Falkirk
Falkirk An Eaglais Bhreac | |||
Location Map ( geo) | |||
| |||
County | |||
Stirlingshire | |||
Highway Authority | |||
Falkirk | |||
Transport Scotland Roads | |||
M9 | |||
Places related to the M9 | |||
Places related to the A9 | |||
Stirling • Thurso • Inverness • Perth • Edinburgh • Wick • Aviemore • Newtonmore • Pitlochry • Dingwall • Linlithgow • Tain • Alness • Dunblane • Muir of Ord • John o Groats • Helmsdale | |||
Places related to the A803 | |||
Places related to the A905 | |||
For the authority, see Falkirk Council.
Falkirk is a town in the central belt of Scotland, lying roughly midway between Glasgow and Edinburgh, and a few miles to the south of Stirling. The town sits on the River Carron, a tributary of the River Forth, and which also forms the last section of the Forth and Clyde Canal. On the other side of the town, the Union Canal branches off the Forth and Clyde at the Falkirk Wheel, heading for Edinburgh. The canals are evidence of the long industrial history in Falkirk, although the town was once more famous as being home to the Falkirk Tryst, the largest livestock market in Scotland for a time, with sheep and cattle driven south from the Highlands to be sold on to traders from as far afield as London. Industry still plays a big part in the town, which has grown to be the largest urban area in Stirlingshire, with a number of neighbouring towns and villages absorbed into the urban area.
Falkirk lies just off the M9 which runs from Edinburgh to Stirling, while to the north and east the M876 and M80 go to Kincardine and Glasgow. The M9 separates Falkirk from Grangemouth and its vast oil refinery complex, which are now effectively part of the Falkirk urban area. The A9 runs through the town, once an important route from the capital, it has been usurped by the motorways and is now a non trunk road which has been truncated to start on the M9 between Falikr and Grangemouth. The road functions as a northern bypass to Falkirk, separating it from the northern suburbs of Carron, Stenhousemuir and Larbert amongst others.
The A803 now most closely follows the original route of the A9, providing a northern relief road to the town centre, and then continuing west through Camelon. The B8080 and B803 between them proivide the southern side of the relief road, with the B803 continuing south out of town to Slamannan and ultimately Coatbridge. To the east of the town centre, the A904 heads east through Grangemouth and onto Queensferry, with the A905 serving the newer parts of the town, the two linked by the B9132 and B9143. The A803 also heads east towards Queensferry, taking a more southerly route through Polmont where it meets the B805 and B810.
To the north of the town centre, the B902 heads through Carron to meet the A88, which partially marks the northern edge of the urban area. This short route seems unbefitting of a low number, but there is a long and complicated history relating to the A876 and M876. The B902 crosses the A9 on an overbridge, with the newly classified B906 providing a connection, although it is a long way round for a lot of traffic. The B905 also meets the B902, heading west through Larbert to meet the A883 and M876.
Routes
Route | To | Notes |
Stirling, Glasgow, Kincardine Bridge (M876) | ||
Edinburgh | ||
Stirling, Larbert | ||
Bathgate, Livingston, Maddiston (M8) | ||
Bonnybridge | ||
Linlithgow, Kirkilston (B9080) | ||
Glasgow, Edinburgh (M876), Denny | ||
Docks, Grangemouth | ||
Stirling, Kincardine Bridge (A876), Glasgow (A88), Fallin, Airth, Skinflats | ||
Bo'ness (A904) | ||
Slamannan, Coatbridge | ||
Redding, Maddiston | ||
Bonnybridge | ||
Stenhousemuir | ||
Shieldhill | ||
Southern part of Town Centre Relief road |