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Squirrel Day
"Look Aboot Ye"
~ Clackmannanshire County Motto
Look aboot ye, folks! It’s Squirrel Day, a day for noticing the antics of busy, bright-eyed, never-quite-still squirrel! Whether red, brown, black, or golden, the industrious and cheeky squirrel has made its way into a few tartans, including this regional one!
Clackmannanshire, proudly nicknamed “The Wee County" is Britain’s smallest historic county, bordered by Stirling, Fife, and Perth and Kinross. Its name consists of elements from three languages. The first element is from Scottish Gaelic: Clach meaning "Stone". Mannan is a derivative of the Brythonic name of the Manaw, the Iron Age tribe who inhabited the area, followed by the English word shire.
The colors of this tartan tell a vivid story: the red symbolizes the red squirrels darting through the trees, the old red sandstone of the Ochil Hills, and the fiery autumn foliage.
Blue represents the enchanting bluebell woods, the cobalt mines near Alva, and the ancient tattoos of the Pictish Miathi tribe, who once called the Ochils home. Black pays tribute to the region’s coal mining heritage and the Black Devon River. White captures the clouds resting at the Ochil’s base, the sheep that fueled the textile industry, and the snow-dusted peaks of winter.
Finally, yellow evokes the golden wheat fields and barley used in local brewing, tying the tartan to the land’s agricultural roots. Look aboot ye today! 💙 💚 🖤 🤍 ❤️ 💛 🐿️ 🐿️ 🐿️
Clackmannanshire is Scotland’s smallest historic county and lies between the Ochil Hills and the River Forth. Its name derives from Clach Mannan (“Stone of Mannan”), referring to a standing stone associated with the Brythonic Manaw tribe who inhabited the area in the early historic period. The region later developed as a medieval shire, with its geography influencing settlement, transport, and defence.
One of the county’s most significant historical structures is Alloa Tower, among the largest surviving tower houses in Scotland. From the 14th century onward, it served as the seat of the Erskine family, who became Earls of Mar and held prominent roles in Scottish political and royal affairs. The tower reflects the concentration of administrative and noble authority in the area during the late medieval period.
The Ochil Hills form a clear physical boundary along the county’s northern edge and historically supported agriculture, grazing, and water supply. Dollar Glen follows a natural route through this landscape and leads to Castle Campbell, formerly known as Castle Gloom. The castle became the Lowland seat of the Campbells of Argyll in the 15th century and was involved in several episodes of political and religious conflict before falling out of use in the 17th century.
From the 18th century onward, Clackmannanshire underwent significant industrial development. Coal mining, glassmaking, and brewing expanded rapidly, particularly around Alloa, contributing to population growth and urbanisation. Elements of this industrial history remain visible in the built environment and are referenced through public art commissions placed throughout the county in recent decades.
The county also contains examples of later cultural exchange, including the Japanese Gardens at Cowden, begun in the early 20th century and influenced by Japanese landscape design principles. Golf courses across the county reflect the broader Scottish development of the sport as a local recreational activity rather than a resort industry.
Overall, Clackmannanshire presents a compact record of Scottish history, encompassing early settlement, medieval power structures, industrial expansion, and modern cultural initiatives.
For more on Clackmannanshire, click the red squirrel! 🐿️