Alloa
Encyclopedia
Alloa is a town and former burgh
in Clackmannanshire
, set in the Central Lowlands
of Scotland
. It lies on on the north bank of the Firth of Forth
close to the foot of the Ochil Hills
, 5.5 miles (8.9 km) east of Stirling
and 7.9 miles (12.7 km) north of Falkirk
.
The town was a burgh of barony
, and today is the administrative centre of Clackmannanshire council. The economy of the town relied heavily on trade through its port with mainland Europe, but due to competition from modern ports it closed in 1970. Nowadays the economy is centred on retail and leisure after the closure of the main industries of the town; only one brewer and one glassmaker survive today. Alloa had a resident population of 18,989 at the time of the 2001 census
.
manufacture were exported to continental Europe. At that time, and until the 1950s, the main industry to the north and east of the town was coal mining, and an extensive waggonway existed to take the coal to the harbour. The Earls of Mar owned many of the coal mines, and Robert Bald
, a local mining engineer, was instrumental in providing water power from the Gartmorn Dam to operate both the mines and other industries such as weaving. Many traces of the waggonway and the Gartmorn Dam can still be seen today, and although the dam is no longer used for energy production or water supply, it is well used for fishing and leisure purposes.
The town itself was known for its weaving
and glass
making industries. Alloa was long associated with the brewing
industry, with at least nine major breweries producing ale
s. However industrial decline during the late 20th century has led to the economy relying on retail and leisure. Alloa was well positioned for the ale brewing trade, with a good water supply, close to local supplies of barley and good sea transport links. The first brewing firms in the town were Younger in 1762 and Meiklejohn in 1784.
There were at least nine breweries in Alloa during the 1900s producing a variety of ales for home and export trades. Alloa ale was sent to London and George Younger had an extensive export trade in the West Indies, Egypt
and the Far East
. Alloa was also home to Alloa Brewery Co developing "Graham’s Golden Lager" in 1927 which was renamed "Skol" in the 1950s. Closures and mergers during the mid-20th century reduced the number of breweries to two and by 1999 only one remained, The Forth Brewery which became Williams Bros. in 2003.
Interesting places to visit near to Alloa include Alva
, Tillicoultry
, Dollar
, Rumbling Bridge
, Culross
and Falkirk
.
Alloa is linked to the historic Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders housed at Stirling Castle. Many of the soldiers in WW2 fought under Montgomery at the Battle of El Alamein and Wadi Akrit where their commanding officer Lorne Campbell won a V.C. They were part of the 7th Argylls under the 51st Highland Division.
(National Trust for Scotland
), the surviving part of the ancestral medieval residence of the Erskine family, the Earls of Mar
.
Despite extensive alterations both externally and internally, the Tower retains its original medieval wooden roof and battlements, as well as some internal features. It is one of the largest and earliest of Scottish tower houses.
The town formerly contained a large number of 17th and 18th century buildings, but most were cleared away as 'slums' in the 18th to 19th century. However, Alloa does retain some historic architecture in the form of Alloa Tower, Tobias Bauchop's House (1695), Inglewood House, Gean House
and Greenfield House.
Alloa Town Hall and Library was designed by the architect Alfred Waterhouse
and built in 1886-9 at a cost of £18,008.
Alloa is served by many food retailers including Iceland Frozen Foods
, Tesco
, Aldi
, Lidl
, Morrisons
, Asda
and Farmfoods
. The Asda supermarket, opened in 2007 is adjacent to the site of the new railway station and was built on the land where the Alloa brewery once stood.
1968 rail links to the town did not exist for 40 years up until 2008. The Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail link
project was completed in May 2008, after much preparatory work, including drainage, and grouting of a large number of shallow mine
workings with the laying of the new track commencing in September 2006. The project also involved the construction of a new bypass road and bridge which replaced a major level crossing which ran through the town. Alloa railway station
reopened in May 2008.
First ScotRail
now operates an hourly service from Alloa railway station
to Glasgow Queen Street via Stirling
, Larbert
and Lenzie
between 0641 and 2241 Monday to Saturday and between 1041 and 2141 on Sundays. Passengers can travel to Inverness
, Edinburgh Waverley and Aberdeen
with a change at Stirling, however for journeys to or from Edinburgh passengers with heavy luggage may find it more convenient to change at Larbert, where Edinburgh and Glasgow services use the same platform.
The new railway opened for traincrew route learning in early April 2008, followed by the opening to the public on Monday 19 May 2008. This had been preceded by an official opening on 15 May 2008, where Class K4 61994 "The Great Marquess" hauled four specials to Stirling. The return workings were hauled by Deltic
55022 "Royal Scots Grey." Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson
officially reopened the line.
s; Lornshill Academy
and Alloa Academy
. Also five Primary schools: Claremont; Park; Sunnyside; St John's and St Mungos.
, namely Alloa Ludgate Church ( formed by the union of Alloa North Parish Church and Alloa West Parish Church in 2009 in the building of the former West Church) and St Mungo's Parish Church.In 1978 the Very Rev Dr Peter Brodie (then minister at St Mungo's) was elected Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
. Alloa is within the Church of Scotland's Presbytery of Stirling.
In addition, the United Free Church of Scotland
serves the town centre through the congregation at Moncrieff U.F. Church in Drysdale Street.
There are churches of other denominations in the town, including Baptist Church,a Catholic church also named St Mungo's and St John's Episcopal Church. There are also congregations of Latter-day Saints and Jehovah's Witnesses in Alloa.
The headquarters of Action of Churches Together in Scotland
(ACTS), the ecumenical organisation linking Scotland's largest churches, is located at Inglewood House, Alloa.
. The club was formed in 1878 under the name of Clackmannan County but changed to its present day name of Alloa Athletic in 1883. The team currently compete in the Irn-Bru Scottish Football League Third Division
after being relegated at the end of the 2010-11 season. Their home games are played at Recreation Park
in Alloa.
who was born in Alloa, raised in Sauchie
and attended Lornshill Academy, Alloa, and the artists Lys Hansen and Emma Scott-Smith. The Canadian politician George Brown
, who also founded the Globe and Mail newspaper, was born in the town in 1818. The founder of Forte Holdings which later merged with Trust House to become Trust House Forte, Lord Charles Forte
, was raised in Alloa.
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
in Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire, often abbreviated to Clacks is a local government council area in Scotland, and a lieutenancy area, bordering Perth and Kinross, Stirling and Fife.As Scotland's smallest historic county, it is often nicknamed 'The Wee County'....
, set in the Central Lowlands
Central Lowlands
The Central Lowlands or Midland Valley is a geologically defined area of relatively low-lying land in southern Scotland. It consists of a rift valley between the Highland Boundary Fault to the north and the Southern Uplands Fault to the south...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It lies on on the north bank of the Firth of Forth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
close to the foot of the Ochil Hills
Ochil Hills
The Ochil Hills is a range of hills in Scotland north of the Forth valley bordered by the towns of Stirling, Alloa, Kinross and Perth. The only major roads crossing the hills pass through Glen Devon/Glen Eagles and Glenfarg, the latter now largely replaced except for local traffic by the M90...
, 5.5 miles (8.9 km) east of Stirling
Stirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
and 7.9 miles (12.7 km) north of Falkirk
Falkirk
Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
.
The town was a burgh of barony
Burgh of barony
A burgh of barony is a type of Scottish town .They were distinct from royal burghs as the title was granted to a tenant-in-chief, a landowner who held his estates directly from the crown....
, and today is the administrative centre of Clackmannanshire council. The economy of the town relied heavily on trade through its port with mainland Europe, but due to competition from modern ports it closed in 1970. Nowadays the economy is centred on retail and leisure after the closure of the main industries of the town; only one brewer and one glassmaker survive today. Alloa had a resident population of 18,989 at the time of the 2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
.
History
During the 18th century, Alloa thrived as a river port through which the products of GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
manufacture were exported to continental Europe. At that time, and until the 1950s, the main industry to the north and east of the town was coal mining, and an extensive waggonway existed to take the coal to the harbour. The Earls of Mar owned many of the coal mines, and Robert Bald
Robert Bald
Robert Bald FRSE was a Scottish surveyor, civil and mining engineer, and antiquarian. He was born in Culross, Scotland, the son of Alexander Bald , a colliery agent of Alloa...
, a local mining engineer, was instrumental in providing water power from the Gartmorn Dam to operate both the mines and other industries such as weaving. Many traces of the waggonway and the Gartmorn Dam can still be seen today, and although the dam is no longer used for energy production or water supply, it is well used for fishing and leisure purposes.
The town itself was known for its weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
and glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
making industries. Alloa was long associated with the brewing
Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...
industry, with at least nine major breweries producing ale
Ale
Ale is a type of beer brewed from malted barley using a warm fermentation with a strain of brewers' yeast. The yeast will ferment the beer quickly, giving it a sweet, full bodied and fruity taste...
s. However industrial decline during the late 20th century has led to the economy relying on retail and leisure. Alloa was well positioned for the ale brewing trade, with a good water supply, close to local supplies of barley and good sea transport links. The first brewing firms in the town were Younger in 1762 and Meiklejohn in 1784.
There were at least nine breweries in Alloa during the 1900s producing a variety of ales for home and export trades. Alloa ale was sent to London and George Younger had an extensive export trade in the West Indies, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
. Alloa was also home to Alloa Brewery Co developing "Graham’s Golden Lager" in 1927 which was renamed "Skol" in the 1950s. Closures and mergers during the mid-20th century reduced the number of breweries to two and by 1999 only one remained, The Forth Brewery which became Williams Bros. in 2003.
Interesting places to visit near to Alloa include Alva
Alva, Clackmannanshire
Alva is a small town in Clackmannanshire, set in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It is one of a number of towns situated immediately to the south of the Ochil Hills, collectively referred to as the Hillfoots Villages or simply The Hillfoots...
, Tillicoultry
Tillicoultry
Tillicoultry...
, Dollar
Dollar, Clackmannanshire
Dollar is a small town in Clackmannanshire, Scotland. It is one of the Hillfoots Villages, situated between the Ochil Hills range to the north and the River Devon to the south. Dollar is on the A91 road, which runs from Stirling to St. Andrews. The town is around 3 miles east of Tillicoultry...
, Rumbling Bridge
Rumbling Bridge
Rumbling Bridge is a tiny village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, nestling under the Ochil Hills, where the A823 leaves the A977, perched on the edge of the River Devon gorge. It lies between Muckhart and Crook of Devon with Powmill half a mile to its south...
, Culross
Culross
The town of Culross, pronounced "Coo-ros", is a former royal burgh in Fife, Scotland.According to the 2006 estimate, the village has a population of 395...
and Falkirk
Falkirk
Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
.
Alloa is linked to the historic Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders housed at Stirling Castle. Many of the soldiers in WW2 fought under Montgomery at the Battle of El Alamein and Wadi Akrit where their commanding officer Lorne Campbell won a V.C. They were part of the 7th Argylls under the 51st Highland Division.
Landmarks
Alloa's most notable visible landmark is the 15th century Alloa TowerAlloa Tower
Alloa Tower in Alloa in central Scotland is the surviving part of the medieval residence of the Clan Erskine family, the Earls of Mar.An architect which was involved in the Alloa Tower was John Melvin....
(National Trust for Scotland
National Trust for Scotland
The National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, commonly known as the National Trust for Scotland describes itself as the conservation charity that protects and promotes Scotland's natural and cultural heritage for present and future generations to...
), the surviving part of the ancestral medieval residence of the Erskine family, the Earls of Mar
Earl of Mar
The Mormaer or Earl of Mar is a title that has been created seven times, all in the Peerage of Scotland. The first creation of the earldom was originally the provincial ruler of the province of Mar in north-eastern Scotland...
.
The town formerly contained a large number of 17th and 18th century buildings, but most were cleared away as 'slums' in the 18th to 19th century. However, Alloa does retain some historic architecture in the form of Alloa Tower, Tobias Bauchop's House (1695), Inglewood House, Gean House
Gean House
Gean House, or The Gean, is an early 20th century Arts and Crafts style mansion, located on Tullibody Road, Alloa, Scotland. It is often used as a venue for events.-Background:...
and Greenfield House.
Alloa Town Hall and Library was designed by the architect Alfred Waterhouse
Alfred Waterhouse
Alfred Waterhouse was a British architect, particularly associated with the Victorian Gothic Revival architecture. He is perhaps best known for his design for the Natural History Museum in London, and Manchester Town Hall, although he also built a wide variety of other buildings throughout the...
and built in 1886-9 at a cost of £18,008.
Alloa is served by many food retailers including Iceland Frozen Foods
Iceland (supermarket)
Iceland is a supermarket chain in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Iceland's primary product lines include frozen foods, such as frozen prepared meals and frozen vegetables - hence the name of the company...
, Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
, Aldi
ALDI
ALDI Einkauf GmbH & Co. oHG, doing business as ', short for "Albrecht Discount", is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany...
, Lidl
Lidl
Lidl is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany that operates over 7,200 stores across Europe. The company's full name is Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG...
, Morrisons
Morrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...
, Asda
Asda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
and Farmfoods
Farmfoods
Farmfoods is a Scottish supermarket chain operating throughout the United Kingdom. Farmfoods predominately sells frozen food and also grocery items.- History :...
. The Asda supermarket, opened in 2007 is adjacent to the site of the new railway station and was built on the land where the Alloa brewery once stood.
Transport
After the closure of the Stirling-Alloa-DunfermlineDunfermline
Dunfermline is a town and former Royal Burgh in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to a 2008 estimate, Dunfermline has a population of 46,430, making it the second-biggest settlement in Fife. Part of the town's name comes from the Gaelic word...
1968 rail links to the town did not exist for 40 years up until 2008. The Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail link
Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail link
The Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail link was a project to re-open of railway line between the towns of Stirling, Alloa and Kincardine in Scotland, United Kingdom. The route opened to rail traffic in March 2008.- Background :...
project was completed in May 2008, after much preparatory work, including drainage, and grouting of a large number of shallow mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
workings with the laying of the new track commencing in September 2006. The project also involved the construction of a new bypass road and bridge which replaced a major level crossing which ran through the town. Alloa railway station
Alloa railway station
Alloa railway station is a railway station in the town of Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland, which was re-opened on Monday, 19 May 2008.- History :...
reopened in May 2008.
First ScotRail
ScotRail Railways Ltd. is the FirstGroup-owned train operating company running domestic passenger trains within Scotland, northern England and the cross-border Caledonian Sleeper service to London using the brand ScotRail which is the property of the Scottish Government...
now operates an hourly service from Alloa railway station
Alloa railway station
Alloa railway station is a railway station in the town of Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland, which was re-opened on Monday, 19 May 2008.- History :...
to Glasgow Queen Street via Stirling
Stirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
, Larbert
Larbert
Larbert is a small town in the Falkirk council area of Scotland. The town lies in the Forth Valley above the River Carron which flows from the west. Larbert is 3 miles from the shoreline of the Firth of Forth and 2.5 miles northwest of Falkirk, the main town in the area...
and Lenzie
Lenzie
Lenzie is a small town by the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway in the East Dunbartonshire council area of Scotland. It is about six miles north-east of Glasgow city centre and one mile south of Kirkintilloch. It has a population of about 10,000.-Name:...
between 0641 and 2241 Monday to Saturday and between 1041 and 2141 on Sundays. Passengers can travel to Inverness
Inverness railway station
Inverness railway station is the railway station serving the Scottish city of Inverness.- History :Opened on 5 November 1855 as the western terminus of the Inverness and Nairn Railway, it is now the terminus of the Highland Main Line, the Aberdeen-Inverness Line , the Kyle of Lochalsh Line and the...
, Edinburgh Waverley and Aberdeen
Aberdeen railway station
Aberdeen railway station is the main railway station in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is the busiest railway station in Scotland north of the major cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh.- History :...
with a change at Stirling, however for journeys to or from Edinburgh passengers with heavy luggage may find it more convenient to change at Larbert, where Edinburgh and Glasgow services use the same platform.
The new railway opened for traincrew route learning in early April 2008, followed by the opening to the public on Monday 19 May 2008. This had been preceded by an official opening on 15 May 2008, where Class K4 61994 "The Great Marquess" hauled four specials to Stirling. The return workings were hauled by Deltic
Deltic
Deltic may refer to:* Napier Deltic, a diesel engine** British Rail DP1 a prototype locomotive built by English Electric fitted with the Deltic Engine** British Rail Class 55, production locomotives powered by Deltic engines...
55022 "Royal Scots Grey." Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson
Stewart Stevenson
Stewart Stevenson is a Scottish politician who became a member of the Scottish Parliament in 2001....
officially reopened the line.
Education
The town has two high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s; Lornshill Academy
Lornshill Academy
Lornshill Academy is a six year comprehensive school situated in Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland. Approximately 1100 pupils are enrolled with the school. Lornshill currently employs approximately 83 teachers and 8 classroom assistants...
and Alloa Academy
Alloa Academy
Alloa Academy is a six-year state-funded comprehensive school, serving the town of Alloa in Clackmannanshire, Scotland. It is not known as a 'good' school and in a recent league table published by The Herald it was revealed that only 4% of pupils leave this school with 5 Highers, the lowest in the...
. Also five Primary schools: Claremont; Park; Sunnyside; St John's and St Mungos.
Religious sites
Alloa is currently served by two churches in the Church of ScotlandChurch of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
, namely Alloa Ludgate Church ( formed by the union of Alloa North Parish Church and Alloa West Parish Church in 2009 in the building of the former West Church) and St Mungo's Parish Church.In 1978 the Very Rev Dr Peter Brodie (then minister at St Mungo's) was elected Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The Moderator of the General Assembly of Church of Scotland is a Minister, Elder or Deacon of the Church of Scotland chosen to "moderate" the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week in Edinburgh every May....
. Alloa is within the Church of Scotland's Presbytery of Stirling.
In addition, the United Free Church of Scotland
United Free Church of Scotland
The United Free Church of Scotland is a Scottish Presbyterian denomination formed in 1900 by the union of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland and the Free Church of Scotland...
serves the town centre through the congregation at Moncrieff U.F. Church in Drysdale Street.
There are churches of other denominations in the town, including Baptist Church,a Catholic church also named St Mungo's and St John's Episcopal Church. There are also congregations of Latter-day Saints and Jehovah's Witnesses in Alloa.
The headquarters of Action of Churches Together in Scotland
Action of Churches Together in Scotland
Action of Churches Together in Scotland is a national ecumenical organisation of churches in Scotland, founded in 1990. It is the successor to the former Scottish Council of Churches...
(ACTS), the ecumenical organisation linking Scotland's largest churches, is located at Inglewood House, Alloa.
Sport
Alloa is home to one professional football club: Alloa Athletic Football ClubAlloa Athletic F.C.
Alloa Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Alloa, Clackmannanshire. They are members of the Scottish Football League and currently play in the Third Division....
. The club was formed in 1878 under the name of Clackmannan County but changed to its present day name of Alloa Athletic in 1883. The team currently compete in the Irn-Bru Scottish Football League Third Division
Scottish Football League Third Division
The Scottish Football League Third Division is the lowest division of the Scottish Football League and the fourth overall in the Scottish football league system....
after being relegated at the end of the 2010-11 season. Their home games are played at Recreation Park
Recreation Park, Alloa
Recreation Park is a football stadium located in Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland. It has been the home ground of Scottish Football League side Alloa Athletic F.C. since 1895....
in Alloa.
Notable people
Notable people from the burgh include the former footballer and commentator Alan HansenAlan Hansen
Alan David Hansen is a Scottish former football player and BBC television football pundit. He played as a central defender for Partick Thistle, Liverpool and Scotland...
who was born in Alloa, raised in Sauchie
Sauchie
Sauchie is a village in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies north of the River Forth and south of the Ochil Hills, within the council area of Clackmannanshire. Sauchie is located north-east of Alloa and east-southeast of Tullibody.- History :...
and attended Lornshill Academy, Alloa, and the artists Lys Hansen and Emma Scott-Smith. The Canadian politician George Brown
George Brown (Canadian politician)
George Brown was a Scottish-born Canadian journalist, politician and one of the Fathers of Confederation...
, who also founded the Globe and Mail newspaper, was born in the town in 1818. The founder of Forte Holdings which later merged with Trust House to become Trust House Forte, Lord Charles Forte
Charles Forte, Baron Forte
Charles Forte, Baron Forte was a British caterer and hotelier. His obituary in The Guardian obituary stated that: He created a worldwide empire of restaurants and hotels from virtually nothing-Early life:...
, was raised in Alloa.