Slope failures in the Ochil Hills, Scotland, November 1984

Intense rainfall in November 1984 caused several slope failures on the steep slopes of the Ochil Hills. Each failure was of soil and till, no more than 2 m thick over bedrock, in a steep bowl. From 30–350 m3 of sediment was removed. Failure seems to have been by shallow sliding triggered by saturation, but each slide became a debris flow, the largest one (Menstrie) filling a house with mud which was at twice the liquid limit two days after the event. The storm which caused the failures had an estimated recurrence interval of 50 years but the frequency of heavy rain is increasing and similar failures occurred nearby the following year.