'Telling the Inner Forth Story' is a project by the Inner Forth Landscape Initiative (IFLI). The Inner Forth describes the area around the upper Firth of Forth river estuary in Scotland. IFLI has been developed by a number of organisations who are working in partnership to conserve, enhance and celebrate the unique landscape, and the natural and cultural heritage of Inner Forth area to make it interesting, exciting and accessible to locals and visitors alike.
The 'Telling The Inner Forth Story' project focuses on sharing and celebrating stories from around the Inner Forth area; the stories which are only known by the locals and passed on by word of mouth. These stories are what makes the places around the Forth meaningful and special to the people who use the area every day.
This dedicated Hold Me Dear collection page is a place to submit and share these places and stories with people who live in the area and beyond.
The collection was kickstarted with three workshops facilitated by HERE+NOW. These workshops were held at the Forth Riverside, Black Devon Wetland and Fallin Bing with children from local primary and secondary schools. The output of the workshops is represented here with pictures and words from the children sharing their stories of the Inner Forth.
It ís not too late to be a part of the Telling the Inner Forth Story project. This collection page is on-going and offers a platform for anyone to submit a photograph of a place important to them from around the Inner Forth landscape. Your story and special place can be a part of this collection by emailing a photo and 50 words about why that place is important to you here.
Telling The Inner Forth Story
Bo’ness Foreshore from Panbrae Road – an industrial landscape not so long ago; now nature is taking it back with help from the work of the Kinneil Foreshore Group. _ _ _ Iain Kirkman | Longannet at Sunset. Landmarks linger in the memory. The outline of Longannet power station is visible from the bridges to the Antonine Wall at least as far west as Dullater. Due for demolition in October 2016, this was the last of Scotland’s coal-fired power stations. _ _ _ Iain Kirkman | In the surrounding woods of the Bing, there is a secret hide called ‘Pandora’ - it is a magical hidden place. There is a fallen tree with a rope which creates a simple swing, and you can go here and play with your friends. It is tricky to get here because there is a slope which is full of bees and beehives, so you have to know your way around. |
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There is a beautiful stone wall cutting through the wetland and woodland, which was the Earl of Mar’s estate wall. You can see where the old grounds used to be. Later on in the 1920s, the wetland was home to an aircraft factory and what might still be existing or at least is an ongoing story is about a secret tunnel which runs from the Clackmannanshire Tower to the tower in the centre of town. The tunnel was used for Mary Queen of Scots in an emergency for entering and leaving undetected. | The staircase in the Wallace Monument is really narrow and a bit scary. You walk up and down the same staircase and sometimes it can be difficult to pass each other. The monument is for William Wallace because he fought for Scotland and if you want to know more, you have to buy a ticket to the exhibition. At new year, you should be near the monument and see the beautiful light show and fireworks! | Around the Bing, there are different types of trees. They are still young, and they are still not strong enough to climb in. A few of them are bouncy, which makes them fun to play in. There are small nests and hides in the woods where you can play with your friends. You can also go here to escape and gather your thoughts. You can hear the birds in the trees, especially if you are here on your own. |
The Causewayhead Park just down from the Abbey Craig is a sun trap and it is a good place to go and have your lunch. Some people call it the ‘Green Sheep Park’, because of the sculptures. The park is in contrast to the woodland around the monument. | There are a lot of good viewpoints here and you can see a lot of cool places. It is a good place to bring someone from out of town because you can see everything from here. You can see the train tracks from here - they take you all the way to Edinburgh, Glasgow or Perth. You also get good views of surrounding locations such as Stirling Castle or the Ochil Hills. But it is often windy at the viewpoints, so go there when it is good weather, so you don’t get blown away! | The routes around and through the Wetlands lead you through private land, and it is important that you stay on the path. The local farmer seems to have a ‘shoot-on-sight’ policy for anything 2 or 4 legged crossing his land and I have a friend of a friend who was shot in the back of the leg! |
There is a special place in the woodland around the Abbey Craig. Not everyone knows about it. It’s not been changed in over 100 years. It's a special place you can come to be on your own and think things through. You can see horses and come very close to the wildlife, such as deer and foxes. The woodland is also where to go if you are in a relationship, want some privacy or to collect firewood for Guides cookouts. It can be a bit scary too. You have to be careful not to slide down the hill. | From the top of the Bing, you can see landmarks in the surrounding landscape, like Stirling Castle, the Forth, Ochil Hills and Wallace Monument. You can see very far and the view changes all year round. You can play on the Bing, run up and down or cycle down the Bing. Be careful because you might fall and the ground is not as soft as it looks like with the moss, but that is part of the fun. | This is a photograph of myself [left] and a friend down at the Bo'ness Docks. We lived in links Road 500 yards away from the Harbour. We could smell the catches of the day and watch all the strange looking sailors coming away from the cargo ships. _ Maria Ford, Bo'Ness, Scotland |
‘The Wallace Monument was built in commemoration of William Wallace who fought against the English for Scottish independence. It sits on a hill that is 92 meters above sea level and the monument is 67 meters tall. It is an amazing sight that is seen by everyone in the Stirling area.’ _ _ _ Andrew Mackenzie, Wallace High School | “I like the look of the landscape here.” _ _ _ Children from Fallin Primary School | “If I had a family member that’s never been to Stirling I would take them up the bing because you can see Stirling.” ... “You can even see the river Forth!” ... “You can see the hills.” ... “You can see other villages.” _ _ _ Children from Fallin Primary School |
“I come here to get away from my sister!” _ _ _ Children from Fallin Primary School | ‘The witch’s house is like a ruin!’ ... ‘It’s like a tiny house and it’s fun, but it’s full of rubbish’ ... ‘This place is more for grown-ups, but I’d like to play here if it was cleaner’. _ _ _ Children from Fallin Primary School | “It’s quite quiet here, you can hear the birds singing.” _ _ _ Children from Fallin Primary School |
"Pandora is a tree swing, There is a hill with an amazing view.” _ _ _ Children from Fallin Primary School |
Find out more about the Inner Forth Landscape Iniative or HERE+NOW who manage the Hold Me Dear project.
Or find out more about the other Collections and main Hold Me Dear gallery.