Sitting comfortably right in the center of Scotland, the lovely burg of Falkirk enjoys a healthy population of over thirty four thousand citizens. This is largely due to the fact that Falkirk is rather close to such huge Scottish cities as Glasgow and Edinburgh. All the same, Falkirk enjoys the varied and advanced attitude of a large city while still eschewing many of the problems that plague such cities. If one were to take all of the outlying parts that are often incorporated into Falkirk the population shoots to a more accurate tally of about a hundred thousand. This makes Falkirk the fifth largest urban area in all of Scotland.
Like its larger brothers Edinburgh and Glasgow, Falkirk exploded in size as a result of the Industrial Revolution. Not surprisingly, one can still see the remnants of factories, mills, and smokestacks that gave birth to the large and exciting city that is modern day Falkirk. Falkirk was in fact one of the earliest industry towns in Scotland having been the first city in the country to cast iron on a large scale. As such, Falkirk is considered to be the birth and the hub of Scotland's Industrial Revolution. The famed Carron Iron Works located in town is filled to the brim with history and it was here in the late 1700s that James Watt first began to revolutionize the iron industry. Cast iron cooking pots were made in Falkirk and shipped to places all over the world and there are even some locations in Africa that still refer to iron pots as "Falkirks". Falkirk established a strong railway and canal rather early and the ease of traveling from Edinburgh to Falkirk played a large part in the growth of both of the cities. Falkirk was also the first town in all of the United Kingdom to have an automated street light system. The clever design of this early system served as the basis from which many later systems in other towns would take their cue.
Falkirk's roots extend much further back than the Industrial Revolution, however, and the truth of the matter is that the area was important even in the days of the Roman Empire. During that time the Antonine Wall stood as a barrier against invasion and to this day Falkirk is one of the best places in the United Kingdom as far as seeing Roman relics is concerned. The Middle Ages were also a boon to the history of Falkirk and it was in this town that one of the greatest Scottish heroes in history was slain. The famed rebel William Wallace lost his life in 1298 in the Battle of Falkirk at the hands of King Edward I. This battle at first spelled doom for the uprising nation but eventually Wallace's aim was posthumously achieved. At any rate, it is astonishing that a town can have such a rich history yet still have such clout in the present as a modern city in every sense of the word. This, though, is the nature of Falkirk and is yet another reason why the town is so revered and beloved.
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