Historic hill at centre of battle
Submitted by coldrum on Tuesday, 19 June 2007 Page Views: 2575
Site WatchCountry: Scotland County: Perth and Kinross Type: HillfortInternal Links:
With its historic woodland, stunning scenery and protected wildlife, Gillies Hill is a well known and popular site for locals and visitors alike.
Rare red squirrels, Peregrine Falcons, Buzzards and Roe Deer have been regularly spotted in the vast area of woodland near Cambusbarron, in Stirling.
In addition it boasts Wellingtonia Firs and a Scots Pine which the Forestry Commission has designated as one of Scotland's top 100 heritage trees.
But the hill is also steeped in history.
An Iron Age Fort is located there and has Scheduled Ancient Monument status - a site designated as being of archaeological importance.
More famously is the role it played in the Battle of Bannockburn.
Gillies Hill is reputedly where Robert the Bruce's camp followers took shelter during the battle until their famous charge against the enemy on 24 June 1314.
The followers emerged from the woods and the English army took fright, mistaking them for Scottish reinforcements.
More than 600 years later, battle is about to commence again.
This time, however, campaigners are fighting to stop the land from being demolished, not taken over.
Two major companies are planning to restart quarrying on the site and their plans could see the whole woodland area being razed to the ground.
Permission for small scale quarrying was granted by the then Stirling District Council in 1982 but for the last 10 years there has been little activity on the site.
Now Tarmac and German giants Heidelberg Cement, which recently bought Hanson Aggregates, the company which had announced its intention to recommence quarrying work, are planning to restart quarrying on a much larger scale.
Local residents have set up the Save Gillies Hill Campaign group and have organised a two mile march over the hill on Sunday to coincide with the 693rd anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn.
The group is hoping to attract hundreds of people to the event which sets off from Cambusbarron Park at 1345 BST.
March organiser, Roddy Ross, said: "We simply want to show the immense strength of feeling about this, the almost 100% resistance to these plans.
"If the Gillies Hill hadn't been there in 1314, the concept of Scotland as we understand it today might never have existed."
The group will also be handing in a petition to politicians at Holyrood on 28 June.
Susan McGill, who lives in Cambusbarron and is part of the Save Gillies Hill Campaign group, said that aside from the historical importance of the hill, the place is an area of outstanding beauty and it would be a tragedy if it was lost.
She said: "I grew up here and played in the woods when I was a child. Its a very special place.
"Some communities would crave a blade of grass and we have got all this beautiful woodland on our doorstep, with all the wonderful wildlife, and it could all be wiped out by a quarry.
"It's well used and well loved not only by people who live here, but also people who come and visit Gillies Hill for all sorts of activities from walking to mountain biking."
Fellow campaigner Gwynneth Clark agreed.
She said: "When my husband and I moved here it was a Godsend having Gillies Hill on our doorstep.
"You take it for granted. I walk up there quite a lot and the kids from the primary school often go up there on walks. It's not until you realise that it could be taken away that you realise how important it is.
"We are 100% committed to fight for the quarrying to be stopped."
Stirling Council said Hanson, which is now owned by Heidelberg Cement had advised the council that it intended to start quarrying late summer 2007.
Legal advice
The council said that the size of the area which was granted planning permission in 1982 for quarrying has not changed, despite the fact campaigners say it has vastly increased.
The council is also seeking legal advice over whether an Environmental Impact Assessment should have been carried out.
Stirling SNP MSP Bruce Crawford called on the council to act on Thursday and revoke the detailed planning permission using powers under the Town and Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.
The move has been seen by campaigners as a positive step forward.
bbc.co.uk.
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