The Carron Works Visited
Photos
Local Area
Visited as part of a walk to take in Falkirk's main sights: the Falkirk wheel, the Falkirk football stadium and the Kelpies, 2 horse heid sculptures located in Helix Park. Falkirk is a bit of a 'gritty' town halfway between Edinburgh and Glasgow, with a strong industrial past including ironworks, coal, and canals. The town’s name might come from the Old English “falk” (speckled) or Gaelic “Eaglais Bhreac” (speckled church), tied to a 7th-century church with funky stonework. In 1298 the Battle of Falkirk saw William Wallace get a bloody nose from the English, but in 1746, Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Jacobites gave the redcoats a right good fukin kicking. These days it’s home to the Falkirk Wheel, a bonkers rotating boat lift that connects the Forth and Clyde and Union Canals. It’s the only one of its kind globally, spinning boats 24 meters up like a watery Ferris wheel. It's also home to the Kelpies, two 30-meter-high horse-head sculptures by Andy Scott, symbolizing the area’s canal-working horses. They’re the world’s largest equine statues, glowing like something out of a sci-fi flick at night.
The Pub
The Carron Works, located on Bank Street, is named after the historic Carron Ironworks, which kickstarted Falkirk’s iron industry in the 18th century, the pub is a nod to the town’s industrial past. Unfortunately it was back to toilets up 2 and a half flights of stairs but otherwise a really nice pub. Staff were also really nice.
Football Team
Falkirk Football Club, affectionately nicknamed "The Bairns," were founded in 1876. They have just won 2 promotions on the bounce and will be playing in the Scottish Premiership this season. Their early 1900s peak saw them finish second in the top flight twice, behind Celtic, and they were the first Scottish club to smash the 100-goal barrier in a season. Falkirk’s home since 2004 is the Falkirk Stadium, a 7,937 all-seater venue with three stands and a 4G pitch. In 1922 they paid a world-record £5,000 for striker Syd Puddefoot!
Travel
Busses there: First 77, Midland X37 Busses back: Midland X37 broke down. Replacement Midland X37 to Glasgow Buchanan Street then a First 77 back tae Partick.
Beers
Loddon Brewery Hullabaloo Best Bitter. Bloody good, priced at £1.99 but sold for £1.79 on the Monday to Wednesday real ale deal. Cheated and drank 2 pints instead of my usual 1, ah'll score it at 4.5/5! Loddon Brewery is located in Dunsden, Oxfordshire, founded in 2002, and is a family-run independent brewery operating out of a 300-year-old converted brick barn. They are widely respected for crafting classic, award-winning English cask real ales using local Berkshire/Oxfordshire water and local hops. Hullabaloo Best Bitter is Loddon’s flagship traditional English Best Bitter (4.2% ABV). Tasting Notes; pours a deep copper-amber. Features a rich, nutty, and biscuity malt profile balanced by dry, herby, and earthy hop bitterness from the Fuggles. Food Pairings; Sunday Roast, Pub Favorites and Cheese.