Alloa
Alloa is a town in Clackmannanshire, set inside the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on the north bank of the Firth of Forth next to the foot of the Ochil Hills, 5.5 miles (8.9 kilometres) east of Stirling and 7.9 miles (12.7 kilometres) north of Falkirk. The name possibly means 'rock plain'. At the time of the 2001 census, Alloa had a permanent population of 18,989. Improvements were made to the harbour through the 18th century, resulting in Alloa thriving as a river port whereby the merchandise manufactured in Glasgow were exported to continental Europe. At that time, and until the 1950s, the principle industry for the north and east of the town was coal mining. Wool has also always been plentiful locally and in the early years of the nineteenth century, John Paton started a little yarn-spinning business in 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 recognised for its weaving and glassmaking industries through the 19th and into the early 20th century. Alloa has long been associated with the brewing market, with at least nine major breweries producing ales at its height. It was also home to a distillery. After the closure of the distillery, barrel cooperage continues to flourish in the town. The town features a bustling shopping centre, with nationally recognised supermarket chains on the site of the old distillery, near to the railway station. For all of your house upgrades, ensure that that you use trustworthy pros in Alloa to make sure that you get the highest quality work.
