Mine Woods
Distance: 3.5km / 2 miles
A slightly strenuous walk passing the old Coppermine and the pump house for the spa that made Bridge of Allan so popular.
From the Fountain Road car park, turn left up to Henderson Street and left again then crossing and heading up Well Road. Near the sign for Alexander Drive a footpath goes off to the left, take this. A little way up here up the grassy slope on the right is a stone broken in 3, this was a coffin stone and would have been used to rest the coffins on as they were carried to the Kirk. The mound behind the coffin stone is an old ice house. These were used like our fridges are now. Ice would be cut from local ponds as they froze in the winter, it would then be stored in these buildings dug deep into the ground, stone lined and piled high with earth to keep them as cool and shady as possible. There is a gate on the northern side of it, take care if you’re going to go up and look.
Carry on up the path and bear right when you get to the wall. Cross Sunnylaw Road when you get to the far edge of the grass. Over the brow of the small hill in front of you, you can see the top of Wolf ’s Hole quarry cliffs. Take the path left and then right in to the bottom of the quarry. Around 390 million years ago this was part of the floor of a valley. This valley filled in with deposited sand over millions of years eventually resulting in the Old Red Sandstone which can now be seen here. The stone taken from this quarry was used for building houses in Bridge of Allan.
Continue out of the far end of the quarry up the slope. This is a popular area for off-road cycling so please be aware of bikes. A path goes off ahead of you, follow this and bear slightly left taking you uphill to the edge of the golf course, then turn right following the line of the wall. Cross through the broken down section of wall. Follow it left, up the hill then turn right into the small conifer plantation. Mine Woods is an area rich in wildlife, there have been trees on the site for many years and a rich herb understorey means plenty of habitats for insects and other invertebrates and so plenty of feeding for small birds.
As the path leaves the edge of the golf course and continues across the hill, you’ll walk across the bottom of a mound of stones and gravel. This is one of the spoil heaps from one of the mines in the woods.If you look carefully you can see small bits of green oxidised copper left behind after the mining.
According to local tradition the mines were first worked in the 1500s and sporadically until the last smelter was dismantled in 1807.
Carry on across the hill until you reach Pendreich Road, then turn sharply back to your right. This leads you back down past the main entrance to the coppermine.
Follow this path until you're almost on the road then turn left along the path at the bottom of the woods. When you get to the end, take the steps to your right and cross over into Mine Road.
As you walk down there is a small building to your right, this is the old pump house for the spa waters and the large building behind it was the Allan Water Hotel.
Bridge of Allan expanded greatly in the 1800s when it's popularity as a spa town grew and wealthy people flocked to take the health giving waters.
Continue down Well Road and back to the car park.
