Geology
Red sandstones were laid during desert conditions and large alluvial plains developed, draining to the east. Although not obvious you will see this rock in the bed of burns and close to the surface when a hole is dug. Even moles have to struggle through it! The sandstones produce a smooth and rounded landscape shaped by water and wind erosion.
330 million years ago
Scotland moved north by continental drift from the equatorial zone to its present position. This triggers climatic changes resulting in ice ages, erosion and forming of river systems.
250 million to 2.4 million years ago
Glaciers from the direction of Loch Lomond spread across the low-lying basin below Arnprior and the limit of the ice sheet is marked by the Menteith Moraine. This is a gravel ridge running across the valley from Port of Mentieth to Arnprior. The Lake of Menteith was formed by a glacier scooping out a shallow depression.
16,000 years ago
Where were you?
People appeared in Scotland about 9,000 years ago. The periods of glaciation prior to this made the land inhospitable but people had been living in England for at least 4,000 years. Rock art such as cup and ring marks (found in the Mentieth Hills) appeared about 5,000 years ago. Birds developed from the archaeopterix 150 million years ago.
The low-lying basin was colonised by extensive peat mosses and reached depths of over 6m. Prior to this sea levels rose and marine silts and clays were deposited. The layers of peat and clays can be viewed by hand coring though Flanders Moss. Marine sediments are found up to 34 metres above sea level around the edges of the basin. A number of whale skeletons have been found in the carse clays around Stirling.
7,000 years ago
Going with the flow