Alva, Clackmannanshire
Encyclopedia
Alva is a small town in Clackmannanshire
, set in the Central Lowlands
of Scotland
. It is one of a number of towns situated immediately to the south of the Ochil Hills
, collectively referred to as the Hillfoots Villages
or simply The Hillfoots. Alva had a resident population of 5,181 at the 2001 census
but has since been revised to 4,960 in 2006.
centre and the woollen mills provided employment for locals and migrant workers to the area. The Mill Trail Centre, next to Cochrane Park, houses permanent exhibitions about the history of the old woollen industry and the experiences of the many people employed in the industry.
On the site of the town's post office there used to be an old weaving shed, which was rented out to William Nicholl and Son, a locally famous cabinet maker and upholster. This shed was also haunted by the sounds of looms spinning on the uninhabited first floor.
, movement of which gave rise to the steep southern scarp of the Ochils, coincides approximately with the old road along the base of the hills. The rock beneath the carse in this area is carboniferous
.
The town is situated on slightly higher ground than the surrounding carse
, being on two overlapping alluvial fan
s, made up of material deposited by the Carnaughton Glen and Alva Glen burns. The spectacular Alva Glen cuts into the Ochils immediately north of the town. Alva Burn flows from the glen, through Alva, and into the River Devon
.
To the east of Alva Glen, and parallel to it, is the Silver Glen
, where silver was mined at one time. In the 19th century coal was mined at the Caroline Pit to the south of the town beside the River Devon
, and has been mined in the higher ground to the south for a much longer period. A more recent attempt, the Glenochil Colliery, was not a success, and the site is now a prison.
The town has both a primary school and a secondary school. Alva Academy
takes pupils from several primary schools in the Hillfoots area. The school was relocated on a new campus early in 2009. The new Alva Academy has been built at the end of Greenhead, a street on the south-east side of the town.
to St Andrews
road. Bus services run to Stirling and to Alloa
(via Tillicoultry
), and (less frequently) to St Andrews.
Between 1937 and 1954, Alva Glen was famed for its annual Illuminations, which drew visitors from across Scotland. In 2004 the Illuminations were revived.
Scottish brewery
founded in 1985 by Ken Brooker in a 200 year old stone barn on a farm on the Harviestoun
estate near Dollar
. It moved in 2004 to Alva Industrial Estate in Alva, before being bought by Caledonian Brewery
in 2006. It became independent again in 2008, when Caledonian was bought by Scottish & Newcastle
, and the new owners didn't want to take on Harviestoun.
Harviestoun produce cask ales and filtered bottled beers. The most notable brands are Schiehallion, Bitter & Twisted and Old Engine Oil.
Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire, often abbreviated to Clacks is a local government council area in Scotland, and a lieutenancy area, bordering Perth and Kinross, Stirling and Fife.As Scotland's smallest historic county, it is often nicknamed 'The Wee County'....
, set in the Central Lowlands
Central Lowlands
The Central Lowlands or Midland Valley is a geologically defined area of relatively low-lying land in southern Scotland. It consists of a rift valley between the Highland Boundary Fault to the north and the Southern Uplands Fault to the south...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is one of a number of towns situated immediately to the south of the Ochil Hills
Ochil Hills
The Ochil Hills is a range of hills in Scotland north of the Forth valley bordered by the towns of Stirling, Alloa, Kinross and Perth. The only major roads crossing the hills pass through Glen Devon/Glen Eagles and Glenfarg, the latter now largely replaced except for local traffic by the M90...
, collectively referred to as the Hillfoots Villages
Hillfoots Villages
The Hillfoots Villages are the villages and small towns which lie at the base of the southern scarp face of the Ochil Hills, formed by the Ochil Fault, in Stirlingshire and Clackmannanshire in central Scotland....
or simply The Hillfoots. Alva had a resident population of 5,181 at the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
but has since been revised to 4,960 in 2006.
History
During the Industrial Revolution, Alva developed as a textile manufacturingTextile manufacturing
Textile manufacturing is a major industry. It is based in the conversion of three types of fibre into yarn, then fabric, then textiles. These are then fabricated into clothes or other artifacts. Cotton remains the most important natural fibre, so is treated in depth...
centre and the woollen mills provided employment for locals and migrant workers to the area. The Mill Trail Centre, next to Cochrane Park, houses permanent exhibitions about the history of the old woollen industry and the experiences of the many people employed in the industry.
On the site of the town's post office there used to be an old weaving shed, which was rented out to William Nicholl and Son, a locally famous cabinet maker and upholster. This shed was also haunted by the sounds of looms spinning on the uninhabited first floor.
Geography
Alva lies right at the foot of the Ochil Hills. The Ochil FaultOchil Fault
The Ochil Fault is the geological feature which defines the southern edge of the Ochil Hills escarpment, Scotland.North of the fault, Devonian lava flows and pyroclastic deposits slope gently down, thinning towards the north. These are in part overlain by Old Red Sandstone rocks formed later in the...
, movement of which gave rise to the steep southern scarp of the Ochils, coincides approximately with the old road along the base of the hills. The rock beneath the carse in this area is carboniferous
Carboniferous
The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Permian Period, about 299.0 ± 0.8 Mya . The name is derived from the Latin word for coal, carbo. Carboniferous means "coal-bearing"...
.
Carse
In Scottish geography, a Carse is an area of low-lying, typically alluvial and fertile land occupying certain Scottish river valleys, such as that of the River Forth.-Carse of Forth :...
, being on two overlapping alluvial fan
Alluvial fan
An alluvial fan is a fan-shaped deposit formed where a fast flowing stream flattens, slows, and spreads typically at the exit of a canyon onto a flatter plain. A convergence of neighboring alluvial fans into a single apron of deposits against a slope is called a bajada, or compound alluvial...
s, made up of material deposited by the Carnaughton Glen and Alva Glen burns. The spectacular Alva Glen cuts into the Ochils immediately north of the town. Alva Burn flows from the glen, through Alva, and into the River Devon
River Devon
River Devon may refer to:*River Devon, Clackmannanshire, Scotland*River Devon, Nottinghamshire, England...
.
To the east of Alva Glen, and parallel to it, is the Silver Glen
Silver Glen
The Silver Glen lies approximately 1 km to the east of the town of Alva, Clackmannanshire, Scotland, and takes its name from the silver that was mined there in the early 18th century. The story of the silver mine is a remarkable one...
, where silver was mined at one time. In the 19th century coal was mined at the Caroline Pit to the south of the town beside the River Devon
River Devon, Clackmannanshire
The River Devon is a tributary of the River Forth in Clackmannanshire, Scotland.-Geography:The source of the river is Blairdenon Hill in the Ochils at an altitude of ....
, and has been mined in the higher ground to the south for a much longer period. A more recent attempt, the Glenochil Colliery, was not a success, and the site is now a prison.
Facilities
Alva has many shops, three Christian places of worship: a small but growing Baptist fellowship, a well established Church of Scotland and St John Vianney Roman Catholic; a few pubs, a small library and a medical practice. There are two large parks - Johnstone Park and Cochrane Park, which contains the local hall (Cochrane Hall). Every second Saturday in July, Johnstone Park is host to the Famous Alva Games, the last highland games event in Clackmannanshire. The McArthur Braes, at the foot of Alva Glen, was once a formal park that has fallen into neglect; it is now being regenerated.Alva Academy
Alva Academy is a six year comprehensive school serving the villages of Alva, Menstrie, Tillicoultry, Coalsnaughton, Devonside, Dollar and Muckhart, all in Clackmannanshire, Scotland. The roll is fairly static at over 1100...
takes pupils from several primary schools in the Hillfoots area. The school was relocated on a new campus early in 2009. The new Alva Academy has been built at the end of Greenhead, a street on the south-east side of the town.
Transport
Alva is on the main A91 StirlingStirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
to St Andrews
St Andrews
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....
road. Bus services run to Stirling and to Alloa
Alloa
Alloa is a town and former burgh in Clackmannanshire, set in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on on the north bank of the Firth of Forth close to the foot of the Ochil Hills, east of Stirling and north of Falkirk....
(via Tillicoultry
Tillicoultry
Tillicoultry...
), and (less frequently) to St Andrews.
Recreation
For more than 150 years, the annual Alva Games have been held in the town.Between 1937 and 1954, Alva Glen was famed for its annual Illuminations, which drew visitors from across Scotland. In 2004 the Illuminations were revived.
Economy and industry
Harviestoun Brewery
Harviestoun is a smallMicrobrewery
A microbrewery or craft brewer is a brewery which produces a limited amount of beer, and is associated by consumers with innovation and uniqueness....
Scottish brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
founded in 1985 by Ken Brooker in a 200 year old stone barn on a farm on the Harviestoun
Harviestoun
Harviestoun, is an estate in Tillicoultry parish, Clackmannanshire. It lies at the base of the Ochil Hills, East-North-East of the town. Harviestoun Castle, was built in 1804 by Craufurd Tait after inheriting the estate from his father John Tait in 1800...
estate near Dollar
Dollar
The dollar is the name of the official currency of many countries, including Australia, Belize, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States.-Etymology:...
. It moved in 2004 to Alva Industrial Estate in Alva, before being bought by Caledonian Brewery
Caledonian Brewery
Caledonian Brewery is a Scottish brewery founded in 1869 in the Shandon area of Edinburgh, Scotland. The Caley, as it is known locally, is the only survivor of over 40 breweries that operated in Edinburgh during the 19th century, although a number of independent breweries have opened in recent...
in 2006. It became independent again in 2008, when Caledonian was bought by Scottish & Newcastle
Scottish & Newcastle
Scottish & Newcastle plc was a "long alcoholic drinks" company with positions in 15 countries, including UK, France and Russia. It was headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. In the last 20 years, S&N expanded significantly from its home base to become an international business with beer...
, and the new owners didn't want to take on Harviestoun.
Harviestoun produce cask ales and filtered bottled beers. The most notable brands are Schiehallion, Bitter & Twisted and Old Engine Oil.