The Forth is the principal river in Stirlingshire, and though not the largest, has always held the first rank among the rivers of Scotland. It has its origin in a spring near the summit of Benlomond, and after running eight or ten miles under the name of the water of Duchray, and flowing through part of Perthshire, where it is called Avendow, or the Black River, it again enters Stirlingshire, under the denomination of the Forth, and after receiving the Teith, Bannock burn, Ardoch, and Allan, it enters the Carse of Stir ling, about six miles to the west of that town; a few miles further on it becomes navigable for vessels of 70 tons. Below Stirling the sinuosity of this river is very remarkable; the distance from the above town to Alloa, which is only seven miles in a direct line, is more than twenty by the course of the river, owing to its numerous windings, which are called the Links of the Forth. A little below Alloa it is joined by the Devon from the north-east, and shortly after expands into that noble estuary called the Frith of Forth, and leaves Stirlingshire a little to the south of Grange mouth. The Carron, which is the next river in size to the Forth, rises in the central district, and after flowing on in an easterly direction, joins the Forth at Grangemouth. This river is navigable for vessels of 200 tons, for about two miles from where it joins the Forth. The smaller rivers are the Bannockburn, celebrated for having been the scene of the battle between the English and the Scotch armies, in which the latter, under Bruce, completely routed the English, and established the independence of Scotland (See BANNOCKBURN), the Avon, the Enrick, the Blane, and the Kelvin, none of which are worthy of particular notice.
The manufactures of Stirlingshire are various. At Stirling there are manufactories of carpets, coarse cloths, and cottons. There are several large establish ments for cotton, paper, copperas, alum, Prussian blue, soda, &c. near Campsie. There are many large distilleries in different parts of the county, in which an immense quantity of spirits is made. But the
principal manufactory in the shire is one for iron ware of every description, on the banks of the Carron, which is celebrated over all Europe, and which we have already fully described under our article CARRON Wonns.
The agriculture of Stirlingshire is subject to con siderable variation, owing to the great variety of soil and situation. The carse lands which are arable are portioned out into small farms, of from 15 to 100 acres, which sometimes afford a rent of £4 an acre. But the hill farms sometimes extend to near 1000 acres. Large crops of wheat, barley, beans, pease, turnips, potatoes, &.c. are raised: the use of artificial grasses has also been very generally adopted in this county. The extensive ranges of moorland, in the upland districts, are exclusively devoted to the feeding of numerous flocks of sheep. There are few cattle reared in Stirlingshire, as the county is very generally supplied by the Highland drovers. The sheep are of the blackfaced or Highland breed.
Stirlingshire, which had in 1828, 129 freeholders, sends one representative to parliament; and the town of Stirling, in conjunction with Culross, Dunfermline, Inverkeithing and Queensferry, elects another.
In this county there are several highly interesting relics of antiquity. There are still some remains of the Roman Wall, called the Wall of Antoninus, which intersected the county. At the scene of the battle of Bannockburn a stone is exhibited, in which the royal standard was pitched. In the eastern part of the county several other battles were fought be tween the English and Scots.
The population of Stirlingshire was 65,376 in 1821; of which 31,718 were males, and 33,658 females. The number of families employed in agriculture. were 2600; and those employed in trade and manufactures, 6641; and of those in neither of the above classes, 4492. See our articles ANTONINUS'S WALL, BANNOCKBURN, CARRON WORKS, FORTH, and SoomAND.