Alva Glen Heritage Trust

21/09/2026

Saturday 19th September saw the Glen lit up and bursting with visitors. Around 4,000 people enjoyed the lights and music, stopping off for a snack or a coffee at one of the stalls in the car park. Cakes Entertainment put on a fabulous show for the younger people with giant bubbles and a stilt-walking fairy.

On behalf of the Trust I will say a huge thank you to everyone who turned up over the three days to put lights up, guide visitors and take lights down. What a team!

Special mention to the teachers and pupils of Alva Primary School who painted pebbles, glass jars and CDs to help decorate the Glen for the evening. Ochils Mountain Rescue Team turned up to help marshal, which they did with unfailing enthusiasm and good humour. Neil Gault of Gault Electrical Solutions Ltd did a fantastic job of preparing the electrics for the event and volunteering his time on the Saturday to make sure everything worked as it should.

A big thank you to Alva Community Council, Foundation Scotland and EDF for help with the set-up costs.

Finally thank-you to everyone who came and created such a fantastic atmosphere.

We look forward to September 2028 when we will do it all over again!

14/09/2026

EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT ALVA GLEN ILLUMINATIONS BUT WERE TOO SHY/BUSY TO ASK!

DATE: Saturday 19th September 2026

TIMING: the event starts at 7pm and goes on til 9pm

PARKING: there is NO PARKING IN THE GLEN ITSELF either for the event or during the day. (Golfers only can use the golfers car park)

And some roads nearby have temporary parking restrictions in place. We recommend parking as follows:

• Public car park near Cochrane Hall FK12 5LJ
• Alva Primary School FK12 5AW
• Alva Parklands Car Park FK12 5BG
• Norton St Car Park FK12 5HQ
• Johnston Park (top of Copland Place) FK12 5LF

But please no parking around Cochrane Hall itself, and please leave access roads clear for the cottage there and for emergency vehicles!

(There is a drop off area for people with limited mobility at the entrance to the glen and a marshal will direct you to this if needed.)

CASH: entry is FREE but please donate if you can in cash. Cashpoint is at the Co-op on the main street.

Or you can donate by texting “Alva” followed by the amount you want to donate to 70450 (for example Text ALVA5 to 70450 to donate £5). Texts will cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate message.

REFRESHMENTS: vendors will be on site

TOILETS: there are some toilets available at the golf club club-house but sadly they are NOT accessible for people with limited mobility due to steps. Please ask a marshal for directions. Donations for this are welcome (toilet donations go to the golf club funds).

Please be kind to our local businesses by NOT simply using their loos without buying anything! THANKYOU.

TERRAIN: the route has slopes, several sets of steps, some of them quite lengthy, and is uneven underfoot.

DOGS: are welcome but please keep them on leads at all times as it can get very busy.

SMOKING: Scottish Fire and Rescue have made it a condition of their license that we ask for NO SMOKING OR VA**NG IN THE GLEN PLEASE

Alva Development Trust

05/09/2026

Last work day before the Illuminations! Tomorrow10am in the car park in the Glen! (See comments)

21/08/2026

Our friends Tillicoultry Wildlife Group are running several fun wildlife events this weekend as part of FEL Scotland's Forth Valley Biodiversity Festival! The bat walk is fully booked but there are still spaces to join the minibeast hunt, nature photography workshop and wildflower walk 😀

We're looking forward to joining in tomorrow with the minibeast hunt - the forecast is looking good, why not pop along and see what we can find! 🐝🐞🦋🌼

Not long until Tilly Wildlife Weekend - come along and join in🦋🐞🐝🕷️🐜🦔🦡🦇

11/08/2026

The excitement is building! Not long to go now. Putting this event on is loads of fun but we can't do it without volunteers.

Many hands make LIGHTS work! Please get in touch if you'd like to help.

How do you fancy being part of a really exciting weekend? The much-loved Alva Glen Illuminations are coming on 19th September, and YOU could be part of the buzz! We need people to:

* marshal people walking through the Glen on the night (you'll have the chance to hear the bands, get some food from a vendor and see all the lights!)
* help us string the lights up in the trees on the day itself and the day before
* selling merchandise on a stall (lights, bands and food as above!)
* fetching and carrying and general setting up
* taking it all down afterwards Saturday night and on Sunday.

We will be putting training and orientation sessions on in the run-up to the weekend.

Just reply to this if you're interested (or email [email protected]) and we will be in touch.

05/08/2026

We had a great time on Sunday taking part in FEL Scotland's first ever Forth Valley Biodiversity Festival 😃 We looked for some of the amazing wildlife that's usually hidden from view - nocturnal moths and tiny river critters! Thanks to everyone who stopped by to marvel at these amazing wee creatures 😍

We check our moth traps on the first Sunday of the month, before our monthly volunteer sessions, at 9:30am, so why not pop by next time to find out more about Alva Glen's marvellous moths?

02/08/2026

02/08/2026

What an extremely productive morning in Alva Glen!

This month we had some extra jobs to do in preparation for THE ILLUMINATIONS on 19th September: we painted the steps so that you will be safer on the night, and made a heroic start on moving that gravel sitting around by the first bridge. More to be done very soon.

You really appreciate how hilly the Glen is when you are carting stuff in wheelbarrows up and down slopes over and over....

It's definitely the time of year when it can feel like a scene from "The Day of the Triffids", with giant weeds and huge straggly overgrown edges about to take over the world! But we made great inroads into the jungle, while also managing lots of chatting and laughing.

One volunteer carried out a survey on behalf of Edinburgh University and found the Glen today in the space of one hour had visitors from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Rosyth and Coatbridge, as well as Clackmannanshire locals. It's a popular spot.......

Afterwards, we tucked into cake and home-made cookies and flapjack and quenched our thirst with tea. Well done all!

Next work day 6th September. Meet 0930 up at the picnic benches if you want to see moths. Otherwise, 10am by the container in the car park.

31/07/2026

Marvellous moths & cool river critters!

Don't forget to pop by the Glen car park this Sunday the 2nd between 9:30 & 10:30am for our event as part of FEL Scotland's Forth Valley Biodiversity Festival!

This is your chance to see some of the hidden creatures of Alva Glen up close, including amazing nocturnal moths and incredible wee river critters!

This is a free drop-in event - pop by to say hello! If you're feeling inspired to help take care of our beautiful Glen, why not stick around to help out at our monthly volunteer session? We'll be tackling actions including path clearance, painting and litter picking - tools and gardening gloves provided, and we always have cake! 😃

https://fb.me/e/deUsHIhCO

04/05/2026

Alva Glen was looking beautiful and green for our monthly volunteer session yesterday! 🌿

After checking our moth trap and recording species including early thorn and least black arches, we got to work on our tasks. Our volunteers had a busy morning building some new steps to improve the zigzag path, litter picking, and weeding & planting up the car park and lade gardens. All that hard work was rewarded with some delicious cake 🧁

Anyone is welcome to join us on the first Sunday of the month to help care for the Glen 😊