Sidlaws facts for kids
The Sidlaws are a beautiful range of hills in Scotland. They stretch for about 30 miles (45 km) from Perth all the way to Forfar. These hills act like a natural wall, separating the wide Strathmore valley in the north from the Carse of Gowrie area, which is close to the River Tay.
The Sidlaws are a continuation of the Ochil Hills. They offer great views and are home to some interesting historical spots.
Contents
Exploring the Sidlaw Hills
The tallest point in the Sidlaws is Craigowl Hill, standing at 1492 feet (455 meters) high. It's a great place to see far and wide!
You might know Dunsinane Hill from Shakespeare's famous play, Macbeth. In the story, this hill is where a big battle takes place. Another interesting spot is Auchterhouse Hill, which used to be an ancient hill fort. People long ago built strong walls there to protect themselves.
On Kinpurnie Hill, you can see the ruins of an old observatory. It was built way back in the 1700s and can be spotted from many miles away on the Strathmore side of the hills. There's a local story that a man named Brandon Henderson lived alone in the tower for seven years. He did it to win a £100 bet!
Music of the Sidlaws
The name "Sidlaw Hills" is also used for a special marching tune. It's a "Schottische" tune, which is a type of folk dance music. A musician named Jim Watson from Blairgowrie (1868–1931) wrote it for the fiddle.
How the Sidlaws Were Formed
The Sidlaw Hills are made from different kinds of rocks. Some are igneous rocks, which means they formed from hot, melted rock (like lava from volcanoes). Others are sedimentary rocks, which are made from layers of sand, mud, and tiny bits of rock that built up over time. All these rocks formed a very long time ago, during the early part of the Devonian period.
Many of the hills, like Craigowl Hill and Kincaldrum Hill, are made from a mix of layered sandstones and mudstones. These are called the Dundee Flagstones. Other parts, like King's Seat and Kinpurney Hill, are made from rocks that came from ancient volcanoes. These are known as the Ochil Volcanics.
Ice Age Left Its Mark
A lot of the lower areas around and within the hills are covered by something called till. This is a mix of dirt and rocks left behind by huge glaciers during the last ice age. It shows how powerful the ice was, shaping the land as it moved. You can also find other deposits from the melting ice and rivers that formed after the ice age.
Hidden Treasures: Agates
Sometimes, if you look carefully in the fields around the Sidlaws, you might find beautiful, colorful stones called agates. These amazing stones formed over millions of years inside the volcanic rocks. They grew in small spaces that were once gas bubbles in the lava. Over time, the rocks wear away, and these pretty agates are left behind for people to find!
