Falkirk ( gd, An Eaglais Bhreac, sco, Fawkirk) is a large town in the
Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of
Stirlingshire. It lies in the
Forth Valley
The River Forth is a major river in central Scotland, long, which drains into the North Sea on the east coast of the country. Its drainage basin covers much of Stirlingshire in Scotland's Central Belt. The Gaelic name for the upper reach of t ...
, northwest of
Edinburgh and northeast of
Glasgow.
Falkirk had a resident population of 32,422 at the
2001 UK Census
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194.
The 2001 UK census was organised by the Office for National ...
. The population of the town had risen to 34,570 according to a 2008 estimate, making it the
20th most populous settlement in Scotland. Falkirk is the main town and administrative centre of the
Falkirk council area, which has an overall population of 156,800 and inholds the nearby towns of
Grangemouth
Grangemouth ( sco, Grangemooth; gd, Inbhir Ghrainnse, ) is a town in the Falkirk council area, Scotland. Historically part of the county of Stirlingshire, the town lies in the Forth Valley, on the banks of the Firth of Forth, east of Falkirk ...
,
Bo'ness,
Denny,
Camelon
Camelon (; sco, Caimlan, gd, Camlann)
is a large set ...
,
Larbert and
Stenhousemuir
Stenhousemuir (; gd, Featha Thaigh nan Clach) is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies within the Falkirk (council area), Falkirk council area of Scotland. The town is north-northwest of Falkirk and directly adjoins to Larbert in ...
, and the cluster of
Braes villages.
The town is at the junction of the
Forth and Clyde and
Union Canals, a location which proved key to its growth as a centre of
heavy industry during the
Industrial Revolution. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Falkirk was at the centre of the
iron and
steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
industry, underpinned by the
Carron Company in nearby
Carron. The company was responsible for making
carronades
A carronade is a short, smoothbore, cast-iron cannon which was used by the Royal Navy. It was first produced by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, and was used from the mid-18th century to the mid-19th century. Its main fun ...
for the Royal Navy and later manufactured
pillar boxes and phone boxes. Within the last fifty years, heavy industry has waned, and the economy relies increasingly on retail and tourism. Despite this, Falkirk remains the home of many international companies like
Alexander Dennis, the largest bus production company in the United Kingdom.
Falkirk has a long association with the publishing industry. The company now known as
Johnston Press
Johnston Press plc was a multimedia company founded in Falkirk, Scotland, in 1767. Its flagship titles included UK-national newspaper the '' i'', ''The Scotsman'', the ''Yorkshire Post'', the ''Falkirk Herald'', and Belfast's ''The News Letter'' ...
was established in the town in 1846. The company, now based in Edinburgh, produces the ''
Falkirk Herald
''The Falkirk Herald'' is a weekly newspaper and daily news website published by National World. It provides reportage, opinion and analysis of news, current affairs and sport in the towns of Falkirk, Grangemouth, Larbert, Stenhousemuir and ...
'', the largest selling weekly newspaper in Scotland.
Attractions in and around Falkirk include the
Falkirk Wheel,
The Helix,
The Kelpies
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
,
Callendar House and Park and remnants of the
Antonine Wall
The Antonine Wall, known to the Romans as ''Vallum Antonini'', was a turf fortification on stone foundations, built by the Romans across what is now the Central Belt of Scotland, between the Firth of Clyde and the Firth of Forth. Built some twe ...
. In a 2011 poll conducted by
STV, it was voted as Scotland's most beautiful town, ahead of
Perth and
Stirling in second and third place respectively.
History

''An Eaglais Bhreac'' is a derivative formed from the
Scottish Gaelic cognate
In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words in different languages that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymology, etymological ancestor in a proto-language, common parent language. Because language c ...
of the first recorded name ''Ecclesbrith'' from the
Brittonic for "speckled church",
presumably referring to a church building built of many-coloured stones. The Scottish Gaelic name was
calqued into
Scots as ''Fawkirk'' (literally "variegated church"), then later amended to the modern English name of ''Falkirk''. The
Latin name ''Varia Capella'' also has the same meaning.
[placesnamesF-J, Iain Mac an Tàilleir ](_blank)
www.scottish.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2008-07-12 Falkirk Old Parish Church stands on the site of the medieval church, which may have been founded as early as the 7th century.
The
Antonine Wall
The Antonine Wall, known to the Romans as ''Vallum Antonini'', was a turf fortification on stone foundations, built by the Romans across what is now the Central Belt of Scotland, between the Firth of Clyde and the Firth of Forth. Built some twe ...
, which stretches across the centre of Scotland, passed through the town and remnants of it can be seen at Callendar Park. Similar to
Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall ( la, Vallum Aelium), also known as the Roman Wall, Picts' Wall, or ''Vallum Hadriani'' in Latin, is a former defensive fortification of the Roman province of Britannia, begun in AD 122 in the reign of the Emperor Hadrian. R ...
but built of turf rather than stone so less of it has survived, it marked the northern
frontier
A frontier is the political and geographical area near or beyond a boundary. A frontier can also be referred to as a "front". The term came from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"—the region of a country that fronts o ...
of the
Roman Empire between the
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth () is the estuary, or firth, of several Scottish rivers including the River Forth. It meets the North Sea with Fife on the north coast and Lothian on the south.
Name
''Firth'' is a cognate of ''fjord'', a Norse word meani ...
and
Firth of Clyde during the
AD 140s.
[Frontiers of the Roman Empire - History](_blank)
www.antoninewall.org. Retrieved 2011-04-29 Much of the best evidence of
Roman occupation in Scotland has been found in Falkirk, including a large hoard of
Roman coins and a cloth of
tartan, thought to be the oldest ever recorded.
[THE ROMAN COIN HOARD AND THE FALKIRK TARTAN](_blank)
www.falkirklocalhistorysociety.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-04-29 A
Roman fort
In the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, the Latin word ''castrum'', plural ''castra'', was a military-related term.
In Latin usage, the singular form ''castrum'' meant 'fort', while the plural form ''castra'' meant 'camp'. The singular and ...
was confirmed to be found by Geoff Bailey in the Pleasance area of Falkirk in 1991. A Roman themed park at
Callendar House was awarded lottery funding to help raise awareness of the wall.
In the 18th century the area was the cradle of Scotland's
Industrial Revolution, becoming the earliest major centre of the
iron-casting industry.
James Watt
James Watt (; 30 January 1736 (19 January 1736 OS) – 25 August 1819) was a Scottish inventor, mechanical engineer, and chemist who improved on Thomas Newcomen's 1712 Newcomen steam engine with his Watt steam engine in 1776, which was fun ...
cast some of the beams for his early
steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be trans ...
designs at the
Carron Iron Works
The Carron Company was an ironworks established in 1759 on the banks of the River Carron near Falkirk, in Stirlingshire, Scotland. After initial problems, the company was at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution in the United Kingdom. Th ...
in 1765. The area was at the forefront of
canal construction when the
Forth and Clyde Canal opened in 1790.
[Forth and Clyde Canal](_blank)
www.forthandclyde.org.uk. Retrieved 2011-04-29 The
Union Canal
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
(1822) provided a link to
Edinburgh and early railway development followed in the 1830s and 1840s.
[History of the Union Canal](_blank)
www.scottishcanals.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-04-29 The canals brought economic wealth to Falkirk and led to the town's growth. Through time, trunk roads and motorways followed the same canal corridors through the Falkirk area, linking the town with the rest of Scotland. Many companies set up work in Falkirk due to its expansion. A large brickworks was set up at this time, owned by the
Howie family. During the 19th century, Falkirk became the first town in Great Britain to have a fully automated system of street lighting, designed and implemented by a local firm, Thomas Laurie & Co Ltd.
[1.2.5 Civic Administration](_blank)
www.falkirk.gov.uk. Retrieved 2011-04-29
Battles of Falkirk
Two important battles have taken place at Falkirk:
*The
Battle of Falkirk
The Battle of Falkirk (''Blàr na h-Eaglaise Brice'' in Gaelic), on 22 July 1298, was one of the major battles in the First War of Scottish Independence. Led by King Edward I of England, the English army defeated the Scots, led by William Wal ...
fought on 22 July 1298, saw the defeat of
William Wallace by King
Edward I of England.
*The
Battle of Falkirk Muir took place on 17 January 1746, the Jacobites under
Charles Edward Stuart
Charles Edward Louis John Sylvester Maria Casimir Stuart (20 December 1720 – 30 January 1788) was the elder son of James Francis Edward Stuart, grandson of James II and VII, and the Stuart claimant to the thrones of England, Scotland and ...
defeated a government army commanded by Lieutenant General
Henry Hawley
Henry Hawley (12 January 1685 – 24 March 1759) was a British army officer who served in the wars of the first half of the 18th century. He fought in a number of significant battles, including the Capture of Vigo in 1719, Dettingen, Fo ...
.
Government and politics

In terms of local government the town sits at the heart of Falkirk Council area, one of the
32 unitary authorities of Scotland formed by the
Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994. The headquarters of the council are located in the Municipal Buildings, adjacent to FTH Theatre, on West Bridge Street in the centre of town.
The Council was the first
local government in Scotland to be governed by the
Labour Party, in 1921. It has been led by a
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from ...
minority since 2017.
The current Leader of the Council is
Cllr Cecil Meiklejohn.
The FTH Theatre (the "Falkirk Town Hall Theatre") in West Bridge Street was commissioned to replace the old town hall in Newmarket Street which was demolished in 1968.
Falkirk is located within the
Scottish parliamentary constituency of
Falkirk West which elects one
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP; gd, Ball Pàrlamaid na h-Alba, BPA; sco, Memmer o the Scots Pairliament, MSP) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.
Electoral system
The ad ...
(MSP) under the
first past the post system.
The current MSP is
Michael Matheson, who won the seat at the
2007 Scottish Parliament General Election. The previous MSP,
Dennis Canavan, who sat as an
Independent, was elected with the largest majority in the Scottish parliament representing Falkirk's electorate's displeasure with
New Labour, but stepped down in 2007 for family reasons.
Canavan, who announced in an open letter to his constituents in January 2007, that he was stepping down from representative politics at the
Scottish Parliament election, 2007
The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999. Local elections in Scotland ...
had been an MSP or MP for the area for over 30 years.
The constituency of Falkirk West also sits in the
Central Scotland Scottish Parliament electoral region which returns seven MSPs under the
additional member system used to elect Members of the Scottish Parliament.
In the
Parliament of the United Kingdom, the town is entirely contained within the UK parliamentary constituency of
Falkirk
Falkirk ( gd, An Eaglais Bhreac, sco, Fawkirk) is a large town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow.
Falkirk had a ...
which elects one member to the
House of Commons under the
plurality
Plurality may refer to:
Voting
* Plurality (voting), or relative majority, when a given candidate receives more votes than any other but still fewer than half of the total
** Plurality voting, system in which each voter votes for one candidate and ...
system.
The constituency also takes in surrounding villages and is currently represented by
John McNally of the
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from ...
.
Traditionally, Falkirk had been seen as a stronghold for the Labour Party.
Prior to
Brexit in 2020 it was part of the pan-Scotland
European Parliament constituency which elected six
Members of the European Parliament (MEP)s using the
d'Hondt method of
party-list proportional representation.
Geography

Falkirk is located in an area of undulating topography between the
Slamannan Plateau and the upper reaches of the
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth () is the estuary, or firth, of several Scottish rivers including the River Forth. It meets the North Sea with Fife on the north coast and Lothian on the south.
Name
''Firth'' is a cognate of ''fjord'', a Norse word meani ...
. The area to the north of Falkirk is part of the floodplain of the
River Carron. Two tributaries of the River Carron - the ''East Burn'' and the ''West Burn'' flow through the town and form part of its natural drainage system.
[Milne et al. (1975) p1] Falkirk sits at between 50 metres (164 ft) and 125 metres (410 ft)
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''.
The comb ...
.
[Milne et al. (1975) p2]
The underlying geology of the town of Falkirk is characterised by glacial deposits. Elevations above are covered by a mixture of glacial till and
boulder clay with low-lying areas covered by
sandy soils and
loam
Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–sil ...
s.
As Falkirk is not far from the coast, post-glacial features akin to
raised beaches are particularly predominant to the north of the town centre, and this gives rise to differing elevations within the town.
Unsorted glacial till gives rise to such features of glacial deposition as
eskers, and
drumlins which are predominant over much of the area. Such elements provide natural transport routes and it is this complex underlying geology that the town is built upon.
Climate
Like much of the rest of Scotland, Falkirk has a
temperate maritime climate, which is relatively mild despite its northerly
latitude. Winters are especially mild given that
Moscow and
Labrador lie on the same latitude, with daytime temperatures rarely falling below . Summer temperatures are comparatively cool, with daily upper maxima rarely exceeding . The proximity of the town to the sea mitigates any large variations in temperature or extremes of climate. The prevailing wind direction is from the south-west, which is associated with warm, unstable air from the
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension the North Atlantic Current, North Atlantic Drift, is a warm and swift Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows through the Straits of Florida a ...
that gives rise to rainfall. Winds from an easterly direction are usually drier but colder. Rainfall is distributed fairly evenly throughout the year. Vigorous Atlantic depressions - sometimes called
European windstorms can affect the town between October and March. The highest recorded temperature was 31.5C in August 2010.
Demography
The
United Kingdom Census 2001 identified the town as having a total resident population of 32,422.
[No 3 - 2001 Census Population of settlements and wards](_blank)
www.falkirk.gov.uk. Retrieved 2011-04-29 The population was estimated at 34,570 in 2008
which makes the town the 20th most populous settlement in Scotland. The
wider Falkirk area which includes
Grangemouth
Grangemouth ( sco, Grangemooth; gd, Inbhir Ghrainnse, ) is a town in the Falkirk council area, Scotland. Historically part of the county of Stirlingshire, the town lies in the Forth Valley, on the banks of the Firth of Forth, east of Falkirk ...
,
Larbert and
Stenhousemuir
Stenhousemuir (; gd, Featha Thaigh nan Clach) is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies within the Falkirk (council area), Falkirk council area of Scotland. The town is north-northwest of Falkirk and directly adjoins to Larbert in ...
has an overall population of 98,940 making this the 5th largest urban area after
Glasgow,
Edinburgh,
Aberdeen and
Dundee
Dundee (; sco, Dundee; gd, Dùn Dè or ) is Scotland's fourth-largest city and the 51st-most-populous built-up area in the United Kingdom. The mid-year population estimate for 2016 was , giving Dundee a population density of 2,478/km2 or ...
.
The population of the town and surrounding area is forecast to grow over the next ten years, primarily due to net in migration from other parts of Scotland and the UK.
Unemployment in the Falkirk area is low at 2.5%, below the Scottish average, but average household income and gross weekly pay are below the comparative Scottish and UK averages.
Economy
Today, the economy of Falkirk is focused on retail and services, in contrast to the heavy industries and manufacturing sectors which contributed to the growth of the town over the last 300 years. Falkirk is a large retail centre catering to the town itself and a wide surrounding area, stretching from
Cumbernauld in the west to
Bo'ness in the east.
[Smith, R (2001) p345] The flagship retailer
Marks and Spencer
Marks and Spencer Group plc (commonly abbreviated to M&S and colloquially known as Marks's or Marks & Sparks) is a major British multinational retailer with headquarters in Paddington, London that specialises in selling clothing, beauty, home ...
opened a store in Falkirk in 1936.
The High Street was pedestrianised in the late 1980s, and the Howgate Shopping Centre opened in
April 1990. A number of supermarkets including
Tesco,
Asda,
Morrisons and
Scottish Co-op have developed on peripheral sites surrounding the town centre in recent years.
[Smith, R (2001) p346]
The public sector and public services also have a foothold in the Falkirk area. Falkirk Council is one of the largest employers in this sphere, with a workforce of over 7,000, many based at the council headquarters in the town centre.
One of the principal offices of the UK
Child Support Agency
The Child Support Agency (CSA) was a delivery arm of the Department for Work and Pensions (Child Maintenance Group) in Great Britain and the former Department for Social Development in Northern Ireland. Launched on 5 April 1993, the CSA was to ...
, covering Scotland and the north east of England, is located in the Callendar Business Park on the outskirts of Falkirk.
Similarly the
National Health Service (NHS) and
Department for Work and Pensions have a presence in the town and employ local residents.
Many Falkirk residents are also employed within the
petrochemicals
Petrochemicals (sometimes abbreviated as petchems) are the chemical products obtained from petroleum by refining. Some chemical compounds made from petroleum are also obtained from other fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, or renewable sou ...
sector based in neighbouring
Grangemouth
Grangemouth ( sco, Grangemooth; gd, Inbhir Ghrainnse, ) is a town in the Falkirk council area, Scotland. Historically part of the county of Stirlingshire, the town lies in the Forth Valley, on the banks of the Firth of Forth, east of Falkirk ...
where there is an
agglomeration
Agglomeration may refer to:
* Urban agglomeration, in standard English
* Megalopolis, in Chinese English, as defined in China's ''Standard for basic terminology of urban planning'' (GB/T 50280—98). Also known as "city cluster".
* Economies of agg ...
of such industries underpinned by the
Ineos (formerly
BP) oil refinery located there.
Alexander Dennis, one of the world's largest bus manufacturers, is headquartered in Falkirk with the operations plant located nearby.
Infrastructure
Health
Falkirk is administered by
NHS Forth Valley, this includes the unitary authorities of
Falkirk
Falkirk ( gd, An Eaglais Bhreac, sco, Fawkirk) is a large town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow.
Falkirk had a ...
,
Stirling and
Clackmannanshire. Following the opening of the new
Forth Valley Royal Hospital
Forth Valley Royal Hospital is a hospital located in Larbert, Scotland. With 860 inpatient beds, 25 wards, and 16 operating theatres, it was Scotland's largest ever NHS construction project at the time but has been surpassed by th ...
, the Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary was renamed
Falkirk Community Hospital
Falkirk Community Hospital is a community hospital in Falkirk, Scotland. It is managed by NHS Forth Valley.
History
The hospital has its origins in a cottage hospital completed in 1882. A new hospital designed by William John Smith Gibson was bui ...
[Healthcare Strategy - Falkirk Community Hospital](_blank)
www.nhsforthvalley.com. Retrieved 2011-04-30 with many of the main services, including the
accident and emergency
An emergency department (ED), also known as an accident and emergency department (A&E), emergency room (ER), emergency ward (EW) or casualty department, is a medical treatment facility specializing in emergency medicine, the Acute (medicine), ...
unit being transferred.
Falkirk Community Hospital will still provide many services like
podiatry and
palliative care.
The Community Hospital continues to have a Minor Injury Unit, to treat emergency cases of a non life-threatening nature.
In-patient and community services at Bonnybridge Hospital will re-locate to Falkirk Community Hospital in 2012,
once new modern, en-suite accommodation has been developed.
A new purpose built dental centre, Langlees Dental Centre, provides a "teach and treat" dental centre in the Langlees area of Falkirk opened in August 2009.
It has seven dental surgeries and is involved in training final year students at Glasgow Dental School.
Transport
Roads
The
Falkirk Area occupies a central position in Scotland, with direct access from the key north-south and east-west motorway networks: the
M9 from the north and east and the
M876 from the west. Falkirk has main rail and canal routes within easy reach from
Edinburgh and
Glasgow; it is central to access to both
Glasgow and
Edinburgh airports. Falkirk is well situated both for access by rail from England and for access to other parts of Scotland excluding
Fife
Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...
, which has no direct rail link to Falkirk other than morning and evening commuter services from Kirkcaldy to Glasgow. Road access is to Fife provided by the
Kincardine Bridge,
Clackmannanshire Bridge and the
Forth Road Bridge, via the M9.
Railway

Falkirk has two railway stations:
Falkirk High
, symbol_location = gb
, symbol = rail
, image = 2017 at Falkirk High - platform 1.JPG
, borough = Falkirk, Falkirk
, country = Scotland
, coordinates =
, grid_name = Grid reference
, grid_position =
, manager = ScotRail
, platforms ...
and
Falkirk Grahamston
, symbol_location = gb
, symbol = rail
, image = Falkirk Grahamston railway station, Stirlingshire (geograph 5979986).jpg
, caption = Falkirk Grahamston station in 2018, following electrification
, ...
.
Falkirk High is on the main
Glasgow-Edinburgh line, with connections to either city running on a 15-minute frequency. At peak times, 8 trains per hour stop: 4 for
Glasgow Queen Street via
Croy and 4 for
Edinburgh Waverley, via
Polmont and
Linlithgow. Journey times to Edinburgh vary from 24 minutes to 35 minutes, depending on stopping stations and time of day; the journey time is between 18 and 28 minutes to Glasgow.
Falkirk Grahamston lies on the
Edinburgh to Dunblane Line
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
. To
Edinburgh Waverley, there are 4 trains per hour, with journey times varying from 25 minutes to 34 minutes; faster trains stop at Edinburgh Park and Haymarket, slower trains additionally stop at
Polmont and
Linlithgow. To
Glasgow Queen Street, there are 2 trains per hour via the
Cumbernauld Line with journey times from 39 minutes to 43 minutes, plus an evening express service (the 17.33 from Glasgow to Markinch) taking 26 minutes. There is also a daily direct service to/from London (
King's Cross) provided by
London North Eastern Railway
London North Eastern Railway (LNER) is a British train operating company. It is owned by the DfT OLR Holdings for the Department for Transport (DfT). The company's name echoes that of the London and North Eastern Railway, one of the Big Four ...
and the ''
Caledonian Sleeper'' to
London Euston in the southbound direction only also calls here. The main station building was opened in 1985 and serves over 950,000 passenger journeys each year.
Buses
Falkirk bus station
Falkirk bus station is a disused bus station situated in Falkirk, Scotland. It is privately owned. History
The station was built in the 1930s for W. Alexander & Sons services.
In June 2018, First Scotland East, the sole operator at the statio ...
lies in the town centre and has bus routes providing links to the cities of Stirling, Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as local routes.
Education

Falkirk is home to one of the four campuses of
Forth Valley College which was formed on 1 August 2005 from the merger of Falkirk,
Stirling and
Clackmannan colleges. The Falkirk Campus is by far the largest of the four campuses.
Secondary schools
Falkirk District is served by eight high schools which have all been recently rebuilt.
Culture

Falkirk hosted a national arts festival which ran in Callendar Park from 2000–2009 called
Big In Falkirk
Big in Falkirk was a festival of the arts held in Falkirk, Scotland, from 2000 to 2009.
Since its inception in 2000, the award-winning (Scottish Thistle Award Events & Festivals 2005) free weekend event was one of the largest cultural events in ...
. After its inception in 2000, the festival won Scottish Thistle Award for Events & Festivals in 2005. Consisting of a free weekend of events, the festival was one of the largest cultural events in Scotland, attracting over 100,000 people. Hosted in Falkirk’s historical Callendar Park, the venue covers with
Callendar House as the focal point, the entertainment featured a wide variety of
outdoor theatre
An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...
,
pyrotechnic displays,
arts, comedy and big name music acts, alongside activities for all ages.
Falkirk hosted the
Royal National Mòd
The Royal National Mòd ( gd, Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail) is an Eisteddfod-inspired international Celtic festival focusing upon Scottish Gaelic literature, traditional music, and culture which is held annually in Scotland. It is the largest ...
in 2008.
[List of Mod's places]
for each year on Sabhal Mòr Ostaig website The Gold medals were won by Falkirk resident Lyle Kennedy and Kerrie Finlay from
Inverness
Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histori ...
. Interest in Gaelic has grown in Falkirk since the Mòd and there are now five Gaelic organisations active in the Falkirk area: An Clas Gàidhlig (provides Gaelic lessons to adults), An Comunn Gàidhealach Meur na h-Eaglaise Brice (is the local branch of An Comunn Gàidhealach), Fèis Fhoirt (provides traditional music and Gaelic song tuition for children and adults), Falkirk Gaelic Forum (promotes Gaelic in Falkirk) and Falkirk Junior Gaelic Choir (is a long established and successful youth choir).
Media
Falkirk is served by a weekly newspaper, the ''
Falkirk Herald
''The Falkirk Herald'' is a weekly newspaper and daily news website published by National World. It provides reportage, opinion and analysis of news, current affairs and sport in the towns of Falkirk, Grangemouth, Larbert, Stenhousemuir and ...
'', which is published by
Johnston Press
Johnston Press plc was a multimedia company founded in Falkirk, Scotland, in 1767. Its flagship titles included UK-national newspaper the '' i'', ''The Scotsman'', the ''Yorkshire Post'', the ''Falkirk Herald'', and Belfast's ''The News Letter'' ...
. The company was established by the Johnston family from Falkirk, who have been involved in publishing since 1767. The family acquired the ''Herald'', their first newspaper, in 1846. The publishing company was renamed F Johnston & Co Ltd in 1882, a title it would retain until it was floated on the London Stock Exchange as Johnston Press in 1988. The corporate headquarters of Johnston Press are now in Edinburgh, but the company retains two offices in Falkirk and Grangemouth.
Recreation
The historical
Callendar House is an imposing mansion with a 600-year history which is now a museum and also has a cafe and shop. The Park Gallery, a contemporary art gallery is also based in the house.
Landmarks
The
Falkirk Wheel, the only rotary canal connector in the world, is located within
Falkirk
Falkirk ( gd, An Eaglais Bhreac, sco, Fawkirk) is a large town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow.
Falkirk had a ...
. The attraction was completed in 2002 and it connects the
Forth and Clyde Canal to the
Union Canal
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
.
[The Falkirk Wheel - History](_blank)
www.thefalkirkwheel.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-04-30
On Falkirk High Street lies the
Falkirk Steeple. The current building was built in 1814 and is protected as a category A
listed building. A stylised image of the steeple appears on the crest of Falkirk Football Club. It is widely regarded as the centre point of the town.
Religion
The 2001 census
showed the majority of the population claim to belong to one of the Christian denominations
with 48% of these being
Church of Scotland, 12% being
Roman Catholic, and 5% belonging to other Christian denominations. 29% of people belong to no religion, about 1% above the
national figure.
The Church of Scotland's Presbytery of Falkirk includes congregations in Bo'ness, Bonnybridge, Cumbernauld, Grangemouth and Larbert, as well as Falkirk.
Sport
Football
Men's
Falkirk currently has three men's
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
teams,
Falkirk Football Club, Stenhousemuir F.C. and
East Stirlingshire Football Club.

Falkirk F.C. was founded in 1876 and was elected to compete in the
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League (SFL) was a league featuring professional and semi-professional football clubs mostly from Scotland.One club, Berwick Rangers, is based in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, which is located approximately 4 km south ...
in
1902
Events
January
* January 1
** The Nurses Registration Act 1901 comes into effect in New Zealand, making it the first country in the world to require state registration of nurses. On January 10, Ellen Dougherty becomes the world's f ...
. The club's highest ranking came in the
1907–08 season and once again in
1909–10 when the club finished runners-up of Division One, the country's top football division, losing out to
Celtic F.C. on both occasions. The club has reached the final of the
Scottish Cup on five occasions, emerging victorious twice in
1913
Events January
* January 5 – First Balkan War: Battle of Lemnos (1913), Battle of Lemnos – Greek admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis forces the Turkish fleet to retreat to its base within the Dardanelles, from which it will not ven ...
and
1957
1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th y ...
respectively. The club currently competes in the
Scottish League One and plays their home games at the
Falkirk Stadium near Grangemouth.
The town's other men's club, East Stirlingshire F.C., was founded in 1881 originally as ''Bainsford Britannia'' and has competed in the Scottish Football League since
1900
As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15), 2 ...
. The club has predominantly played in the lower leagues of Scottish football, spending only two whole seasons in the top division after being promoted from Division Two in
1931–32 and
1962–63. The club currently competes in the
Lowland Football League and from the 2018-19 season will play their home games at the
Falkirk Stadium following a groundshare agreement with Falkirk F.C.
Firs Park
Firs Park was a football stadium in Falkirk, Scotland, which was the home of East Stirlingshire F.C. between 1921 and 2008. It was located on Firs Street, 0.3 miles north-east of the town centre. At the time of closing the ground had a capacity ...
was the home of the club for the majority of the club's existence but was vacated at the end of the 2007/08 season.
Women's
Falkirk currently has two women's
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
teams,
Central Girls Football Academy
Central Girls Football Academy is a women's football team based in Grangemouth, Central Scotland.
From 2018, they have been members of the Scottish Women's Premier League (SWPL), the highest level women's football league in Scotland. They curre ...
and
Falkirk Ladies. Central play in the second tier
(SWPL2) and Falkirk play in the third tier
(SWFL) of women's football.
Roller Derby
Falkirk is home to Scotland's first Co-ed Roller Derby League. Clubs from the area are the Skelpies men's team, the Central Belters women's team and the Belter Skelpers Co-ed team.
Rugby
Falkirk Rugby Club can trace their roots to 1906 when F.R.F.C. was first formed. It was disbanded at the start of
World War I. In 1972 the club was resurrected when the works team from ICI Grangemouth decided to become "open" and looked for a new home. They initially played at Stirling Road playing fields before building their clubhouse at the present site at Sunnyside in 1981. The club has risen through the ranks of rugby winning six consecutive promotions, five of them as league champions, a Scottish record.
Hockey
Falkirk also has a Hockey team, Falkirk GHG Hockey Club, which was formed from the merger of Graeme High School Former Pupils Hockey Club and Grangemouth Hockey Club in 1999. It now has four men's teams which play in various leagues, with their first team playing in the national league.
Basketball
Falkirk Fury Basketball Club, currently called Clark Eriksson Fury Basketball Club in a
sponsorship deal
Sponsoring something (or someone) is the act of supporting an event, activity, person, or organization financially or through the provision of products or services. The individual or group that provides the support, similar to a benefactor, is k ...
with local firm Clark Eriksson, represents the town in the sport.
[Clark Eriksson Falkirk Fury Basketball Club](_blank)
, Retrieved 2012-02-10. The team was established in 1992 and originally consisted of players from
Falkirk High School
Falkirk High School is a high school located in Falkirk, Stirlingshire that was founded in 1886.
It is a non-denominational six-year fully comprehensive school, situated approximately one mile from the centre of the town. It serves a widespr ...
and sports development players.
Today the team competes in all 6 Scottish National Age Groups. The men's side currently competes in the
Scottish Men's National League, the top league in Scottish basketball and is considered the second tier of British basketball below the
BBL
A barrel is one of several units of volume applied in various contexts; there are dry barrels, fluid barrels (such as the U.K. beer barrel and U.S. beer barrel), oil barrels, and so forth. For historical reasons the volumes of some barrel units ...
and in line with the
English Basketball League
The National Basketball League, or NBL for short, is a league competition representing semi-professional and amateur basketball clubs from England and Wales. It forms levels 2 to 4 on the British basketball pyramid, in line with the Scottish B ...
.
The club plays home games at the Mariner Centre in
Camelon
Camelon (; sco, Caimlan, gd, Camlann)
is a large set ...
or sometimes at the Grangemouth sports complex.
Boxing
Falkirk Boxing Club was once running above the town's oldest pub The Wheatsheaf bar and bore such names as welterweight Jim Boyle and heavyweight Dearn Savage.
Archery
Falkirk has a number of
archery
Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...
clubs in and around the greater Falkirk area:
* Falkirk Company of Archers was established in 1971 and is affiliated to the Scottish Archery Association (SAA) which is a region of the national governing body; Archery GB. During summer, members shoot outdoors on Sunnyside playing fields and during winter members shoot indoors at Woodlands Games Hall. The club is a
target archery club with most members shooting
recurve bow, though traditional archery has made a resurgence in the club recently with some members shooting barebows, horse bows and
longbow.
Twin towns
Falkirk is
twinned with:
*
Créteil, France
[Falkirk Twinning Association](_blank)
, www.falkirktwinning.org Retrieved 2011-05-07
*
Odenwald
The Odenwald () is a low mountain range in the German states of Hesse, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.
Location
The Odenwald is located between the Upper Rhine Plain with the Bergstraße and the ''Hessisches Ried'' (the northeastern section ...
, Germany
*
Quimper, France
*
San Rafael, California, USA
Notable people
Art and literature

*
Alan Bissett - a Scottish novelist
*
Dame Elizabeth Blackadder - artist
*
Alan Davie - artist (born
Grangemouth
Grangemouth ( sco, Grangemooth; gd, Inbhir Ghrainnse, ) is a town in the Falkirk council area, Scotland. Historically part of the county of Stirlingshire, the town lies in the Forth Valley, on the banks of the Firth of Forth, east of Falkirk ...
)
*
Janet Paisley
Janet Violet Paisley (12 January 1948 – 9 November 2018) was a writer, poet and playwright from Scotland, writing in Scots and English. Her work has been translated into German, Russian, Lithuanian, Slovak, Spanish, Hungarian, Ukrainian, I ...
- poet, playwright, author
*
Stuart Reid - children's book author
Business and industry
*
James Aitken (writer) James Aitken may refer to:
*James Aitken (bishop) (1612/3–1687), Scottish Episcopal bishop
*James Aitken (footballer) (1882–1915), Australian rules footballer
*James Aitken (priest) (1829–1908), Church of England priest and multi-sports playe ...
- writer (lawyer) c. 1778 - 1818
* Walter Alexander - millionaire founder of
Walter Alexander Coachbuilders in Falkirk, later to become the world's largest builder of coaches and buses,
Alexander Dennis
* Robert Barr - founder of Barr's which makes
Irn-Bru started his business at Burnfoot Lane, Falkirk
*
Adam Crozier - chief executive of
ITV plc and former chief executive of the
Football Association
The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world an ...
* Captain
Robert Dollar - the Scottish-American businessman, was born in Falkirk and maintained a house there, which is now the centre of Dollar Park
*
William Forbes of Callendar - the proprietor of
Carron Iron Works
The Carron Company was an ironworks established in 1759 on the banks of the River Carron near Falkirk, in Stirlingshire, Scotland. After initial problems, the company was at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution in the United Kingdom. Th ...
, was the largest landowner in Stirlingshire, and was seated in the centre of Falkirk at
Callendar House
*
Henry Adolph Salvesen
Henry Adolph Salvesen FRSE DL JP (5 June 1860–13 May 1924) was a 19th-century Scottish mechanical engineer and naval architect of Norwegian descent.
Life
He was born at Weedingshall in Polmont near Falkirk on 5 June 1860 one of at least ...
naval architect and exporter
*
James Walker (engineer) - influential civil engineer of the first half of the 19th century
*
Sir John Wilson, 1st Baronet - made a fortune as a coal-master and built Bantaskine House on the South Bantaskine Estate, Falkirk. He was Unionist MP for Falkirk and was made a baronet
Historical
* The
Earls of Callendar and Linlithgow - were seated in the centre of Falkirk, at
Callendar House, before being stripped of their titles. Other peers historically connected to the area include the
Marquess of Zetland whose estate was in Grangemouth, the
Earl of Dunmore
Earl of Dunmore is a title in the Peerage of Scotland.
History
The title was created in 1686 for Lord Charles Murray, second son of John Murray, 1st Marquess of Atholl. He was made Lord Murray of Blair, Moulin and Tillimet (or Tullimet) and V ...
who owned the nearby
Pineapple,
Lord Thurlow of Kinnaird, the
Duke of Montrose and the
Duke of Hamilton
Duke of Hamilton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, created in April 1643. It is the senior dukedom in that peerage (except for the Dukedom of Rothesay held by the Sovereign's eldest son), and as such its holder is the premier peer of Sco ...
. The Bolton baronets of Carronhall were also seated near Falkirk, as were the
Bruce baronets of Stenhouse, of whom the actor
Nigel Bruce was a member, growing up at Stenhouse Castle.
Media and entertainment
*
Kaye Adams - Television presenter
*
Ruth Connell
Ruth Connell (born 20 April 1979) is a Scottish theatre, television and film actress, and producer. She is also a former professional dancer and choreographer. Connell is known for her recurring role as Rowena in the CW series '' Supernatural'' ...
- Actress and producer
*
Elizabeth Fraser
Elizabeth Davidson Fraser (born 29 August 1963), is a Scottish singer, songwriter and musician. Hailing from Grangemouth, Scotland, she is best known as the vocalist for the pioneering dream pop band Cocteau Twins who achieved international ...
- Founding member and lead singer of the band from Grangemouth
Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins was a Scottish rock band active from 1979 to 1997. They were formed in Grangemouth by Robin Guthrie (guitars, drum machine) and Will Heggie (bass), adding Elizabeth Fraser (vocals) in 1981 and replacing Heggie with multi-instrum ...
*
Robin Guthrie - Founding member and guitarist of the band from Grangemouth
Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins was a Scottish rock band active from 1979 to 1997. They were formed in Grangemouth by Robin Guthrie (guitars, drum machine) and Will Heggie (bass), adding Elizabeth Fraser (vocals) in 1981 and replacing Heggie with multi-instrum ...
, music producer
*
Brian McNeill
Brian McNeill (born 6 April 1950, Falkirk, Scotland) is a Scottish folk multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer and musical director. He was a founding member of Battlefield Band which combined traditional Celtic melodies and new m ...
- Founding member of the
Battlefield Band
Battlefield Band were a Scottish traditional music group. Founded in Glasgow in 1969, they have released over 30 albums and undergone many changes of lineup. As of 2010, none of the original founders remain in the band.
The band is noted for t ...
, Scottish folk singer
*
Forbes Masson - Actor and Writer
*
Malcolm Middleton
Malcolm Bruce Middleton
(born 31 December 1973) is a Scottish musician and member of indie band Arab Strap. He has also released seven solo studio albums and three albums performing under the pseudonym Human Don't Be Angry.
Early life
Middleto ...
, David Gow and
Aidan Moffat of the post-folk band
Arab Strap
*
Euan Morton - Actor and Singer, known for his role as
Boy George in the musical
Taboo
*
David Paisley
David Paisley (born 2 February 1979) is a Scottish actor, domestic violence and LGBTQIA+ rights campaigner, known for roles as midwife Ben Saunders in '' Holby City'', Ryan Taylor in '' Tinsel Town'' and Rory Murdoch in ''River City''. Some of ...
- Actor and Singer
Politics and society
*
Elizabeth Caradus
Elizabeth Caradus ( Russell; 26 April 1832 – 5 November 1912) was a New Zealand suffragist, temperance and welfare worker.
Early life
She was born in Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland on 26 April 1832 to Elizabeth Adam and David Russell, ...
- Suffragette and Temperance activist
*
Tommy Douglas - Scottish-Canadian
social democratic
Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote soci ...
politician, who is often cited as "father" of Canada's
single-payer
Single-payer healthcare is a type of universal healthcare in which the costs of essential healthcare for all residents are covered by a single public system (hence "single-payer").
Single-payer systems may contract for healthcare services from ...
public health insurance system. Voted the "greatest Canadian of all time" in a nationwide poll
*
Thomas W. Howie
Thomas Wyllie Howie, JP (8 April 1856 – 18 July 1927) was a Scottish captain of industry.
Background
Howie was born in Riccarton, Ayrshire, on 8 April 1856, to Robert and Bethia (Wyllie) Howie, into a wealthy industrial family who had be ...
- Former Falkirk councillor
*
John McAleese
John Thomas "Mac" McAleese, MM (25 April 1949 – 26 August 2011) was a British soldier who took part in several late 20th century conflicts with the British Army's Royal Engineers and the Special Air Service, which is now within the umbrella o ...
- team leader during the
SAS
SAS or Sas may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''SAS'' (novel series), a French book series by Gérard de Villiers
* ''Shimmer and Shine'', an American animated children's television series
* Southern All Stars, a Japanese rock ba ...
assault on the
Iranian embassy in May 1980 (brought up in
Laurieston)
*
Sheila McKechnie
Dame Sheila Marshall McKechnie DBE (3 May 1948 – 2 January 2004) was a Scottish trade unionist, housing campaigner and consumer activist.
Biography
Sheila McKechnie was born in Camelon, Falkirk, on 3 May 1948 to Hugh McKechnie, then a c ...
- Scottish trade unionist, housing campaigner and consumer activist
*
David Muir
David Jason Muir (born November 8, 1973) is an American journalist and the anchor of ''ABC World News Tonight'' and co-anchor of the ABC News magazine '' 20/20'', part of the news department of the ABC broadcast-television network, based in N ...
- former Director of Political Strategy to former Prime Minister
Gordon Brown
*
Robert D. Wilson
Robert Dick Wilson (February 3, 1839 – December 4, 1930) was an American farmer and politician.
Born in Falkirk, Scotland, Wilson emigrated to the United States in 1854 and settled in the Town of Melrose, Jackson County, Wisconsin. Wilso ...
- American politician and farmer; served in the Wisconsin State Assembly and was born in Falkirk
*
Iain Lindsay
Iain Ferrier Lindsay OBE (born 9 March 1959) is a former British diplomat who served as Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Hungary and Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Bahrain. Lindsay now serves as advisor to the Economic Development Boar ...
, British diplomat
*
Jack MacDonald - Scottish-Canadian
communist
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
politician, leader of the
Communist Party of Canada
The Communist Party of Canada (french: Parti communiste du Canada) is a federal political party in Canada, founded in 1921 under conditions of illegality. Although it does not currently have any parliamentary representation, the party's can ...
between 1923 and 1929
Science and technology
*
John Aitken - physicist and meteorologist, operated from a laboratory in his home in Falkirk, where he first detected atmospheric dust particles using the
koniscope, his invention.
*
Ernest Masson Anderson
Ernest Masson Anderson FRSE FGS (1877–1960) was a Scottish geologist.
Ernest was born in Falkirk and educated at Falkirk High School and the High School of Dundee before attending the University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinbur ...
-geologist, born in Falkirk
*
Bill Buchanan (professor)
William Johnston Buchanan OBE FBCS CEng PFHEA (born 6 March 1961) is a Scottish computer scientist. Buchanan was born in Falkirk, Scotland in 1961. He currently leads the Blockpass ID Lab and the Centre for Distributed Computing and Securi ...
- Leading computer security expert and author of many academic books.
*
George Forrest George Forrest may refer to:
*G. Topham Forrest (George Topham Forrest, 1872–1945), principal architect for the London County Council
*George Forrest (author) (1915–1999), American author and musician
*George Forrest (botanist) (1873–1932), S ...
- a Scottish botanist. Famous for bringing back over 30,000 specimens of 10,000 plants mostly from the Yunnan Province of China.
*
John McQueen Johnston FRSE
Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...
- physician and pharmacologist
*
George McRoberts
George McRoberts (1839–1896) was a Scottish chemist and early explosives expert. He assisted Alfred Nobel in establishing the original Nobel Enterprises dynamite factory at Ardeer. He was a close colleague of Nobel and probably a close friend ...
FRSE
Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...
(1839-1896) explosives expert
*
Alfred Nobel
Alfred Bernhard Nobel ( , ; 21 October 1833 – 10 December 1896) was a Swedes, Swedish chemist, engineer, inventor, businessman, and Philanthropy, philanthropist. He is best known for having bequeathed his fortune to establish the Nobel ...
befriended McRoberts and set up a detonator factory in Falkirk, living at Hawthorn Cottage in the Laurieston district for several years
*
George Trapp (educator)
Dr George Trapp FRSE FRGS FLS FEIS LLB (1906–1996) was a 20th century Scottish academic scientist and educator.
He was Convenor of the Science Committee for the Educational Institute of Scotland.
Life
He was born in Falkirk on 30 Decemb ...
- scientist and headmaster
*
Eric Vance
Eric Devon Vance (born July 14, 1975, in Tampa, Florida) is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League. He was signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 1997. He played college football at Vanderb ...
- Chemist responsible for the coloration of
Nomex, the essential fabric of most military uniforms, effectively designing the future of camouflage.
*
Henry Wade - Military and urological surgeon
Sport and recreation
*
Nicola Docherty
Nicola Docherty (born 23 August 1992) is a Scottish international footballer who currently plays as a left sided defender for Rangers in the Scottish Women's Premier League.
Career
Docherty started playing with Falkirk Girls at the age of 1 ...
-
Rangers W.F.C.
Rangers Women's Football Club is a Women's association football, women's football team that plays in the Scottish Women's Premier League, the top division of women's football in Scotland. The team is affiliated with Rangers F.C. in Glasgow, uses ...
& Internationalist footballer
*
Brown Ferguson
Brown Ferguson (born 4 June 1981 in Falkirk) is a Scottish football player and coach. He is currently the assistant manager of Stenhousemuir. He also previously had manager spells at Stenhousemuir and Linlithgow Rose.
As a player, he playe ...
- former footballer & current Manager of
Stenhousemuir F.C.
Stenhousemuir Football Club is a Scotland, Scottish Football (soccer), football club located in Stenhousemuir, Falkirk (council area), Falkirk. They are a member of the Scottish Professional Football League and currently play in Scottish League ...
*
Steve Frew
Steve Frew (born 6 February 1973, in Falkirk) is a British artistic gymnast. He has represented Scotland and Great Britain over 100 times at various international gymnastics competitions.
He took gold in the men's rings at the 2002 Commonweal ...
- Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist.Grangemouth Gymnast who won Scotland’s first Gymnastics Gold Medal in Commonwealth Games history.
*
Bob Mauchline - footballer
*
Bob McGregor
Robert Bilsand McGregor, MBE (born 3 April 1944), nicknamed the "Falkirk Flyer", is a Scottish former competitive swimmer.
Swimming career
He competed in eight events at the 1964 and 1968 Summer Olympics. He won a silver medal in the 100-met ...
- Swimmer who won silver in the 100m Freestyle at the 1964 Olympic Games
*
John Meechan
Falkirk F.C.
John Stewart Meechan was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a centre forward. He played in the Scottish Football League with St Mirren, and FalkirkF.C he also made two appearances in the English Football League for Bu ...
— footballer, centre-forward
*
Charles Melville
Charles Melville (1828 – January 5, 1867) was a Union Navy sailor in the American Civil War and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions at the Battle of Mobile Bay.
Born in 1828 in Dover, N ...
– cricketer
*
Willie Ormond
William Esplin Ormond (23 February 1927 – 4 May 1984) was a Scottish football player and manager. As a player, Ormond was well known as one of Hibernian's Famous Five forward line, winning three league championships in the late 1940s an ...
- former
Hibs & Internationalist footballer
*
David Provan - former
Rangers
A Ranger is typically someone in a military/paramilitary or law enforcement role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called “ranging”. The term most often refers to:
* Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with protecting and ...
&
Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is a professional football club based in the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. As of the 2021–22 season, the team are competing in League One, the third tier of English football. They have played at Home Park, ...
footballer
*
Leanne Ross
Leanne Ross (born 8 July 1981) is a Former Scottish women's football midfielder and current interim Head Coach of Glasgow City, having previously being assistant coach under Eileen Gleeson who stepped down in December 2022. She played for Glasg ...
-
Glasgow City F.C.
Glasgow City Football Club is a women's football team based in Glasgow that plays in SWPL 1, the top division of women's football in Scotland and also the higher of two levels of the Scottish Women's Premier League. The club has competed in th ...
& Internationalist footballer
*
Tam Scobbie
Thomas "Tam" Scobbie (born 31 March 1988 in Falkirk) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays for Berwick Rangers.
He has previously played for Falkirk, St Johnstone. Dundee United. Partick Thistle, Brechin City, and Kelty Hearts. Sco ...
- former
Falkirk
Falkirk ( gd, An Eaglais Bhreac, sco, Fawkirk) is a large town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow.
Falkirk had a ...
&
St. Johnstone footballer
*
Alex Scott - former
Rangers
A Ranger is typically someone in a military/paramilitary or law enforcement role specializing in patrolling a given territory, called “ranging”. The term most often refers to:
* Park ranger or forest ranger, a person charged with protecting and ...
,
Everton & Internationalist footballer
*
Eddie Turnbull
Edward Hunter Turnbull (12 April 1923 – 30 April 2011) was a Scottish professional football player and manager. He played as a forward for Hibernian and Scotland, forming part of the Hibs " Famous Five" forward line. He then had successful sp ...
- former
Hibs & Internationalist footballer
*
David Weir - former
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
*
Alex Wood (ice hockey) ice hockey player
References
Sources
*Dowds, T (2003): "The Forth and Clyde Canal - A History". Tuckwell Press.
*Macleod, I (2004): "The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Scotland". Lomond Books, Edinburgh.
*Milne, D; Leitch, A; Duncan, A; Bairner, J & Johnston, J (1975): "The Falkirk and Grangemouth Area". Paper for the Scottish Association of Geography Teachers' (SAGT) conference, October 1975. Moray House College of Education, Edinburgh.
*Nimmo W (1880): "The History of Stirlingshire, Third Edition" Vol II. Hamilton, Adams and Company, Glasgow.
*Smith, R (2001): "The Making of Scotland". Canongate Books, Edinburgh.
External links
Falkirk Council WebsiteFalkirk Community Trust WebsiteList of Falkirk Schools
{{Authority control
Schools in Falkirk (council area)
Towns in Falkirk (council area)