IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Hannah Place, DUMBARTON, G82 4QS

See Image

An optional 'loop' in the walkway beside the River Leven - to the right, it is two and a half miles to Dumbarton and 17 miles to Glasgow (taking the 'loop' would add about an extra mile). On the post to the left is a directional sign for the KiltWalk, see Image

Near Renton - the walkers march northward with only about three miles to go. See Image for links.

Walking 'the wrong way' (from Balloch southward to Dumbarton) I did a lot of clapping and cheering as the brave souls nearing the end of their marathon from Hampden passed me on their way to Balloch. See Image for details (and how to get involved next time!).

This is a view over the same part of the route as shown at Image, but looking in the opposite direction. The present photograph was taken from near the Image at Cordale Point. The houses of the New Cordale estate can be seen ahead, with Image (Image) visible on the hillside in the background.

The cycle route (NCN Route 7) can be seen on the left, between the houses of the Cordale and the River Leven. Projecting into the river here is a stone structure, only uncovered when the water level is fairly low. Locally, such structures were called "skimmers", which well describes their role in diverting water from the river; for another view, showing it more clearly, see Image The one in the present photograph diverted water under the narrow neck of Cordale Point. Cordale Point was formerly occupied by industrial buildings (built for the textiles industry, and later employed as barracks) see Image for further information. The skimmer directed water into a lade (the Cordale lade, known popularly as Ritchie's Lade – see Image), which served the Cordale Print and Dye Works. On the other side of the neck of Cordale Point, two sluices can be seen at the riverside; these were the corresponding outflow points for the lade. [Another skimmer, quite similar to this one, can also be seen, when the water level is low enough, at the intake of the lade at Dalquhurn (see Image and Image).] Just right of centre in the present photograph, there is what looks like an island in the middle of the Leven. This is just the near end of a crescent of land; between it and the other side of the river is Dillichip lade, which was about 300 metres long, and which served the Dillichip Dye Works. Bonded warehouses now stand on the far side of the river; see Image Carman Hill and Overton Muir can be seen in the background, as well as the Image

Quite high water levels.

For the main description, and for a different view of this structure, which is only exposed when the water level is low, see Image It directs water into a lade ("Ritchie's Lade" — see Image) which served the Cordale print works. For the corresponding outlets, see Image The footpath on the right is also part of a cycle route (NCN7).

Just upstream of Renton. The river forms a big loop here with a narrow neck. Using the cycle path you leave the river and within a few metres rejoin it again after cutting the neck of the loop.