Alloa
Alloa
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 Alloa from Clackmannan Tower with the Ochil Hills and Wallace Monument in the distance |
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 Alloa
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| Alloa shown within Clackmannanshire | |
| Area | 3.52 sq mi (9.1 km2) |
| Population | 18,989 (2001 census) |
| • Density | 5,395/sq mi (2,083/km2) |
| OS grid reference | NS900920 |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ALLOA |
| Postcode district | FK10 |
| Dialling code | 01259 |
| Police | Scottish |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
Alloa (/ˈæloʊə/; Scottish Gaelic: Alamhagh, possibly meaning "rock plain") is a town in Clackmannanshire in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, on the north bank of the Firth of Forth close to the foot of the Ochil Hills 5.5 miles (8.9 km) east of Stirling and 7.9 miles (12.7 km) north of Falkirk.
The town, formerly a burgh of barony, is the administrative centre of Clackmannanshire council. The economy relied heavily on trade through its port with mainland Europe, but competition from modern ports saw it close in 1970. The economy is now centred on retail and leisure after the closure of major industries; only one brewer and one glassmaker survive today. Alloa had a population of 18,989 at the 2001 census.
Sir Robert Erskine was granted the lands of Alloa and its environs in 1368 for services to King David II and he and his descendants were good stewards, developing the estates and innovating.
The Earl of Mar owned many of the coal mines, and Robert Bald, a local mining engineer, was contracted to provide water power from the Gartmorn Dam to operate the mines and other industries. Good water supplies and the availability of barley from the carselands encouraged George Younger to set up a brewery in the 1760s and he was soon followed by others. Alloa became one of Scotland's premier brewing centres.
Unfortunately, the 6th Earl of Mar, who oversaw many far-reaching developments including substantial harbour improvements, a customs house and the building of the Gartmorn Dam, was forced to flee the country and forfeit his lands after disastrously backing the Jacobite cause in 1715. However, his brother was allowed to purchase the forfeited lands and future generations continued the tradition of creative industry by launching a glass-works in 1750 and laying one of Scotland's earliest railways (a waggonway) from the Sauchie mines to down to the harbour in around 1766.
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Wikipedia