Clackmannanshire, SCT - Postcode - FK10 1AH

Clackmannanshire

Clackmannanshire is located in central Scotland, and it is surrounded by the council areas of Stirling, Fife, and Perth & Kinross, as well as the historic counties of Perthshire, Stirling, and Fife.

The name incorporates parts of three different languages. Clach, which means "Stone" in Scottish Gaelic, provides the first element of the name. The name Mannan comes from the Brythonic word for the local Iron Age tribe, the Manaw. English word "shire" rounds out the set. The county is known as "The Wee County" because it is the smallest historic county in Britain. Clacks is often used as an abbreviation for "Clackmannanshire" in written form.

History

The ancient stone associated with the pre-Christian deity Manau or Mannan gave the old county town of Clackmannan its name.

Near the top of Main Street in Clackmannan, the stone is now supported by a larger stone in front of the Tollbooth (constructed in the late 16th century) and the Mercat Cross.

Weaving mills on the Hillfoots burns gave Clackmannanshire its name. Brewing, glassmaking, mining, and shipbuilding were among the other major economic drivers. Clackmannanshire is now attracting service industries and tourism thanks to its central location and convenient transportation options.

Clackmannanshire has the fewest residents of any Scottish council area. At the time of the 1841 census, its population stood at 19,155. There are now over 51,400 of them (as of 2017), with about half of them residing in Alloa, the largest town and administrative center.

Clackmannanshire's official motto is "Look Aboot Ye" (Circumspice in Latin). After a branding exercise in 2007, the region began using the tagline "More Than You Imagine."

Administration and Politics

The counties of Perthshire, Stirlingshire, and Fife surround Clackmannan County, one of Scotland's 33 traditional counties. By 1822, neighboring Alloa had surpassed Clackmannan in population and replaced it as the county town. In 1971, the areas of Muckhart and Glendevon, which had previously been in Perthshire, were transferred to Clackmannanshire as part of a reorganization of the counties that began in 1889 and 1890. The Sheriff's Court in Alloa served as the seat of the Clackmannanshire County Council.

The existing burghs and 33 historic counties were abolished in 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, and a new administrative structure of regions and districts was established. They changed the name of Clackmannanshire to "Clackmannan District." It, along with Stirling and Falkirk, was incorporated into the Central Region.

The Clackmannan district is now one of Scotland's 32 unitary authorities, which came into existence after the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act of 1994 abolished the country's two-tier system of local government. The initial council of the unitary authority rebranded the area as "Clackmannanshire" in response to vocal opposition from the local populace.

Clackmannanshire was the first council area to announce its vote in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. Despite the fact that some polls had placed this region in the "Yes" column, this area ultimately voted 53.8% No. This was taken as an ominous portent of a no vote in Scotland's independence referendum.

Clackmannanshire, United Kingdom, voted to remain a member of the European Union in the 2016 referendum by a margin of 58%.

Geography

Ben Cleuch, the highest point in Clackmannanshire, is located in the Ochil Hills, which take up the majority of the northern part of the county. Along the Upper Glendevon Reservoir is where the county's northernmost point of prominence can be found. The Hillfoots Villages, which run parallel to the Ochil Fault escarpment, can be found in Strathdevon, which is situated directly to the south. The majority of Strathdevon is a lowland plain a few hundred meters wide on either side of the River Devon, which empties into the Forth near Cambus. The Black Devon River flows past Clackmannan and eventually empties into the Forth somewhere near Alloa. This intersection used to have a pier so that smaller sailing ships could anchor there while larger ones were accepted at Dunmore Pier on the south side of the Forth. The Gartmorn Dam County Park is located in the general middle of the county, and there are a few forested areas in the county's southeastern corner. The river Forth meanders to form two unnamed peninsulas along Clackmannanshire's southern border, with Tullibody Inch and Alloa Inch flanking the easternmost of these.

Economy

Agribusiness, brewing, and coal mining are the primary economic activities. The Docks area of Alloa, which has been in decline since the 1960s, was approved for waterfront development in 2006. Alloa is home to a sizable glass manufacturing facility.

Transport

Alloa station, which had been closed since the 1930s, reopened in May 2008, becoming the county's first operational railroad hub. Alloa was reconnected to the national rail network for the first time since 1968 when a new railway line between Kincardine and Stirling was opened to the public. Only between Alloa and Stirling do scheduled passenger services run, continuing on to Glasgow and Edinburgh; the line to Kincardine is typically used by freight trains only, though some special excursion trains are run by charter operators. After a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, May 15th, the first scheduled passenger service began on Monday, May 19th, 2008, in accordance with the new summer schedule. Alloa, Stirling, and Glasgow Queen Street are connected by this service once an hour.

As of 2008, there was a new road crossing the Forth, the Clackmannanshire Bridge, which was built to relieve traffic on the older Kincardine Bridge (technically the span of the new bridge is not within the county, instead falling just outside it and administratively divided between Falkirk and Fife).

The Hillfoots Villages are accessible via the A91 between Bannockburn and St. Andrews, which connects to the A907 between Stirling and Dunfermline, the A908 between Alloa and Tillicountry, and the A977 (fed by the A876) between Kincardine and Kinross, which runs east of Clackmannan.