Divisions, Towne—The county contain. 22 entire parishes, and part of five others. The royal, municipal, and parliamentary burghs are Far ICIIIK and S'trnLL'Ia ; the less Important towns are Alva, BANNOCK BURN, Denny, Grangemouth, Kilsyth, and Lennoxtown.
Alva, population 3058, situated at the foot of the ()chill Hills, about 0 miles E.. from Stirling, near the river Devon, is a busy manufacturing place. Tartan shawls, blankets, plaidings, and chequered kersoymeree, are extensively made. The Established, Free, and United Presbyterian Churches have places of worship.
Denny, population 2446, about 9 miles S. by E. from Stirling, possesses paper-mills, charcoal grinding-mills, a dye-stuff mill, a saw mill, and manufactures of linsey-wolsey shawls and tartan-cloth. There are places of worship for Established, Free, and United Presbyterians.
Grangemouth, population included with Falkirk parish, of which it forms a part. The port of Grangemouth is situated about 3 miles N.E. from the town of Falkirk, at the junction of the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Carron, near the confluence of the Carron with the Forth. The Grange burn formerly joined the Carron at this spot, but has been made to join the Forth, a mile east from the town, in order to convert its former channel into wet docks. In the town are a modern church in the Norman style, and a Free church. The basin and harbour afford facilities for vcsaela of any size. Grangemouth has a cnstom-house ; Alloa, Stirling, and Kincardine are included in the pert, The number of vessels registered as belonging to the port on December 31st, 1853, was 46 sailing-vessels of 8252 tons, and 7 steam-vessels of 823 tons burden. During 1853 there entered the port 817 sailing-veseels of 75,812 tons aggregate burden, and 79 steam vessels of 19,654 tons ; and there cleared 794 sailing-vessels of 75,352 tons, and -77 steam-vessela of 19,198 tons. The imports are—graiu, timber, flax, manganese-ore, cheese, bark, manna, and genevn, from Holland, Belgium, and Norway ; and goods of all descriptions from London, Hull, and other British ports. The exports are—coals, pig and wrought iron, glass, bricks, cordage, linen-yarn, and cotton and woollen goods. Vessels are built, and sail-cloth and rope manufaotured.
Ail A, population 3949,1s in the parish of Kilsyth, 13 miles S. by W. from Stirling. Kilsyth is a burgh of barony ' • it has a bailie and four councillors elected annually. It is irregularly laid out ; the houses are small : the streets are lighted with gas. The parish church is a modern building of considerable elegance. There are also a Free church. chapels for United Presbyterians and Independents, several schools, and a savings bank. The inhsbitanta aro chiefly hand loom weavers employed by the manufacturers of Glasgow. Them are two factories, and a brick and tile work.
Lensexteva, population 3109, about 11 miles N. by E. from Glasgow, contains the parish church of Campsie, n chapel for United Presby terians, and a handsome Roman esthetic chapel. The cotton manu facture is actively carried on. Lennox Castle is a spacious mansion of recent erection.
The following are some of the more important villages ; the popu lation is that of 1S51 :— //e/froe. a manufacturing village, in the western part of the county, IS miles N. from Glasgow: population of the parish, 1900. Balfrou is neatly built and clean, and the shops are lighted with gas from the cotton-works of Ballindalloch. There are here many hand-loom weavers. Bridge of Allan, a small village, 3 miles N. from Stirling, is much resorted to for its mineral springs. Campsie, population of the parish exclusive of Lennoxtown, 3310, is situated in a valley watered by the streams of Glassert and Kelvin. It contains an alum and colour manufactory. ID the vicinity are several print fields and cotton factories. Carron, a village in Larbert parish, about 2 miles N. from Falkirk. In the village AM the Carron iron-works, among the most extensive in the kingdom. There are five blast or smelting furnaces, four cupola furnaces, and 20 air furnaces; besides mills for grinding fire-clay, boring cylinders, grinding and polishing the metal, &c. The articles manufactured are machinery, agricultural implements, cannon, carronsdes (which take their name from this place), &c. The Carron Company have about 20 vessels to export their goods to London and elsewhere, and bring back coal and lime. Drymen, about 22 miles N.W. from Glasgow : population of the parish, 1481. Many of the inhabitants are hand-loom weavers. Kippen, 11 miles W. from Stirling, population of the parish 1892, is celebrated for its distillery. Weaving is carried on. There are an Established and a Free church; an Endowed and a Parochial school. Several fairs are held. Milngavic, population about 1500, distant 7 miles N.W. from Glasgow, contains a chapel of ease, a United Presbyterian church, and a parochial school ; a cotton-mill, two blenchfields, three printfields, a distillery, a paper-mill, and several corn-mills. St. Ninians, population about 1200, consists principally of one long street of old-fashioned houses. Some of these are very curious, and have not only the date of erection, but the implements or other emblems of the trade of the original occupier carved on stones on the front. There are in the village Established, Free, and United Presbyterian churches. The inhabit ants manufacture nails, leather, and tartan and tartan shawls. Strath. blane, population of the parish 1010, a small village 12 miles N. from Glasgow, contains a calico print-work and two bleaehfields.