Clackmannanshire is a council area in central Scotland, on the north bank of the Firth of Forth between Stirling and Fife. It had a population of 51,778 at the 2022 census and covers just 159 square kilometres (61 sq mi), which makes it the smallest historic county and the smallest mainland council area in Scotland.
Local people call it the Wee County. Alloa is the largest town and the seat of the council; the villages of Menstrie, Alva, Tillicoultry and Dollar run east along the foot of the Ochil Hills as the Hillfoots.
| Country | Scotland, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Status | Council area and historic county |
| Area | 159 km2 (61 sq mi) |
| Population (2022) | 51,778 |
| Population (2011) | 51,442 |
| Density | 326 people per km2 |
| Largest town | Alloa |
| Council | Clackmannanshire Council, Kilncraigs, Alloa |
| Rivers | Forth and Devon |
| Postcode area | FK |
Towns and Villages in Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire has 19 named towns and villages. Alloa holds about 20,400 people, roughly two in five of the county’s residents; Tullibody, Sauchie, Tillicoultry and Alva follow. The list runs alphabetically, from Alloa to Yetts o’ Muckhart.
- Alloa
- Alva
- Cambus
- Clackmannan
- Coalsnaughton
- Devonside
- Dollar
- Dunmore
- Fishcross
- Forest Mill
- Glenochil Village
- Helensfield
- Kennet
- Menstrie
- Pool of Muckhart
- Sauchie
- Tillicoultry
- Tullibody
- Yetts o’ Muckhart
Geography
Clackmannanshire borders Stirling to the west and north, Perth and Kinross to the north-east and Fife to the east. The Firth of Forth forms the southern boundary, with Falkirk on the far bank.
The county is a strip of carse farmland along the Forth with the Ochil Hills rising sharply behind it. Ben Cleuch, at 721 metres, is the highest point of the Ochils and rises directly behind Tillicoultry. The River Devon runs west along the base of the hills and joins the Forth near Cambus.
The whole county is about 12 miles across at its widest. Stirling is five miles west of Alloa; Edinburgh is 30 miles south-east.
Demographics
The 2022 census counted 51,778 residents, up 336 on 2011, close to no change over the decade. Density is about 326 people per square kilometre, well above the Scottish average because almost everyone lives in the narrow band of towns between the Ochils and the Forth.
Alloa and its immediate neighbours Sauchie and Tullibody form a single built-up area of roughly 35,000 people. Beyond the Hillfoots villages, the rural population is small: Muckhart, Forest Mill, Kennet and Cambus together hold only a few hundred residents.
The county has pockets of significant deprivation in central Alloa and Tullibody alongside affluent commuter housing at Dollar and Menstrie, and the gap between them is one of the sharpest in central Scotland.
Economy and Local Life
Brewing, glass and textiles built the local economy, and two of the three survive. Alloa has brewed beer since the 1700s and still runs a large maltings and a bottling and packaging operation; the town’s glassworks, dating from 1750, remains one of the biggest container-glass plants in Britain.
The Hillfoots villages were wool towns. Fast burns coming off the Ochils drove mills at Alva, Tillicoultry and Menstrie that spun and wove tweed and tartan through the nineteenth century. The mill buildings survive; the industry does not, and Diageo’s blending and packaging site at Menstrie is the main modern employer in the east.
Many residents commute to Stirling, Falkirk or Edinburgh. Dollar Academy, an independent school founded in 1818 on a bequest from a local shipowner, draws pupils from across central Scotland.
History
The county takes its name from Clackmannan, the old county town: the Clach Mhanainn, or stone of Manau, still stands on a shaft beside the tolbooth there. Clackmannan Tower above the village was a Bruce stronghold.
Alloa grew on coal and shipping. Coal from the Devon and Alloa pits went out through the harbour on the Forth, and one of Scotland’s earliest waggonways ran down to it in 1768. Alloa Tower, one of the largest surviving medieval keeps in Scotland, was the seat of the Erskine earls of Mar, who raised the Jacobite standard in 1715.
Clackmannanshire was abolished as a county council in 1975 and merged into Central Region, then restored as a single-tier council area in 1996 with almost its historic boundaries.
Getting There
The A907 links Stirling to Alloa and on to Kincardine Bridge. The A91 runs along the Hillfoots through Menstrie, Alva, Tillicoultry and Dollar towards Kinross and the M90. The A977 crosses south to the Kincardine and Clackmannanshire bridges over the Forth; the M9 is about six miles west.
Alloa station reopened in 2008 after 40 years without passenger trains, and has an hourly service to Stirling and Glasgow Queen Street. Larbert and Stirling stations serve the west of the county. Edinburgh Airport is about 25 miles away, a 40-minute drive.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Clackmannanshire?
51,778 at the 2022 census, an increase of 336 since 2011.
Why is Clackmannanshire called the Wee County?
It is the smallest historic county in Scotland, covering 159 square kilometres, and the smallest council area on the Scottish mainland.
What is the largest town in Clackmannanshire?
Alloa, with about 20,400 residents. Tullibody, Sauchie, Tillicoultry and Alva come next.
What are the Hillfoots villages?
Menstrie, Alva, Tillicoultry and Dollar, the old wool towns strung along the southern face of the Ochil Hills on the A91.
How many villages are in Clackmannanshire?
There are 19 named settlements in the county, including its towns.
What postcode is Clackmannanshire?
FK. Alloa and Tullibody are FK10, Menstrie FK11, Alva FK12, Tillicoultry FK13 and Dollar FK14.