Alloa
Alloa is a town within Clackmannanshire, set in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It is situated on the north bank of the Firth of Forth near the foot of the Ochil Hills, 5.5 miles (8.9 kilometres) east of Stirling and 7.9 miles (12.7 km) north of Falkirk. The name potentially means 'rock plain'. During the 2001 census, Alloa had a permanent population of 18,989. Upgrades had been made to the harbour through the eighteenth century, leading to Alloa thriving as a river port through which the items produced in Glasgow were exported to continental Europe. At that time, and till the 1950s, the key industry for the north and east of the town was coal mining. Wool has also often been plentiful in the area and in the early years of the 19th century, John Paton set up a modest yarn-spinning business within the town, later establishing Kilncraigs Mill. His business merged with J. & J. Baldwin of Halifax in 1924 to become the world-famous Paton & Baldwins Ltd. Alloa was noted for its weaving and glassmaking industries throughout the 19th and into the early 20th century. Alloa has long been related to the brewing industry, 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 contains a thriving shopping centre, with nationally recognised supermarket chains on the site of the old distillery, near to the railway station. For all your home upgrades, make certain that you employ trustworthy pros in Alloa to make sure that you get the very best quality work.