Falkirk

In the Central Lowlands of Scotland, in the historic county of Stirlingshire, is the sizable town of Falkirk. It's in the Forth Valley, about 33 kilometers (km) north of Glasgow and 23.3 kilometers (km) north-west of Edinburgh.

According to the 2001 UK Census, there were 32,422 people living in Falkirk. According to a 2008 estimate, the town's population had risen to 34,570, making it the 20th most populous settlement in Scotland. Falkirk is the largest settlement and council headquarters for the surrounding Falkirk council area, which includes the communities of Grangemouth, Bo'ness, Denny, Camelon, Larbert, and Stenhousemuir, as well as the Braes community. Its population is estimated at 156,800.

The town's strategic location at the crossroads of the Forth and Clyde and Union Canals allowed it to flourish as a hub of manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution. The Carron Company, based in neighboring Carron, helped make Falkirk a major hub of the iron and steel industry in the 18th and 19th centuries. This firm originally produced carronades for the British Navy and later expanded into making pillar boxes and telephone booths. Over the past half century, the economy has shifted from being driven primarily by manufacturing to one that is supported by retail and tourism. Despite this, many multinational corporations, including Alexander Dennis, the largest bus production company in the United Kingdom, maintain headquarters in Falkirk.

The publishing industry has a long history in Falkirk. The town's current name comes from 1846, when the company Johnston Press was founded there. The Falkirk Herald, Scotland's best-selling weekly newspaper, is published by this Edinburgh-based company.

Nearby tourist hotspots include the Falkirk Wheel, The Helix, The Kelpies, Callendar House and Park, and the Antonine Wall's ruins. STV viewers chose it as Scotland's prettiest municipality in 2011, ranking it higher than both Perth and Stirling.

Geography

Located between the flat Slamannan Plateau and the rolling hills of the upper Firth of Forth, Falkirk has a varied landscape in which to thrive. Part of the floodplain of the River Carron, the region lies to the north of Falkirk. The town is naturally drained by the East Burn and the West Burn, two rivers that flow into the River Carron. The elevation of Falkirk ranges from 164 feet to 410 feet above sea level. 

Falkirk's underlying geology is marked by glacial deposits. At heights above 328 feet (100 meters), glacial till and boulder clay predominate, while sandy soils and loams dominate at lower elevations. Falkirk's proximity to the coast means that post-glacial features like raised beaches are especially prevalent to the north of the town center, giving rise to topographic variation.

The area is dominated by eskers and drumlins, both of which are formed from unsorted glacial till. These features serve as natural transportation corridors, and the town itself is built on top of a geologically complex foundation.

Economy

Falkirk's heavy industries and manufacturing sectors contributed to the town's growth over the last 300 years, but today retail and services make up the bulk of the economy. Falkirk is a major shopping hub serving not only the town itself but also a wide surrounding area, from Cumbernauld in the west to Bo'ness in the east. In 1936, a Marks & Spencer store became the first department store to open in the city of Falkirk. In the late '80s, the High Street became pedestrian-only, and in 1989, the Howgate Shopping Centre opened. In recent years, a number of supermarkets, including Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, and Scottish Co-op, have opened up in the outskirts of the town. 

The government and its institutions also have a strong presence in the Falkirk region. With over 7,000 people on staff, many of whom work out of the council's headquarters in the heart of Falkirk, it is one of the largest employers in the sector. The Callendar Business Park, just outside of Falkirk, is home to one of the main offices of the UK Child Support Agency, which serves the whole of Scotland and the north east of England. Equally present in the community and providing jobs to locals are the National Health Service (NHS) and the Department of Work and Pensions.

The nearby Ineos (formerly BP) oil refinery provides a strong economic base for the petrochemical industry in Grangemouth, where many residents of Falkirk find employment. The headquarters and operations plant of Alexander Dennis, one of the world's largest bus manufacturers, are located in Falkirk.

Culture

From 2000-2009, Falkirk played host to Big In Falkirk in Callendar Park, a national arts festival. The festival was first held in 2000, and it won the Scottish Thistle Award for Events and Festivals in 2005, ten years after its inception. The festival, which featured a weekend's worth of free activities, was one of the largest cultural events in Scotland, drawing in excess of 100,000 people. The entertainment included a wide range of outdoor theatre, pyrotechnic displays, arts, comedy, and big name music acts, along with activities for people of all ages. The event was hosted in Falkirk's historic Callendar Park, which covers 180 acres (0.73 km2) and is centered on Callendar House.

In 2008, the Royal National Md was held in Falkirk.

Lyle Kennedy, a local of Falkirk, and Kerrie Finlay, a local of Inverness, took home the gold medals. An Clas Gàidhlig (which teaches adults Gaelic), An Comunn Gàidhealach Meur na h-Eaglaise Brice (which is the local branch of An Comunn Gàidhealach), Fèis Fhoirt (which teaches both children and adults traditional music and Gaelic song), the Falkirk Gaelic Forum (which promotes Gaelic in Falkirk), and the Falkirk Junior Gaelic (is a long established and successful youth choir).