A well-known memorial plaque has been rescued and returned to Bridge of Allan.

The plaque – which was gifted to the village by Mr Edmund Pullar of Westerton House in 1919 to commemorate the Cocksburn Reservoir as the main source of water for the local area – has been given to the Dr Welsh Trust, to the delight of the community.

The Bridge of Allan Bathing Society saved the plaque when they found Scottish Water removing it to replace it with fencing. Out on one of their trips, leader Michael Gotz and secretary David Greenlee persuaded the contractors to give it to them.

For nearly 100 years the metal tablet commemorating Edmund Pullar’s generosity has stood on the jetty at the walled end of the reservoir. Believing it was too important an artefact to be binned, the bathing society took the plaque home with them.

This sparked interest in the village; with Facebook postings about its disappearance, questions from the Dr Welsh Trust, and Community Council Chair, Gavin Drummond, contacted Scottish Water in a bid to find the plaque.

Scottish Water has now authorised Michael Gotz to give the tablet to the Dr Welsh Trust to add to its collection of historical memorabilia about Bridge of Allan.

Micahel said: “We are delighted to hand over the tablet to the Dr Welsh Trust in the hope that the memory of Mr Pullar may be kept alive through it.” Claire Gibbons of the Dr Welsh Trust thanked members of the bathing society for rescuing the tablet for the community. She said if any residents know of any papers or objects of historical interest to the village, the Dr Welsh Trust would be delighted to preserve them for future generations. They can be contacted through the library staff.