Limekilns
The Limekilns Trail
Distance: 3.5km/2 miles
A walk through unusual and attractive woodland, and a glimpse of a long vanished industry. Start at a bridge over the Bannock Burn outside Wester Craigend.
Cross the bridge and follow the track. After 50 metres or so take an obvious path leading off to the right. The beautiful ash woodland that you enter is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It contains some interesting flowers - look out for early purple orchids and twayblades.
Ash woods are uncommon in these parts, and are often associated with limestone outcrops. Sure enough, a little way along the path a row of 18th Century limekilns can be seen hidden away on the right. They consist of alternating large and small arches set into a huge stone wall. The large access arches allowed limestone to be fed into the kilns, and the smaller openings acted as draw holes, sucking air into the fires inside. Vast quantities of lime were used to “sweeten” the acid soils of the Carse of Stirling, which were being reclaimed from bogland at this time. It is strange to imagine the smoke and noise that must have filled these woods only 150 years ago. The New Statistical Account of 1842 states that these workings and the neighbouring kilns at Murrayshall together employed 34 miners and labourers, earning between 10 and 16 shillings per week.
As you walk along keep an eye on the slopes to your left - roe deer can often be seen running away in the distance. The route continues through conifer plantations until emerging onto a forestry track. Turning left, follow this over a small rise back to the start.
