landmark
The Kelpies
Two 30-metre steel horse-head sculptures towering over the canal at Falkirk, a striking modern landmark off the M9.
3 km · about 5 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomScotland
Falkirk
Scotland, United Kingdom · Europe
About Falkirk
Falkirk works well as a base: 17km from Stirling Castle.
Falkirk is in Scotland, United Kingdom, with about 35,000 people. You drive on the left here.
Falkirk ( FAWL-kurk; Scots: Fawkirk [ˈfɔːkɪrk]; Scottish Gaelic: An Eaglais Bhreac) is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, 23+1⁄2 miles (38 kilometres) northwest of Edinburgh and 20+1⁄2 miles (33 km) northeast of Glasgow.
Falkirk hadRead more
a population of 35,590 according to a mid-2020 estimate. The population of the town had decreased slightly to 34,627 in 2022, but still makes it the 20th most populous settlement in Scotland. Falkirk is the main town and administrative centre of the Falkirk council area, which has an overall population of 156,800 and inholds the nearby towns of Grangemouth, Bo'ness, Denny, Bonnybridge, Camelon, Larbert and Stenhousemuir, and the cluster of Braes villages.
The town is at the junction of the Forth and Clyde and Union canals, a location which proved key to its growth as a centre of heavy industry during the Industrial Revolution. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Falkirk was at the centre of the iron and steel industry, underpinned by the Carron Company in nearby Carron. The company made very many different items, from flat irons to kitchen ranges to fireplaces to benches to railings and many other items, but also carronades for the Royal Navy and, later, manufactured pillar boxes and phone boxes. Within the last fifty years, heavy industry has waned, and the economy relies increasingly on retail and tourism. Despite this, Falkirk remains the home of many international companies like Alexander Dennis, the largest bus production company in the United Kingdom. Falkirk has a long association with the publishing industry. The company now known as Johnston Press was established in the town in 1846. The company, now based in Edinburgh, produces the Falkirk Herald.
Attractions in and around Falkirk include the Falkirk Wheel, The Helix, The Kelpies, Callendar House and Park and remnants of the Antonine Wall. In a 2011 poll conducted by STV, it was voted as Scotland's most beautiful town.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Falkirk?
Within an hour or so of Falkirk: The Kelpies (3 km), The Dunmore Pineapple (8 km), Culross (11 km), Stirling Castle (17 km).
Are there any good drives near Falkirk?
The nearest famous roads are The Royal Mile, Rest and Be Thankful (A83) and Glen Lyon.
Where is Falkirk?
Falkirk is in Scotland, United Kingdom.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 35,310
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- Scotland
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 56.0021, -3.7854
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Falkirk
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
The Dunmore Pineapple
An outrageous 14m stone pineapple crowns this 1761 walled-garden folly, built for the Earl of Dunmore and rated among Britain's most eccentric buildings. Free to visit, hidden down a lane near Airth.
8 km · about 15 min drive
photogenic
Culross
Scotland's most complete 17th-century burgh: ochre-coloured Culross Palace, cobbled wynds and white-harled cottages on the Firth of Forth, preserved by the National Trust. Doubles as Cranesmuir in Outlander.
11 km · about 20 min drive
castle
Stirling Castle
One of Scotland's largest and most important castles, sitting atop Castle Hill and closely associated with Scottish independence.
17 km · about 20 min drive
film location
National Wallace Monument, Stirling (Braveheart)
The Victorian tower commemorating William Wallace overlooks the Stirling battlefield central to Braveheart's story; the film itself shot largely in Ireland.
17 km · about 20 min drive
racetrack
Knockhill Racing Circuit
Scotland's national motorsport centre, a compact but thrilling circuit with sharp elevation changes near Dunfermline.
22 km · about 25 min drive
bridge
Queensferry Crossing
The world's longest three-tower cable-stayed bridge, opened in 2017, carrying the M90 high over the Firth of Forth alongside its famous Victorian and 1960s neighbours: three centuries of bridges in one view.
23 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Forth Bridge
UNESCO-listed Victorian cantilever railway bridge spanning the Firth of Forth, a masterwork of 19th-century engineering in 54,000 tonnes of steel.
25 km · about 30 min drive
Driving roads near Falkirk
- 23 kmQueensferry CrossingThe world's longest three-tower cable-stayed bridge, opened in 2017, carrying the M90 high over the Firth of Forth alongside its famous Victorian and 1960s neighbours: three centuries of bridges in one view.
- 38 kmThe Royal MileEdinburgh's historic spine of cobbled streets and closes linking the castle to Holyrood Palace, lined with landmarks.
- 38 kmCalton HillAn accessible hilltop crowned with neoclassical monuments, giving the classic skyline view of Edinburgh at sunset.
- 39 kmArthur's Seat, EdinburghAncient volcanic peak rising 251 metres in the heart of Edinburgh, offering panoramic city views from its dramatic summit.
- 69 kmRest and Be Thankful (A83)The famous climb out of Glen Croe in Argyll with the old military road beside it; landslide-prone but a spectacular gateway to the west coast.
- 71 kmRest and Be ThankfulA famous viewpoint at the top of Glen Croe where 18th-century soldiers carved the name into a stone after completing the military road.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
May to September
Far northern latitude: short daylight hours outside summer make long drives harder.
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