The changing glen

The local area has a long history of weaving. Hand weaving of plaids and coarse blankets may have started in this area as far back as the 16th century, with women washing the wool and men weaving the cloth.

During the 18th century inventions such as the ‘Spinning Jenny’ and the ‘flying shuttle’ revolutionised both the spinning and the weaving processes, and mills were built in Alva Glen to accommodate the necessary machinery and workers.

In the early 19th century the fast-flowing burn was channelled to drive water wheels and by about 1830 nine spinning mills in Alva were powered by water from the burn. As a result the industry flourished and the village’s population began to increase.

The introduction of powered looms and carding machines (and steam power) around the middle of the century completed the mechanisation process, and led to the Hillfoots becoming one of the most important weaving areas in Scotland. At that time the glen would have been a place of noise and activity – quite different from its calm and tranquil appearance today!

Look around the glen now and you will still see remains of its industrial past: dams to store reserves of water and pipes to help convey it to the mills, the crumbling walls of old mill buildings and, especially, the excellently preserved Strude Mill, now converted into flats.

Following the demise of the weaving industry, the lower glen (or the McArthur Braes as it became known) evolved into a place of peace, pleasure and recreation. Gardens and walkways were created in the 1920s and the construction of a bandstand enabled regular dances and concerts to be held. In 1937 the celebrated Alva Glen Illuminations began and proved to be a huge success for many years thereafter.