Grangemouth
Encyclopedia
Grangemouth is a town and former burgh
in the council area
of Falkirk
, Scotland
. The town lies in the Forth Valley, on the banks of the Firth of Forth
, 2.7 miles (4.3 km) east of Falkirk
, 4.3 miles (6.9 km) west of Bo'ness
and 2.7 miles (4.3 km) south-east of Stirling. Grangemouth had a resident population of 17,906 according to the 2001 Census
.
Grangemouth's growth as a town relied mainly on its geographical location. Originally a bustling port, trade flowed through the town with the construction of the Forth and Clyde Canal
in the 18th century. Nowadays, the economy of Grangemouth is focused primarily on the large petrochemical
industry of the area which includes the oil refinery
, owned by Ineos
, one of the largest of its kind in Europe. The town is twinned with La Porte, Indiana
and Créteil
, Île-de-France
, France
as part of the Falkirk council area
.
. Originally under the name of Sealock, which referred to the Forth and Clyde Canal and where it flowed into the River Forth
.
The settlement was then renamed Grangeburnmouth and then finally to Grangemouth, the present day name. This refers to its position at the mouth of the Grange Burn which flows into the River Forth at this point.
As canal traffic that passed through the town the area became more prosperous, this was aided by the high tariffs at the port of Leith
which caused more traffic to pass through Grangemouth instead. The re-opened canal no longer passes through the old part of Grangemouth, but joins the tidal River Carron
, which has been deepened to allow access to the River Forth
for canal traffic. After Sir Lawrence died in 1781 his son Thomas Dundas
commissioned the architect Henry Holland
to re-plan the town, he designed the layout around the canal and its basin.
During World War II
, Inchyra Road was used as a runway; Canadian and Polish citizens were based there. Immediately prior to the outbreak of WWII the runway was an integral part of the Central Scotland Airport.
Scenes of the World War Z
movie are being filmed here with the backdrop of grangemouth.
The town is equidistant between the two largest cities in Scotland - Glasgow
and Edinburgh
- which has led to a number of motels and hotels being set up to satisfy the demand for convenient, but lower-cost tourist and business accommodation.
The main industry of Grangemouth and the wider Falkirk council area is focused on the Grangemouth Refinery
which employs a significant workforce and is one of the largest of its kind in Europe.
The Soap Works building which was used to manufacture soap and glycerine, and owned by the Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society was established in 1897. This was the largest works of its kind in Scotland and employed a considerable number of local people. It was demolished in November 2005 to make way for a new Whyte and Mackay
blending and bottling plant.
Grangemouth has an Air Training Corps
Squadron, 1333 (Grangemouth) Squadron (located at the TA Centre in Central Avenue), an Army Cadet Detachment (also in Central Avenue) and a Sea and Marine cadet corps at Grangemouth Docks.
There are two general health practices, and a dentist's surgery in the town. The area is covered by NHS Forth Valley
and with the recent downgrading of the Falkirk and Stirling Hospitals, all major services have been transferred to the newly built Forth Valley Royal Hospital in nearby Larbert
.
. Grangemouth High School was recently rebuilt with new facilities such as an indoor swimming pool, dance studio, a gym, and an outdoor football pitch. Grangemouth was notable for many years for having a three-tier school system - the only area in Scotland to do so. This system ended in 1988.
running straight through the heart of the town. Grangemouth has access to three nearby train stations, Falkirk High
, Falkirk Grahamston
, and Polmont
.
. The stadium has been extended to host a 150-metre running track, physio room, and weight-lifting. The stadium is used as the National Indoor Sports Stadium and for the Football Referees' Fitness Test for Stirlingshire.
A number of parks exist in the town which are used for sports and recreational activities. Inchyra Park, which is situated close to the stadium, Rannoch Park in the Bowhouse area which is situated at the point where the Grange Burn flows into the town, and Zetland Park in the centre of the town. Grangemouth Golf Club is actually located in the neighbouring village of Polmont
.
Falkirk Juniors FC, who were established in 2011, play their home match day fixtures at the Grangemouth Stadium facility. They currently compete in the Scottish Junior Football Association
, East Region, South Division.
Grangemouth also plays host to the Official Central Scotland 6-a-side Superleague which runs every week and involves teams from Grangemouth, Falkirk, Bo'ness and surrounding areas.
team called the Grangemouth Broncos is based in the town. In 2002 they won the UK bowl, becoming the First Scottish team to do so and compete in Europe in the same year.
, USA Créteil
, Île-de-France
, France
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 the council area
Subdivisions of Scotland
For local government purposes, Scotland is divided into 32 areas designated as "council areas" which are all governed by unitary authorities designated as "councils"...
of Falkirk
Falkirk (council area)
Falkirk is one of the 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland. It borders onto North Lanarkshire to the south west, Stirling to the north west, West Lothian to the south east and, across the Firth of Forth to the north east, Fife and Clackmannanshire...
, 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...
. The town lies in the Forth Valley, on the banks 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...
, 2.7 miles (4.3 km) east 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....
, 4.3 miles (6.9 km) west of Bo'ness
Bo'ness
Bo'ness, properly Borrowstounness, is a coastal town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on a hillside on the south bank of the Firth of Forth within the Falkirk council area, north-west of Edinburgh and east of Falkirk. At the 2001 census, Bo'ness had a resident population of 13,961...
and 2.7 miles (4.3 km) south-east of Stirling. Grangemouth had a resident population of 17,906 according to 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....
.
Grangemouth's growth as a town relied mainly on its geographical location. Originally a bustling port, trade flowed through the town with the construction of the Forth and Clyde Canal
Forth and Clyde Canal
The Forth and Clyde Canal crosses Scotland, providing a route for sea-going vessels between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde at the narrowest part of the Scottish Lowlands. The canal is 35 miles long and its eastern end is connected to the River Forth by a short stretch of the River...
in the 18th century. Nowadays, the economy of Grangemouth is focused primarily on the large petrochemical
Petrochemical
Petrochemicals are chemical products derived from petroleum. Some chemical compounds made from petroleum are also obtained from other fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, or renewable sources such as corn or sugar cane....
industry of the area which includes the oil refinery
Grangemouth Refinery
Grangemouth refinery is a mature complex oil refinery located on the Firth of Forth in Grangemouth, Scotland.Currently operated by Ineos, it is Scotland's only oil refinery , and is also the UK's second-oldest; it supplies refined products to customers in Scotland, northern England, Northern...
, owned by Ineos
Ineos
INEOS Group Limited is a privately owned multinational chemicals company headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland and with its registered office in Lyndhurst, United Kingdom...
, one of the largest of its kind in Europe. The town is twinned with La Porte, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
and Créteil
Créteil
-Health:As of 1 January 2006, 27 pharmacies, about 60 dentists, about 60 general practitioners, 10 pediatricians, and a half-dozen ophthalmologists and dermatologists constitute the general medical staff of the city.Health facilities include:...
, Île-de-France
Île-de-France (région)
Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
as part of the Falkirk council area
Falkirk (council area)
Falkirk is one of the 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland. It borders onto North Lanarkshire to the south west, Stirling to the north west, West Lothian to the south east and, across the Firth of Forth to the north east, Fife and Clackmannanshire...
.
History
Grangemouth was founded by Sir Lawrence Dundas in 1768 during the construction of the Forth and Clyde CanalForth and Clyde Canal
The Forth and Clyde Canal crosses Scotland, providing a route for sea-going vessels between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde at the narrowest part of the Scottish Lowlands. The canal is 35 miles long and its eastern end is connected to the River Forth by a short stretch of the River...
. Originally under the name of Sealock, which referred to the Forth and Clyde Canal and where it flowed into the River Forth
River Forth
The River Forth , long, is the major river draining the eastern part of the central belt of Scotland.The Forth rises in Loch Ard in the Trossachs, a mountainous area some west of Stirling...
.
As canal traffic that passed through the town the area became more prosperous, this was aided by the high tariffs at the port of Leith
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
which caused more traffic to pass through Grangemouth instead. The re-opened canal no longer passes through the old part of Grangemouth, but joins the tidal River Carron
River Carron (Forth)
The River Carron is a river in central Scotland. This river has given its name to towns in Falkirk, a variety of regional features, a type of cannon, a line of bathtubs, two warships and an island in the Southern Hemisphere.-River Carron:The river rises in the Campsie Fells before flowing into...
, which has been deepened to allow access to the River Forth
River Forth
The River Forth , long, is the major river draining the eastern part of the central belt of Scotland.The Forth rises in Loch Ard in the Trossachs, a mountainous area some west of Stirling...
for canal traffic. After Sir Lawrence died in 1781 his son Thomas Dundas
Thomas Dundas, 1st Baron Dundas
Thomas Dundas, 1st Baron Dundas FRS , known as Sir Thomas Dundas, 2nd Baronet, from 1781 to 1794, was a powerful figure in the Kingdom of Great Britain, now remembered for commissioning the Charlotte Dundas, the world's "first practical steamboat".-Biography:Thomas was the only son of Sir Lawrence...
commissioned the architect Henry Holland
Henry Holland (architect)
Henry Holland was an architect to the English nobility. Born in Fulham, London, his father also Henry ran a building firm and he built several of Capability Brown's buildings, although Henry would have learnt a lot from his father about the practicalities of construction it was under Brown that he...
to re-plan the town, he designed the layout around the canal and its basin.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Inchyra Road was used as a runway; Canadian and Polish citizens were based there. Immediately prior to the outbreak of WWII the runway was an integral part of the Central Scotland Airport.
Scenes of the World War Z
World War Z
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War is a 2006 post-apocalyptic horror novel by Max Brooks. It is a follow-up to his 2003 book The Zombie Survival Guide. Rather than a grand overview or narrative, World War Z is a collection of individual accounts in the form of first-person anecdote...
movie are being filmed here with the backdrop of grangemouth.
Economy
Grangemouth Port is one of the main ports in the UK with the largest container terminal in Scotland, with 9 million tonnes of cargo handled through the dock facilities each year. There are links to the inter-modal freight facilities elsewhere in the town which use the town's motorway connections.Glasgow
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...
and Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
- which has led to a number of motels and hotels being set up to satisfy the demand for convenient, but lower-cost tourist and business accommodation.
The main industry of Grangemouth and the wider Falkirk council area is focused on the Grangemouth Refinery
Grangemouth Refinery
Grangemouth refinery is a mature complex oil refinery located on the Firth of Forth in Grangemouth, Scotland.Currently operated by Ineos, it is Scotland's only oil refinery , and is also the UK's second-oldest; it supplies refined products to customers in Scotland, northern England, Northern...
which employs a significant workforce and is one of the largest of its kind in Europe.
Whyte and Mackay
Whyte and Mackay Ltd is a Scottish company producing alcoholic beverages. It was founded in 1844 and is based in Glasgow. Since May 2007, Whyte and Mackay has been owned by United Breweries Group, a large Indian conglomerate....
blending and bottling plant.
Grangemouth has an Air Training Corps
Air Training Corps
The Air Training Corps , commonly known as the Air Cadets, is a cadet organisation based in the United Kingdom. It is a voluntary youth group which is part of the Air Cadet Organisation and the Royal Air Force . It is supported by the Ministry of Defence, with a regular RAF Officer, currently Air...
Squadron, 1333 (Grangemouth) Squadron (located at the TA Centre in Central Avenue), an Army Cadet Detachment (also in Central Avenue) and a Sea and Marine cadet corps at Grangemouth Docks.
There are two general health practices, and a dentist's surgery in the town. The area is covered by NHS Forth Valley
NHS Forth Valley
NHS Forth Valley is one of the fourteen regions of NHS Scotland. It provides healthcare services in the Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Stirling area. NHS Forth Valley is headquartered in Castle Business Park, Stirling....
and with the recent downgrading of the Falkirk and Stirling Hospitals, all major services have been transferred to the newly built Forth Valley Royal Hospital in nearby 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...
.
Education
Grangemouth has four primary schools: Bowhouse Primary School, Beancross Primary School, Moray Primary School and Sacred Heart R.C. Primary School. The former three are within the catchment area of Grangemouth High School and the latter is a catchment primary school for St. Mungo's High SchoolSt. Mungo's High School
St Mungo's High School is the only Catholic High School in the area of falkirk and is situated in Merchiston Avenue in the town.The school is split into 6 houses; Andrew , Columba , Kentigern , Margaret , Ninian and Ogilvie...
. Grangemouth High School was recently rebuilt with new facilities such as an indoor swimming pool, dance studio, a gym, and an outdoor football pitch. Grangemouth was notable for many years for having a three-tier school system - the only area in Scotland to do so. This system ended in 1988.
Geography
Grangemouth, along with its surrounding areas, has become one of the most sought after locations in central Scotland. This is due to the M9 motorwayM9 motorway
The M9 motorway is a major motorway in Scotland. It runs from the outskirts of Edinburgh, bypassing the towns of Linlithgow, Falkirk, Grangemouth and Stirling to end at Dunblane.- Route :...
running straight through the heart of the town. Grangemouth has access to three nearby train stations, Falkirk High
Falkirk High railway station
Falkirk High railway station is one of the railway stations serving the town of Falkirk in Scotland. It is on the Glasgow to Edinburgh via Falkirk Line, and situated on the southern edge of the town, close to the Union Canal.-History:...
, Falkirk Grahamston
Falkirk Grahamston railway station
Falkirk Grahamston railway station is one of two railway stations serving the town of Falkirk in Scotland. It is located on the Edinburgh to Dunblane Line. Cumbernauld Line trains also terminate here. Train services are provided by First ScotRail...
, and Polmont
Polmont railway station
Polmont railway station is a railway station serving the village of Polmont, Scotland. It is located on the Glasgow to Edinburgh via Falkirk Line and is also served by First ScotRail services from Edinburgh to Dunblane.- Services :...
.
Recreation
Grangemouth has an international-standard sports stadium and sports centre. Grangemouth Stadium was built for the citizens of Grangemouth, partly funded by BPBP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
. The stadium has been extended to host a 150-metre running track, physio room, and weight-lifting. The stadium is used as the National Indoor Sports Stadium and for the Football Referees' Fitness Test for Stirlingshire.
A number of parks exist in the town which are used for sports and recreational activities. Inchyra Park, which is situated close to the stadium, Rannoch Park in the Bowhouse area which is situated at the point where the Grange Burn flows into the town, and Zetland Park in the centre of the town. Grangemouth Golf Club is actually located in the neighbouring village of Polmont
Polmont
Polmont is a village in the Falkirk council area of Central Scotland. It lies towards the east of the town of Falkirk, north of the Union Canal, which runs adjacent to the village....
.
Football
The town has many amateur football teams, including Zetland AFC, Mahratta AFC and Bowhouse F.C.Falkirk Juniors FC, who were established in 2011, play their home match day fixtures at the Grangemouth Stadium facility. They currently compete in the Scottish Junior Football Association
Scottish Junior Football Association
The Scottish Junior Football Association is an affiliated national association of the Scottish Football Association and is the governing body for the Junior grade of football in Scotland. The term "Junior" refers to the level of football played...
, East Region, South Division.
Grangemouth also plays host to the Official Central Scotland 6-a-side Superleague which runs every week and involves teams from Grangemouth, Falkirk, Bo'ness and surrounding areas.
American Football
An american footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team called the Grangemouth Broncos is based in the town. In 2002 they won the UK bowl, becoming the First Scottish team to do so and compete in Europe in the same year.
Religion
Many churches are located in Grangemouth: three Church of Scotland, two Catholic Churches, one Episcopal Church and several mission-type churches.Twin towns
Grangemouth is twinned with: La Porte, IndianaIndiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, USA Créteil
Créteil
-Health:As of 1 January 2006, 27 pharmacies, about 60 dentists, about 60 general practitioners, 10 pediatricians, and a half-dozen ophthalmologists and dermatologists constitute the general medical staff of the city.Health facilities include:...
, Île-de-France
Île-de-France (région)
Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Famous residents
- Willie BuchanWillie BuchanWilliam Ralston Murray "Willie" Buchan was a Scottish professional football player and manager. He played for Celtic, Blackpool, Hull City, Gateshead, Coleraine and East Stirlingshire....
- ex-Celtic and Blackpool footballer - Kaye AdamsKaye Adams (presenter)Kaye Adams is a Scottish television presenter, best known for presenting Loose Women from 1999 to 2006.-Early life:...
- television presenter - Alan DavieAlan DavieJames Alan Davie is a Scottish painter and musician.He was born in Grangemouth and studied at Edinburgh College of Art in the late 1930s. An early exhibition of his work came through the Society of Scottish Artists...
- artist - Steve FrewSteve FrewSteve Frew is a Scottish gymnast.He has represented Scotland and Great Britain over 100 times at various International Gymnastics Competitions....
- Commonwealth Games2002 Commonwealth GamesThe 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The XVII Commonwealth Games was the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK, eclipsing London's 1948 Summer Olympics in numbers of teams and athletes participating.After the 1996 Manchester...
gold medal winner, gymnastics - Robin GuthrieRobin GuthrieRobin Guthrie is a musician best known as co-founder of the Cocteau Twins. During his career Guthrie has played guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, drums and other musical instruments, in addition to programming, sampling and sound processing...
, Will Heggie and Elizabeth FraserElizabeth FraserElizabeth Davidson Fraser is a Scottish singer best known as the vocalist for the pioneer alternative rock group Cocteau Twins...
of the Cocteau TwinsCocteau TwinsCocteau Twins were a Scottish alternative rock band active from 1979 to 1997, known for innovative instrumentation and atmospheric, non-lyrical vocals... - Stuart KennedyStuart KennedyStuart Robert Kennedy is a former Scottish international football player, who also played as a right back for Falkirk and Aberdeen.-Club career:...
- ex-Aberdeen and Scotland footballer - Isla St ClairIsla St ClairIsla St Clair , is a Scottish singer, actress and former game show co-host.-Early career:Isla St Clair was born in Grangemouth, central Scotland, in 1952. Her family came from North East Scotland and it was here that she spent her early years...
- former television presenter - Sir David TweedieDavid TweedieSir David Tweedie is a Scottish accountant. As Chairman of the International Accounting Standards Board from 2001 until June 2011, he has been a global leader in the accounting profession.-Career:...
- chairman of the International Accounting Standards CommitteeInternational Accounting Standards CommitteeInternational Accounting Standards Committee was founded in June 1973 in London and replaced by the International Accounting Standards Board on April 1, 2001... - George YoungGeorge Young (footballer)George Lewis Young was a Scottish footballer, best remembered for his association with Rangers and for being the first player to receive over 50 caps for the Scotland national team.-Club:...
- ex-Rangers and Scotland football captain - Kevin McAllisterKevin McAllisterKevin McAllister is a former association football player. A winger, he began his professional career with Falkirk, with whom he spent 10 years over four separate spells. In between these spells he played for Chelsea and Hibernian...
- FalkirkFalkirkFalkirk 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....
and ChelseaChelsea F.C.Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
footballer, awarded Falkirks player of the millennium award. - Lesley Anne Derks - ArtistArtistAn artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
- Sir Thomas Livingstone Mitchell - Surveyor and explorer of south-eastern Australia.
External links
- Parish of Grangemouth by Rev. Hugh R. Thom
- Historical perspective, drawn from the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland
- Grangemouth Rugby Club
- Grangemouth High School
- Grangemouth (Central) 6-a-side Superleagues
- Photographs of 1980s Grangemouth
- National Library of Scotland: SCOTTISH SCREEN ARCHIVE (archive films relating to Grangemouth)