THERE is little left of Alloa harbour, but it was once a bustling river port with ships trading with Scandinavia and the Low Countries.

The first mention of a port was in 1502 when King James IV paid for a ship full of cargo to go to Alloa Pow, or stream. It was mentioned again in 1558 as a cargo of coal was being transported from Alloa to Inchkeith.

Less than 20 years later, trade in contraband and goods difficult to sell took place at the Pow, but it is not until 1655 that there is a reference to a ‘herberie’ or harbour at Alloa with John Erskine, 2nd Earl of Mar, having been granted privileges of the port more than 30 years before.

In the 18th century, John Erskine, 6th Earl of Mar, was granted permission for Alloa to have a customs house, which was built in 1710, to oversee all the ports in the upper Forth. Until then, it had come under the auspices of Borrowstouness (Bo’ness), and in 1713 a port was established, albeit a member of the port of Bo’ness.

With the revenue gained, the pier was rebuilt, and other works were carried out in 1754 – the same year the Alloa Harbour Trust was incorporated – and in 1756, the quay wall was raised just over 30cm (one foot) above the high tide mark.

Further quays were added in 1757 and 1761, with the latter linking the other two, and in 1790 the dry dock was built, with a wet dock following in 1863.

Renowned local artist David Allan sketched the dry dock in 1791. He was fascinated by it as his father had been appointed harbour master by Thomas Erskine, and the young David had spent much of his childhood watching the activity there.

This was a boom time for Alloa with over 100 ships registered there. These ships traded local coal and salt to Scandinavia and the Low Countries and brought back grain for the local breweries and sand for the Alloa Glass Works. At the Dutch port of Camp Vere, Scottish vessels, including those from Alloa, were not charged at The Scotch Gate, while other shipping still had to pay the fees. It was a sign of respect between these traders.

In 1766 the Alloa wagonway was established between the collieries and the harbour as it was the only way to transport the coal such a distance to the boats. It was single track with several passing loops with the wagons pulled by horses.