Alloa
Alloa is a town within Clackmannanshire, set inside the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on the north bank of the Firth of Forth next 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 name potentially means 'rock plain'. During the 2001 census, Alloa had a resident population of 18,989. Improvements were made to the harbour during the 1700s, leading to Alloa thriving as a river port whereby the merchandise made in Glasgow were exported to continental Europe. During those times, and till the 1950s, the principle industry to the north and east of the town was coal mining. Wool has also often been plentiful locally and in the early years of the 19th century, John Paton created a small yarn-spinning company within the town, later establishing Kilncraigs Mill. His business merged with J. & J. Baldwin of Halifax in 1924 to become the world-famous Paton & Baldwins Ltd. Alloa was well known for its weaving and glassmaking industries throughout the 19th and into the early 20th century. Alloa has long been linked to the brewing sector, with at least nine major breweries producing ales at its height. It was also home to a distillery. Following the closure of the distillery, barrel cooperage continues to flourish in the town. The town has a busy shopping centre, with nationally recognised supermarket chains on the site of the old distillery, near to the railway station. For all of your home improvements, make sure that you use trustworthy experts in Alloa to make sure you get good quality work.