The Ochil Hills extend for 48 kilometres in a west-southwest direction, broadening into an 11-kilometre section without passes in the west. It is a range of hills which I do not know.
Dumyat, a hill overlooking Stirling, rises to a modest 418 metres, with a steep southern descent to the Forth-Devon confluence, while its northern slopes gently ease into the Loss Burn valley.
On a lesser knoll, fittingly named Castle Law, the Maeatae tribe constructed their fort, perched at over 300 metres above sea level, which invites speculation. Who were these inhabitants, and what means sustained them in such an elevated and inhospitable location, especially during winter? Unlike the more accessible lower-altitude forts, which have been lost by centuries of development and agriculture, Castle Law stands as a testament to a time when its height may have served a specific, albeit mysterious, purpose. Was it a permanent settlement or a refuge for particular occasions? The questions linger, as enigmatic as the hills themselves1http://canmore.org.uk/site/47117[/mfn].
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