Alloa is a town located within Clackmannanshire, set within the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on the north bank of the Firth of Forth towards the foot of the Ochil Hills, 5.5 miles (8.9 km) east of Stirling and 7.9 miles (12.7 kilometres) north of Falkirk. The name possibly means 'rock plain'. During the 2001 census, Alloa had a resident population of 18,989. Upgrades had been made to the harbour through the eighteenth century, leading to Alloa thriving as a river port by which the items made in Glasgow were exported to continental Europe. At that time, and till the 1950s, the principle industry for the north and east of the town was coal mining. Wool has also normally been plentiful in the area and in the early years of the 19th century, John Paton started a small yarn-spinning business inside the town, later establishing Kilncraigs Mill. His firm merged with J. & J. Baldwin of Halifax in 1924 to become the world-famous Paton & Baldwins Ltd. Alloa was well known for its weaving and glassmaking industries through the 19th and into the early 20th century. Alloa has long been linked to the brewing sector, with no less than nine major breweries producing ales at its height. It was also home to a distillery. Following the closure of the distillery, barrel cooperage has continued to flourish in the town. The town has a thriving shopping centre, with nationally recognised supermarket chains on the site of the old distillery, near to the railway station. For all your residence upgrades, be certain that you use trustworthy professionals in Alloa to make sure you obtain the best quality work.