Its 140 acres are set amidst stunning upland scenery yet it is only 5 miles south west of Stirling. 300 feet high cliffs dominate the eastern shoreline, beautifully framing the loch.
But why North Third.
If there is a North then logically there should be a South, East and West making four parts.
The dictionary gives the definition for “Thirdings” as (Eng. Law) the third part of the corn or grain growing on the ground at the tenant's death, due to the lord for a heriot.
Heriot was the right of a lord in feudal Europe to seize a serf's best horse and or clothing upon his death. It arose from the tradition of the lord loaning a serf a horse or armour or weapons to fight so that when the serf died the lord would rightfully reclaim his property. When knights as a class emerged and were later able to acquire their own fighting instruments, the lord continued to claim rights to property upon death.
Three estates - the social classes. The "First Estate" was the Church.
The "Second Estate" was the Nobility. It was common for aristocrats to enter the Church and thus shift from the second to the first estate.
The "Third Estate" was the Peasantry (everyone else, at least under feudalism. Those who produced the food which supported those who prayed and those who fought, the members of the First and Second Estates).
A Thirding is a measure of land in South Norway and their influence would certainly be felt. Third part - also Thirdings and later Ridings. Large territories in the Danelaw were too big for a single council and they were broken up into Third Parts for administrative purposes. The term occurs in Scotland as a farm name.
The Border towns are famous for their ridings.
This Common Riding Festival features the tradition of a spectacular riding out by hundreds of horses and riders to check the boundaries of the Common Land, each town has its own distinctive history and ceremony.
Thirdings and Ridings may be a derivation from the same source. Walkers rather than horses used to mark the boundary of Stirling and I believe that they may still do so.
Whatever the reason for a North Third, the reservoir is set in some of the loveliest scenery in central Scotland and is worth a visit even if you are not a fisherman.
There are walks around North Third which join together paths, tracks and forest rides to explore this beautiful, but little known, area around the reservoir. The routes vary from woodland strolls to one of the best clifftop walks in Central Scotland.
All the routes have been given a coulour code which can be easily followed on the signs and waymarker posts
Lewis Hill - yellow
The Craigs Trail - pinky purple
The Limekilns Trail - Red
The longest trail is only 5km, but the different routes can be combined to give longer walks.
