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December 19, 2018 by Alexander Meldrum
Scotlands Citys & Towns
Alloa
Alloa (/ˈæloʊə/; Scottish Gaelic: Alamhagh, possibly meaning "rock plain") is a town in Clackmannanshire in the Central Lowlands of Scotland.
It is on the north b...Scotlands Citys & Towns
Alloa
Alloa (/ˈæloʊə/; Scottish Gaelic: Alamhagh, possibly meaning "rock plain") is a town in Clackmannanshire in the Central Lowlands of Scotland.
It is on the north bank of the Forth at the spot where some say it ceases to be the River Forth and becomes the Firth of Forth.
Geographically, Alloa is south of the Ochil Hills, 5.5 miles (8.9 km) east of Stirling and 7.9 miles (12.7 km) north of Falkirk; by water Alloa is 25 miles (40 km) from Granton.
The town, formerly a burgh of barony, is the administrative centre of Clackmannanshire Council. Historically, the economy relied heavily on trade between Glasgow and mainland Europe through its port.
This became increasingly uncompetitive and the port stopped operating in 1970.
Any future marina project is likely to focus on tourism with Stirling or Granton rather than importing or exporting goods since downstream ports like Grangemouth can accommodate larger vessels.
The local economy is now centred on retail and leisure since the closure of major industries; only one brewer and one glassmaker survive today. Parochially, Alloa was linked with Tullibody.
The towns are now distinct, albeit with Lornshill in the middle, and Alloa is about twice the size of its north-western neighbour. The population of Alloa was estimated to be approximately 20,730 residents in 2016.
History
Alloa grew up under the protection of Alloa Tower which may have been built before 1300 AD. The name of the town has had different spelling at different periods.
In the charter granted by King Robert the Bruce in the year 1315, to Thomas de Erskyne, it is called Alway; in some subsequent ones, Aulway, Auleway; and more recently Alloway.
Dr Jamieson stated that the most probable etymology of the name was from Aull Waeg - the way to the sea.
14th century
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.
17th century
One of the earliest maps of the area was made by surveyor and cartographer John Adair in 1681.
18th century
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.
Before 1775, the colliers were attached to the properties in which they were born and were virtual serfs or slaves, supported by the master.
After an Act of Parliament which abolished the system, the colliers could move between collieries at will, and they were supported in their needs by the Alloa Colliers' Fund or Friendly Society which was founded in 1775.
Traces of the waggonway and the Gartmorn Dam can still be seen today, and although the dam is no longer used for energy production or water supply, it is well used for fishing and leisure purposes.
The Clackmannashire Library was founded at Alloa in 1797 and it contained upwards of 1500 volumes. As the 18th century closed a whisky distillery was established at Carsebridge by John Bald.
In the 18th century the staple business of the port was coal with about 50,000 tons a year exported.
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