Saline Hill

Rising steeply above the village of Saline in West Fife, this prominent volcanic plug offers a short but rewarding climb. The grassy slopes lead to a twin-topped summit where the remains of an Iron Age hill fort mark the higher eastern peak, overlooking the Firth of Forth and the distant Ochils.

• •The name is derived from the Gaelic 'Sabhlan', meaning 'little barn'. It is believed that this refers to a tithe barn where agricultural tributes for the Scottish Crown were once collected and stored.
• •The higher eastern summit is crowned by the remains of an Iron Age hill fort, which utilized natural basalt crags to provide a formidable defensive position over the surrounding Fife plains.
• •To the south-east sits the neighbouring Bandrum Hill, notable for a solitary prehistoric standing stone that marks its peak, indicating the long-standing ritual importance of these small volcanic outcrops.
• •On a clear day, the summit offers a detailed panorama including the industrial skyline of Grangemouth, the sprawling mass of the Ochil Hills to the north, and all three of the Forth Bridges to the south-east.
• •The local golf course occupies the lower slopes of the hill, meaning a particularly wayward drive from the first tee can occasionally land several contours higher than the golfer intended.