IN THE SHADOW OF HISTORY
With rich industrial heritage and thriving wildlife, Rory Kennedy uncovers the little-known angling haven that is the Forth Valley’s River Avon
Rich heritage and thriving wildlife are to be found along the Avon, as Rory Kennedy discovers
Of all the modes of exploring this country’s spectacularly beautiful wild places, fishing is one of the finest. Trundling along distant hill lochs or scrambling over slippery rocks is more than worth the effort when you’ve reeled in a small brownie. And while 2020 has brought its significant trials, it has taught us one thing – to appreciate those slices of angling paradise on our doorsteps.
For me, lockdown days were spent in my garden watching the River Avon roll past – a tantalising sight in the valley below. For years I had taken this sparkling stretch of water for granted. With each day of confinement that passed, the pristine ripples called ever louder to me, so as soon as permission was granted from the powers that be, I bought my association permit and started exploring this charming little river.
The West Lothian Avon, pronounced ‘Arvan’ (from the Gaelic ‘abhainn’, meaning ‘river’), is
“For years I had taken this stretch of water for granted
divided into five beats split between the Slamannan Angling and Protective Association, Avon Valley and Linlithgow Angling Club, with two of the beats having access across club memberships. That means that with one very affordable ticket, you gain access to a range of scenery and water types.
The majority of the river’s headwaters are covered by the Slamannan Angling and Protective Association where the stream is reminiscent of an English chalk stream. The water is clear and relatively deep as it gently meanders through deep ditching cut across lush pasture. The water lends itself to the gentle arts of upstream dry or nymphing. If luck is on your side some surprisingly large trout can be lured from their modest-sized abodes, though stealth and precision are very much the watchwords.
The river starts to pick up speed as it moves into the Avon Valley, between the villages of Slamannan and Avonbridge, and enters into an ever
steepening valley. Here the riffles and pools are perfect for those who enjoy the traditional methods of spider and Clyde wet fly patterns, cast down and across. Shortly before entering the Avon Gorge the river runs past the curiosity of Wallace’s Cave, where local legend claims William Wallace spent a forlorn night after his defeat at the Battle of Falkirk. It’s the perfect spot to take refuge from the great Scottish weather and sip from your flask of tea.
The gorge deepens, its stone walls rising, and pots and glides are interspersed with waterfalls. It is a beautiful place to explore with rod in hand. This stretch is bursting with industrial history – West Lothian was a powerhouse for the early industrial revolution and just a stone’s throw away James ‘Paraffin’ Young pioneered the science of oil extraction from shale back in the mid-1800s.
The river races past villages that were once filled with the sound of bustling collieries, quarries and brick works, long since silenced and reclaimed by nature. The only remaining trace of this rich heritage are the great Victorian viaducts that reach across the river.
It is an impressive aqueduct at Muiravonside, carrying the Forth and Clyde Canal over the river, that marks the end of the Avon Valley waters. This stretch carves its way through the steep bluffs of Muiravonside Country Park where pools lie in the dappled shade of overhanging trees, and it is a prime spot to see the electric blue blur of a darting kingfisher.
The river continues through the royal burgh of Linlithgow – a handsome town steeped in history that is best known as the birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots. A lesser known part of its history was the Battle of Linlithgow Bridge, which saw the Avon run red on that fateful day in 1526. Centuries later, the town’s Avon Paper Mill was responsible for spewing out