Scotland > 1868, 1878 - Slater's (late Pigot & Co.'s) Royal national commercial directory and topography of Scotland > 1878 > Part 1

CLACKMANNANSHIRE.
X HIS coanty, the smallest in Scotland, is bounded on the south and west by the Frith of Forth and Stirlingshire, and on the
north and east by Perthshire; on the east, also, it joins (or a short distance, the county of Fife, and a detached portion of
Stirlingshire touches part of its northern verge. Its figure, which is extremely irregular, does not exceed nine miles at its greatest
length, nor more than six at its extreme breadth, and it has an area of fifty square miles or 31,876 statute acres.
Anciently the whole of the valuable territory lying between the rivers Frith and Tay, and bounded on the north-west by the
chain of the Ochil HiUs, was called Koss, as being a sort of peninsula, terminating at Stirling. In course of time the district of
Ross was divided amongst the sliires of Fife, Kinross and Clackmannan, with the introduction of a slip of Perthshire, on the edge
of the Forth, in which is situated the town of Culross. Among the ancient structures of the county are three old towers : one of
them, near Clackmannan, is said to have been erected by Robert Bruce; another, contiguous to Tillicoultiy, is supposed from its
similarity of architecture, to have been built by the same person, or about the same period; the thu-d, the Alloa tower is more
particularly noticed in the description of that town. From the shore of the Forth, the surface of the county rises gradually to the
Ochil HiUs, the highest of which, Bencleugh, attains the height of 2,000 feet above the level of the sea, and is in the parish of
Tillicoultry. The higher grounds are partly pastoral, but the whole of the lower parts, adjacent to the Forth, are rich, arable and
beautifully enolpsed. Besides the Forth, the county is watered by two other streams, namely, the Devon and the Black Devon and
it is connected with Railways, by means of branches of the North British railway, communicating with Alloa, Clackmannan
Alva and Tillicoultry.
Manufaotckes, Produce, &c.— The manufacture of woollen goods, in shawls, plaidings, tartans, &c., has been for many years
established in the p.irishes of Dollar, Tillicoultry and Alva, with complete success, and the villages belonging them have become
thriving places in consequence, and fumiah employment to many hundreds of persons. Throughout the whole district coal is
worked.
This shire contains four parishes, and two portions of parishes ; its only towns are Alloa, Clackmannan, Dollar, Alva and
Tillicoultry. The county possesses neither royal or parUamentary bm-ghs,-bnt it unites with Kinross-slm-e in retnming one member
to parliament. The present member (1877) sitting for the joint counties is WiUiam P. Adam, Esq. The entii-e county contained, by
the census returns for 1871 , a population of 23,747 ; the parliamentary constituency for 1876-7 numbered 1 304.
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