: The chimney in the left background is at Image, 11 miles (18 km) away. Beginning about twice as far away from the left-hand edge of the picture as that chimney are some hills that are almost lost in the haze: they range from Caerketton Craigs (Image; 32½ miles, 52½ km) to Harbour Hill (Image, 31½ miles, 50½ km). On the skyline, directly behind the left-hand end of the bench, is the hill West Kip (Image); just to its left are South Black Hill (Image) and Carnethy Hill (Image, seen over intervening Black Hill, which is at Image), all about 32 miles (52 km) away. Much nearer, the spiky structure behind and to the right of the interpretation panel is the footbridge at Image Much further away, beyond the right-hand end of that footbridge, steam can be seen coming from chimneys, which I recognised (having seen them about 20 years earlier from much closer — specifically from Plean) as those at Cowie: Image On the skyline, directly behind the right-hand edge of the interpretation panel, is East Cairn Hill (Image, 48 km / 30 miles), seen over the intervening high ground at c.Image

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