A WEE County writer is working in collaboration with the Scottish Story Telling Centre to create a collection of Hillfoots stories.

Joanne Ross said for many generations Clackmannanshire’s rich landscape has no doubt fired imaginations with tales and legends but unlike most other areas of Scotland have they have never been recorded.

As a youngster, she remembers being fascinated by stories of the ‘wee folk’ who were said to have worked their magic in the Ochils.

She added: "There were loads of characters such as Tod Lowrie, (also sometimes called Red Cap) and his band of ‘Brownies’.

"There was Blue Jacket, Swift Foot and Black Toes, not to mention the children who lived in the hills including Ochil Rose and Wee Tommie Kip."

Joanne first got interested in gathering the stories after delivering a story telling workshop in June 2014 as part of the Ochil Landscape Partnership Festival.

She said: "I soon discovered that there was only one small booklet in the library, ‘Ochil Fairy Tales,’ written by Rev R. Menzies Fergusson in 1912 because he was worried that the local stories of the wee folk were in danger of dying out."

Since then she has been in discussion with Donald Smith of the Scottish Storytelling Centre who is also keen to record the Hillfoots stories.

Joanne said: "But that is only part of the project – good stories are shaped by the telling and we are keen to talk to people and involve them in Storytelling events across Clackmannanshire. I’m inviting them to share their stories.

"By talking to local people, it won’t be long before we have the Hillfoots a’stirring with stories.

"We are not just looking for folk tales though, I’m interested in hearing about the mythology surrounding Clackmannanshire including any information about Mannan the God of the Sea or the Horses of the Sea and much more.

"For instance, any information on Burns’s connection with the area or the story of Lady Bruce would be most welcome."

Contact Joanne at jojoross10@gmail.com