Limefield Falls, Polbeth

Image: © Ian Dodds Taken: 31 May 2021

This interesting waterfall is situated on Harwood Water, a tributary of the River Almond, at the far side of the large recreation park in Polbeth. The picture was taken from a viewing platform which was only completed a few months back, along with the fish pass that can be seen on the right of the shot. A number of fish passes (also often called fishways or fish ladders) have been constructed in West Lothian over the last few years. They are put in to allow fish to travel upstream when they wouldn't otherwise be able to because of an obstruction, which is usually a weir, as is the case here. Although not always mentioned they do often assist fish travelling downstream too of course - I don't imagine many fish relish the prospect of dropping eight feet from the edge here! This fish pass has to double back on itself so as not to be impassably steep, but it still looks like quite a challenge to me. Like most things, these fish passes are quite technical affairs when you investigate them in more detail, and there is no doubt a lot going on that is hidden from view - the water flow down the way has to be managed carefully and resting pools are usually needed for the fish along the passes, for instance. The falls, which were once a few feet higher, are man-made, and purely decorative (a lade was added later as a bit of an afterthought, to provide water for a walled garden). They were put in in 1880 by James 'Paraffin' Young as a tribute to the famous missionary and explorer David Livingstone. Young, the pioneer of West Lothian's historically important shale oil industry, lived at the nearby Limefield House and was a friend of Livingstone from the days before they had both made their mark -in fact it could be said that Young actually helped Livingstone make his mark, as he sponsored a number of his African trips. Livingstone is reckoned to have been the first European to view the Victoria Falls, on the Zambezi River, between Zambia and Zimbabwe, and it was he who gave it its name - it obviously has a far more exotic real name in a local language, but for whatever reason Livingstone felt duty bound to honour his queen! Considering the Victoria Falls is 350 feet high there isn't much of a comparison really, but it's a nice spot and a good story!

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