Grangemouth factfile

How to get to Grangemouth
Grangemouth lies high up the Firth of Forth, 40 km (25 mi) east of Edinburgh and 46 km (29 mi) north-west of Glasgow. The M9 skirts Grangemouth, making it a 40-minute drive into both cities. Grangemouth does not have direct rail links but there is a bus from the station in Falkirk, 3.2 km (2 mi) away. Edinburgh airport is 34 km (22 mi) away.

Grangemouth through the ages
Grangemouth was founded in 1769 by Sir Lawrence Dundas, a Scottish businessman. It was built alongside the Forth and Clyde Canal, which cut across Scotland to the Firth of Clyde, and much of Grangemouth's early growth was due to the high level of passing canal traffic.

The canal was closed in 1962. It has since been reopened but it has been diverted to allow for deeper boats, and no longer flows through Grangemouth.

In 1897, the largest soap works in Scotland was built in Grangemouth by the Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society, and became an important local employer. The landmark building was knocked down in 2005 to make way for a whisky and spirits blending and bottling plant.

Grangemouth Port is the largest container terminal in Scotland and handles 9m tons of cargo a year. The Central Scotland Airport opened in Grangemouth in 1939.

How Grangemouth got its name
Grangemouth was originally called Sealock, to mark the spot where the Forth and Clyde Canal flowed into the Firth of Forth. The name Grangemouth was coined to describe the town's position at the mouth of the Grange Burn, or stream, that flows through the town.

Grangemouth landmarks
BP's 500-acre oil refinery, chemical plant and pipeline reception centre in Grangemouth is one of the largest in Europe. Its sprawl of chimneys dominates the dockland landscape to the east of Grangemouth.

Famous people from Grangemouth
The members of the Cocteau Twins, a band famous in the 1980s, came from Grangemouth. So did Stuart Kennedy and George Young, both former Scottish international footballers, and Steve Frew, the Commonwealth Games gold gymnast.

Kaye Adams, a popular Scottish TV presenter grew up in Grangemouth, as did Alan Davie, the abstract expressionist artist.

Sport and leisure in Grangemouth
Grangemouth Stadium is an international-standard sports stadium and is used as the National Indoor Sports Stadium. It was part-funded by BP. Grangemouth Golf Club is in the neighbouring village of Polmont. The town is also home to the Grangemouth Stags Rugby Club.

Shopping in Grangemouth
Grangemouth town centre was transformed in the 1960s with the La Porte modern pedestrianised shopping precinct. Falkirk Council is planning a regeneration of the town centre and shopping facilities.