Maggie Duncan's Stane (3.2 miles)
This walk begins in Fife and crosses the Clackmannanshire boundary in search of a large stone dedicated to a mythical witch. Legend says Maggie Duncan was carrying the boulder up a nearby hill (now named after her) but her burden grew too heavy, the stone face becoming scarred by her apron strings as it slipped and rolled back down to its present location. A good starting point is on the West Fife Way cycle route where it approaches the hamlet of Bogside. Heading eastwards, the A907 crosses the old railway at a sharp kink in the road but no parking is available here. Instead, look for the Forestry Commission road (to the right) a quarter of a mile further on. The entrance sign says Devilla and there is space for a handful of cars to turn and pull off the access track where it meets the cycleway a hundred yards from the main road.
Proceed on to the tarmac surface of the West Fife Way. Almost immediately you encounter the remains of Bogside station. The old signal box and waiting room buildings are becoming increasingly dilapidated. Continue for a mile along the path - a pleasant flat walk. Leave the cycle route at the small car park just before a minor road passes over. This is the start of Clackmannanshire. You may wish to park here if you would rather just find the stone and omit the previous mile. Cross the road bridge and turn right at the adjacent cottage. The path in front of the house takes you to a grassy old estate avenue running between dry-stone walls. The going is uneven in places but easy enough to negotiate. When this route meets open pasture after a quarter of a mile, the stone can easily be spotted. The cross-hatched grooves represent the scarring.
