This is the lade just downstream from the angling club. “Lade” is a Scottish word meaning a man made channel used to divert water to drive a mill wheel or for some other purpose. The lades on the river Leven were mostly used to provide fresh water to the print and dye works along the river.
This one carried water into the UTR. It was still in use by the Antartex Sheepskin factory in the 1970s. I remember working there as an apprentice electrician in the 60s. We drew water from the lade, via a pump system, to a high holding tank. This water was used in the sheepskin tanning process.
The Stuckie bridge carried a branch line from Balloch Station to Stirling and I believe that the riverside steps were for the ferry which carried people across the river from Jamestown.
A shout out to Kevin Osborne of the The Leven Line, who cleared this area – and many others along the river bank.