Record turn out for annual Alva Glen Illuminations

The yearly event was held on Saturday evening, with the Clacks beauty spot lit up by hundreds of differently coloured spotlights.

More than 4000 visitors were treated to performances by bands as they went in and around the Glen and also as they left to soothe them after their trip.

Bryan Denny, who helped organise and set up the illuminations, told the Advertiser another wonderful event had come and gone.

He said: “We put out a lot more kit than last time and it was really good when everything came together.

“We had two bands – one up the back playing traditional Scottish music – and then one on the way out playing softer music.

“We had more than 4000 people this year, which is an upgrade from the 2,500 from the years before.

“The weather through the week and on the Saturday evening helped us massively.”

A special treat for this year was the appearance of Alvor, a wooden carving of a neolithic man, whose skeleton was found in the glen in 1913.

Alvor had been reported missing earlier in the year, but was thankfully found near the Alva Burn last month.

Also in attendance this year was members of a charity called Promoting a More Inclusive Society (PAMIS), who helps provide support to people with profound learning difficulties.

A route was worked out between Bryan and PAMIS to allow for those in wheelchairs to access high points in the Glen, ensuring they didn’t miss out on the illuminations.

“It was good to see Alvor,” Bryan went on. “We had a carving of him on either side of the burn and we had people from PAMIS visiting the illuminations.

“They could get up on the route to the waterfall to see everything and they had a really great time.

“They could see Alvor up on the lade and he had a spotlight on him. We’ve not left him up there but we’ll look to bring him out for special occasions.

“We banked just more than £6000 which we’ll be able to use to keep the Glen in the shape that it’s in.”