Swing bridge with footbridge to the right (c) Historic Environment Scotland (Sir William Arrol Collection)

The old swing bridge on the canal used to link two parts of Alfred Nobel's chemical factory. There was an explosives factory right here on the banks of the canal. In 1876 Nobel began to manufacture detonators at the Westquarter Factory with only six workers. By WWII the factory employed 1700 people , over 3 shifts and produced 73 million detonators!

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