Scotland > 1882-1915 - Slater's Royal National Commercial Directory of Scotland > 1886 - Slater's (late Pigot and Co's) Royal national commercial directory and topography of Scotland

CLACKMANNANSHIRE.
rpHIS county, 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 for 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 nino 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 Hills, was called Ross, as being a sort of peninsula, terminating at Stirling. In course of time the district of
Eoss was divided amongst the shires 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 Tillicoultry, is supposed
from its similarity of architecture to have been built by the same person, or about the same period; the third, 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 Hills, the highest of which, Bencleugh, attains the height of 2,000 feet above the level of the sea, and is id 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 enclosed. 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.
Mano-factukes, Produce, &c— The manufacture of woollen goods, in Bhawls, plaidings, tartans, &c, has been for many
years established in the parishes of Dollar, Tillicoultry and Alva, with complete success, and the villages belonging them have
become thriving places in consequence, and furnish 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 parliamentary burghs, but it unites with Iiinross-shiro in returning one
member to Parliament. The present member sitting for tbo joint counties is John Blair Balfour, Esq. Q.c. Tho parliamentary
constituency in 1884-85 was 1,497. The entire county contained, by the census returns for 1871, a population of 23,747, and by hos
for 1881, 25,680.
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