Situated in the heart of Central Scotland, Falkirk Council area occupies a pivotal position between Edinburgh, Glasgow and
Stirling in the valley of the
River Forth. It comprises a flat lowland area that is watered by the
River Carron and traversed by the
Forth and Clyde Canal and
Union Canal, and an upland region to the south through which flows the
River Avon. Its deposits of coal, clay and ironstone have contributed to the economic wealth of the area and the development of the
Falkirk and
Grangemouth conurbations.
Formerly part of
Stirlingshire, Falkirk was one of the three districts of Central Region between 1975 and 1996 after which it became a separate Council area. The industrial development of
Falkirk,
Grangemouth and
Bo'ness largely dates from the founding of the Carron Ironworks in the 1760s and the opening in 1790 of the
Forth and Clyde Canal which promoted trade with Glasgow in the west. For nearly a century
Falkirk was also the venue of one of Scotland's largest cattle markets and a focal point of cattle-droving from the north. Traversed by the
Antonine Wall several of the area's Roman sites have been excavated. At Falkirk
Edward I of England defeated
William Wallace on the 22nd July 1298 and
Prince Charles Edward Stuart defeated Hawley on the 17th January 1746.
The industrial town of
Grangemouth at the head of the
Forth estuary is one of Scotland's leading ports and oil refining centres. Fireclay, stone, and sand and gravel extraction are important in addition to metal, building, chemical, engineering, sawmilling, food processing and textile industries and the manufacture of refrigeration and ventilation equipment, electric appliances and data processing equipment.
(1996) Discovering the River Forth.
(2001) Falkirk and District: An Illustrated Architectural Guide.
(1985) Exploring Scotland's Heritage: The Clyde Estuary and Central Region.
