- Saturday 30th March 2019
- The Ochils range
Today felt like a spring day.
The weather was sunny and bright and the air felt fresh. With the ‘picnic’ made up we seized the opportunity to get outside and decided to keep it local once more and head to Norman’s Law.
Norman’s Law is the final eastern summit of the Ochils, lying in Fife and rising above the Tay.
Its a good viewpoint and the summit is the site of an ancient settlement, an Iron Age Fort, in which the remains are protected by law.
Once up at the summit you can clearly see why this site would have been chosen, the views over the surrounding countryside are vast and the defensive steep slopes leading to the top an absolute advantage.
So we started our walk slightly outside a small village called Brunton.
This was an easy walk through some lovely scenery, consisting of some beautiful farmland, well worth the visit.
The summit was marked by a stone cairn, a trig point and a viewfinder to help you identify points of interest. The view was pretty immense.
Its a small hill with a majestic 360 degree view from the summit and today we got views of the Tay Estuary from Perth to Dundee.
The Paps of Fife where we had walked last weekend in the distance.
We even saw Schiehallion and many more mountains in the far distance and we also got to watch some Para gliders.
There’s always something particularly rewarding about finding a walk which only takes a few hours, isn’t particularly difficult, yet enables you to reach such an impressive hilltop! This wee hill was one of those!
It had been a lovely spring walk and we even managed to have our ‘picnic’ on the summit in warm sunshine.
From here we drove to Pillars of Hercules in Falkland for a much needed coffee. Pillars of Hercules is situated in a beautiful spot just outside Falkland on Falkland Estate.
They have their own Café, Organic Farm/Farm shop so all produce is home grown from their farm/ground. It also has camping facilities and some wonderful walks with easy access to the wilderness of the Lomond hills.
Today we just chilled, with coffee and cake enjoying sitting outside the all wooden-log cabin style building, very rustic.
Mary's Outdoor Adventure's 
Interesting local history I am thinking why didn’t I know that. I remember visiting an earth house on the way to Dundee it was so close to the edge of the main road with so many people driving bye not knowing it is even there. Glad you had a lovely spring day for walking in the hills followed with coffee and cake within distance of the Lomand Hills my idea of a lovely day. The scenery is so lovely, noticed the cows we have come across more cows recently on our walks I walk a bit faster through the field with head down never feel that comfortable when they get a bit to close to them. I remember your Dad would clap his hands to make them scatter I’ m not that brave. Love Theresa x
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There is such a huge amount of history and places you describe scattered about here but like you say if you haven’t heard about them so easy just to not see/know about them. This spot was so easy to access which made it even better, it felt like we were much further afield than we were. I must admit having a coffee shop at the end of the walking route is always an incentive and its nice to finish of the walk/day like that especially when the weather is nice and you can do it outdoors. The spring colours in the photos are lovely aren’t they. Did you see those cows were no ordinary cows but ‘highland coo’s’! I love the Highland Cow, so beautiful. I am like you and not 100% confident about walking through a field of cows, done so on numerous occasions and on two of these occasions one being at ‘The Meedies’ was chased by a mad bunch of cows right into the Loch…I kid you not!!! It was scary stuff! I’m glad when you were with my dad he clapped his hands to make the cows scatter because at times when we were with him he would walk through a field of ‘anything’…including cows plus bull….and had us all running like mad diving through barbed wire fences to escape….he thought this funny however as you can imagine…his sense of humour at times just not funny…..but on looking back very funny indeed! X
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Hi Mary Beautiful scenery..(helped to lift our spirits just looking at the photos….although I do think your trying to woo us back to the hills again! Your(& Andys) photos could be used by the Scottish tourist board. I do miss the hills though…the only one we’ve got in the village is Carters Hill…which isn’t much of a hill more a slope! Brogan looks like a contented dog and a real beauty. Also loved the photo of the wee ladybird…now I’ve never thought of taking a photo of one…..must try it! Don’t talk to me about walking through fields full of cows. Alan and I tried to cross one a few years back. We thought we were safe but as soon as we were halfway over the whole herd came pounding towards us (I think they thought we were the farmers coming to take them home). Alan was my hero though, whilst I (like you) dived under a barbed wire fence ripping my coat, he tried to clap them away,but they kept coming so he did the same. What a fright. 😱So now if we’re walking and I see cows ahead I’d rather walk miles around the field than cross it. I’m just a scaredy-gowk! Strangely enough Highland cows don’t scare me as they tend to just keep grazing if we pass gingerly around them. Anyway keep them coming. It’s lovely to see all that scenery.xx PS I can just imagine your dad having a good laugh whilst you were all scrambling around. I think he thought he was Desperate Dan😂😂xx
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Hi there…your comments bring the wit to my blogs btw we could be on to a double act!! Yes Norman’s Law provided us with very beautiful scenery indeed (and weather) and pretty close to home too! I am trying my hardest to get you back to those hills…is it working???!!! I do like to take photographs and a day like we had on Saturday was the perfect opportunity for it as we could stop without getting cold. So ‘your’ Carter’s Hill got my mind thinking and I have visions of a Stewart’s Brae in Kelty kind of ‘hill’ 😉 ….that’s what I’d call a slope…your not talking about that kind of a slope are you…you do mean a real hill not a ‘street hill’ lololol?! Brogan is a very contented dog, we don’t even know we have her at times, very good natured and loves her walks (I’m sure she is the best walked dog in the village). The story of you and Alan certainly made me smile and I can just imagine it all…very frightening but funny at the same time (well for me anyway reading your description of it). I’m still uncertain about the Highland Cow but I guess you are right they do tend to focus on their food rather than the humans but I still wouldn’t give them the opportunity! I think you described my Dad so well and I like the Desperate Dan comparison….he certainly could have gave him a run for his money to be sure as he had no fear of nothing! xxx
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Hello Mary.
Just catching up on your blogs. Am in Guildford with Elizabeth and family till Monday so have plenty te to catch up. Saw a programme last year about that village also about the caves at Eat Wemyss with all the drawings . When we firstover to the Avenue the farmer put some Highland cattle in the field opposite to discourage the boys from playing football there but they soon discovered they were quite docile animals so the football continued😊xx
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Hi Auntie Alice…good to hear from you and great your at Elizabeth’s! I’ve been in those caves you mentioned at East Wemyss…pretty spectacular!! I think the Highland Cattle are generally more docile so that’s funny the farmer choosing to put them in the field to stop the football…even funnier that the boys continued to play football round about them! x
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