Stenhousemuir The Lowland town between Stirling and Larbert.
Stenhousemuir started life as a small village bordering Larbert and northwest of Stirling. Situated in the picturesque Forth Valley where the River Carron runs past, this is a pretty small town ideal for visiting in the summer months.
We took the five-minute tour around Stenhousemuir to report back on all the good things we found there. Here’s a little bit of Stenhousemuir history, followed by some other fun facts.
The early days of Stenhousemuir
Most of the area of Stirling was owned by Clan Stirling in the early days. This clan began in 1147 when David I granted the lands near Cadder to Thoraldus de Strivelyn. Clan Stirling was a lowland clan, which would have caused lesser status in the eyes of the Highland Scots. The land passed from hand to hand in the clan until John de Strivelyn held Dumbarton Castle for James I. The king knighted one of the other members of the household in 1430. He gifted them the lands of Glovat, which previously belonged to the Earl of Lennox.
Clan Stirling went on to inherit the lands of Keir in Perthshire in the 1400s. One of their descendants, George, fell out of favour with the royals in the mid-1500s. In 1547, George led his men against the English at the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh. He would later die from his wounds. Clan Stirling had an old feud with Clan Kincaid, but the two clans fought in the 1500s and the chief of Clan Stirling lost an arm. Later, the two clans fought again, and chief Kincaid died.
The Clan Stirling supported Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Stuart house. However, the best know Stirling was Sir David Stirling, founder of the British Special Forces Unit, the 22nd Special Air Service – better known as the SAS.
But back to Stenhousemuir.
Stenhousemuir was a key area to the Romans, even if it was not quite a town yet. There is a crossing point on the River Carron here, which they used so often that they ran a road through the area. There was a round Roman building here for generations until 1743 when Sir Michael Bruce of Stenhouse demolished it to build a mill. This was such a terrible crime that he was reported to the London Society of Antiquities. In 1748, the dismantled stones left on the river bank were lost in a flood.
The Romans had a habit of invading, setting up temples to their own gods, and incorporating the gods of the new land into their worship. It was both superstition and a way of assuring the common folk that they could worship in the Roman state. It is the round supposed temple that gave Stenhousemuir its name. In Auld Scots, Stenhouse would be a house of stone, and Muir would be the moors surrounding it. The structure of the Stenhouse suggested it was built to worship a water goddess. One named Carron.
The Middle Ages in Stenhousemuir
Sometime around 1160, The Bishop of St Andrews gave the lands to the Christian community which had formed there. The Priests of Cambuskenneth received the chapels of Donypas and Lethbert. They held these lands for four hundred years. The areas of Larbert (and Stenhousemuir) and Dunipace were one conjoined parish until 1962. The chapel survived until 1450. After the 1400s passed, we have information on a second clan that possessed Stenhousemuir – the Bruce family.
The nearby royal forest of Torwood fell to the Foresters of Garden, a position held by the Bruces of Airth Castle. Legend holds that they often fought with the nearby Livingstons of Calendar, another lowland clan. The early Scots loved a good blood feud but make no mistake, The English encouraged this rivalry. If Scotland was fighting each other, it was not fighting them.
Sir Alexander Forester built nearby Torwood Castle in 1566. The castle was abandoned but purchased in the 1950s by a local man, who spent years refurbishing it.
In the 1700s the Bruce clan built Stenhouse estate, a country home in the Scottish Baronial style. IT lasted until the 1960s when it was demolished despite being a listed building. Coincidentally, the stately home stood yards away from where the previously demolished Roman temple stood. As if history were getting its own back on the original Bruce who demolished the temple to build his mill.
Of the Kinnaird Bruce’s,’ Robert was the churchman who took over from John Knox, who went power-mad during the time of Mary Queen of Scots circa 1590/ He was a confidant of King James VI but was sent into exile when they argued. Later, James Bruce would travel the world from the deserts of Africa to the source of the Nile. He mastered thirteen languages, all before the 1800s.
Let us take a short break from the history because we are getting towards the Industrial era. We like to check out some fun facts about our towns. Here goes nothing.
Fun Trivia About Stenhousemuir
Every town we investigate has some hidden history of its own. We like the fun stuff, the macabre stuff, and the stuff other people forgot about. Let us see what we dug up on Stenhousemuir:
- We’re still shaken by the coincidence that the Bruce’s of Kincaid knocked down the old Roman Temple to build a mill and then had their own estate knocked down illegally almost on the same spot two hundred years later. Scotland has ghosts, guys, don’t mess with them.
- Stenhousemuir is famous for holding the Falkirk Tryst, which is one of the largest livestock gatherings in Scotland. It is frequently held in the summer and autumn months and has run since 1785.
- Andrew McCowan and his wife famously made the illustrious and countrywide famed sweetie the Highland Toffee in Stenhousemuir in 1924. Their sweets are still made to this day.
- The local park, Ochilview, is named for a range of hills to the north of the town. The Ochil Hills are stunning in all seasons but be careful hill walking in winter.
- Young men from the Carron Company were reported by innkeeper Robert Turnbull in 1762 for ‘endeavouring to seduce young girls!’
- James Bruce, the traveller, visited countless foreign shores and had numerous adventures. He died falling down the stone steps of the estate escorting a lady to her carriage[i].
So, this is a cheery town. Let’s get back to the industrial history so we can move on to the attractions in the area.
Industrial Era Stenhousemuir
The Carron Ironworks company arrived in Stenhousemuir in 1759. This caused the inevitable expansion of the town. Larbert Parish grew wildly until the overspill resulted in the smaller area around the Stenhouse estate swelling in population. The settlement of Carronshore also saw growth in this period. The area did not respond well to this influx of young men. The sailors or hands working on the Carron Ironworks were renowned troublemakers, but it wasn’t truly their fault. There was an economic depression in a sense of living conditions and wages not matching growth. Poverty was horrendous, with both the Bruce and the Dundas Lairds exploiting the lands and the workers for coal and iron.
A new church was built in neighbouring Larbert in 1820, but this was one of the very few improvements that the local people saw because of their challenging work. In fact, the government poured £15 million into regenerating the dilapidated town centre of Stenhousemuir in the early 2000s. It took more than 200 years for them to fix the mess the Lairds left behind.
The Falkirk Tryst began in 1785, bringing a new age of farming, cattle and livestock keeping in the area. Church records from 1690 report that local wealthy landowners left money for a school to be built. They report that at least two teachers were dismissed for drunken or slovenly behaviour. The school was mostly funded by church collections on a Sunday. By 1790 there were 200 children of miners and smelters who attended church-run schools.
In the early 1900s, the town gradually became agriculture-focused. The educated children were growing and demanding land reforms, things started to change.
In 1840 the railway reached the area, allowing greater business opportunities. The town traded in lumber and a nail works opened n Camelon. In 1875, the two villages had a sawmill and an ironmonger. In the 1890s there were 25 iron foundries in the area which employed more than 9000 men. Dobbie and Forbes employed 200 people.
Early in the 20th century, Ms McCowan sold toffee from her house and eventually brought it to the high street. Around the same time, the foundries began closing. The village foundries formed the Muirhill Foundry – a union of sorts. They survived longer than most, but nothing remains of any of the foundries today.
Modern Stenhousemuir
Nearby Larbert was the home to the Scottish National Institution for the Education of Imbecile Children – and we know! We know! It’s an unacceptable name. For the sake of history, though, it was built in 1860 for £13,000. The Stirling District Lunatic Asylum was built shortly after on land similarly purchased from the Stenhouse estate.
We need to take a moment to talk about the abandoned asylums in Scotland. Each county has at least one of them. They are ancient, decrepit buildings that are falling apart. Most have no roof or windows; all are in the middle of nowhere. This is where we put the crazy women, the people who suffered from ‘hysteria,’ the sand, the lonely, the disabled. We should never forget that we hid them away from the world. Asylums were still operating in Scotland in the 1980s. There are people still alive today who can tell you the stories of abuse they suffered inside these haunting buildings. It was horrendous.
The buildings later became Bellsdyke Hospital, which has been systematically dismantled over the decades. The last asylum in Glasgow closed in 2002[ii]. This article from 1999 reports on lobotomies still in use in Britain at that time. If you have a mental illness, thank your lucky stars you were born in the last few decades.
Modern Stenhousemuir has a population of 10k people. The town contributed during both world wars, with a tribute to the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders marking their contribution between 1939 and 1945. In the early 2000’s the council refurbished the town centre. Since then, it looks pleasant and holds more shops. Stenhousemuir is famed for the football team of the same name, which recently received the new stadium at Ochilview Park.
This is a lovely area of the country, with nearby Falkirk providing a lot to do for those with vehicles. If you head north, you hit those beautiful hills and then the mountains. You are in Stirling lands, which have many a castle to visit. There’s a lot going on. Your nearest big city is Edinburgh and you’re only a hop, skip and a jump away from the Southern Highlands. Overall? It’s a good location for a holiday.
Famous People from Stenhousemuir
We like to research the most famous faces to have come from the area we are reporting on. Stenhousemuir is a small town, so we may have to borrow from the neighbouring areas. Either way, there’s always some famous people you might run into at the supermarket no matter where you go in Scotland. There’s really not that many of us.
Famous people from Stenhousemuir:
- Footballers and football managers, because you are never far from one up north, including Kenny Black, John Hodge, John Hunter, John Morrison, and Jimmy Somerville. Oh, and David Thompson… Alex Spark…
- Physicist John Walker Sharpe was from here.
- Brian Hardie – a professional cricketer, proving we have other sports.
- And Helen Eadie, the MP for Labour.
So that’s not the best list, but at least they are successful in football.
The Best Attractions in Stenhousemuir
This is the part of the tour guide to Stenhousemuir that you have all been hanging around for – the best things to see and do there. Here’s what locals recommend to tourists who venture this far north. Keep in mind this is a small town with not much going on. Visitors stay here for the peace and quiet and travel into the surrounding areas for daytime activities. Here are some of the best of those.
Historic Sites and Landmarks
Stenhousemuir is in the vicinity of the UK-wide famous ‘Pineapple’. Simply known as ‘the Pineapple,’ this fruit-inspired architecture was created in homage to the popularity of this exotic fruit during the industrial era. The Earl of Dunsmore had the stately home built with a pineapple on the roof, as a sort of shrine. Pineapples were first grown in Scotland in 1731, so it made sense. Sort of. The estate grew pineapples and numerous other types of exotic fruit. He would fetch the seeds and plants from abroad and try to grow them in his glass houses. You can browse the gardens, see the gift shop, and enjoy tea and cake here. Oh, and take lots of pictures of the gigantic looming pineapple that dominates every view. The National Trust of Scotland preserve places like this so please give them money.
Another big landmark nearby, the Falkirk Wheel is part of the Scottish Canal system. It was built in the millennium as the sort of Scots version of the London Eye. It operates in this futuristic style wheel that gives you a fantastic view out over Stirlingshire. It’s 23 miles from Edinburgh and just south of Stenhousemuir. It’s a strange attraction that is part sculpture and part tourist attraction. It also has a functional purpose for the dam.
Galleries and Museums
Head out to one of Scottish history’s most famous locations. Nearby to Larbert, the Battle of Bannockburn visitors centre lets you explore the ancient battleground for yourself. The battle took place in 1314 and was historically celebrated as Bruce’s victory. It’s an awesome site to stand in and realise how many hundreds of years have passed.
If you can travel into Stirling, then head to the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum. Sponsor local artists by buying their work here or browsing their exhibitions. This is a fantastic old building on its own, so do take your camera for IG shots. The museum records the history of the town of Stirling, so there will be some clan information there if you ask them. It includes a café and other fun interactive learning opportunities.
Outdoor Attractions
You can’t come to Scotland and not see the Kelpies while you are here. The kelpie is a legendary creature that has the body of a seal and the head of a horse, they neigh at you and lure you to your death. Not really, but Scottish mythology has lots of weird monsters. Let’s not forget about the Coluinn Gunn Cheann, who throws his head at people to kill them. The Kelpies are a massive sculpture just off the M9. They are surrounded by a lovely park that’s pleasant for walking in and gives great photos. It’s not so far from Stenhousemuir, either.
Sports and Recreation
Stenhousemuir FC plays at Ochilview Park which you can visit. Go and watch a game or take a brief tour. They have a partially covered seating area, so severe weather viewing is a possibility.
You’re never far from a golf course in Scotland and the same can be said of in this region. You have your choice of golf clubs here. There’s the Glenbervie Golf Club or the Falkirk Tryst Golf Club, which busies up near market days in summer and autumn. If you head south, you can use Falkirk Golf Club, too.
What to do with the Kids?
Head south into Falkirk and hit up the Wonder World Soft Play centre with the smallest kids. Let them learn about the world through squishy building blocks and play areas that won’t hurt them. There are a few kids play parks on the top end of town in Stenhousemuir. Just out of town to the north and near the main road. These are just little swing parks and places to walk the dog.
Shopping and Retail
If you want to shop till you drop, you don’t do it in Stenhousemuir. Jump on the bus and head into Falkirk. There’s the Central Retail Park, the Howgate Shopping Centre, the Lonely Broomstick, and plenty of other stores.
Other Notable Attractions Near Stenhousemuir
If you have come this far and you are still looking, the chances are you took our advice and visited for a few days. If you’ve had enough peace, check out the following attractions in the surrounding area:
- Head into Edinburgh for the day and shop, dine or stay overnight. There are distilleries aplenty and a great camera obscura you should see. Oh, yes, and the castle.
- Go and visit Stirling Castle, while you are there visit the Wallace Monument. It is a little climb but worth it.
- Visit and climb Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh for the best view of the city.
How to get to Stenhousemuir?
If you are visiting, you will need to know how to get there. We must be honest: we’re really not the best people to ask. We are willing to give it a go, but maybe trust Google maps instead.
By Road
Head north out of Edinburgh on the M9 until you hit Falkirk, then head west.
By Rail
There is no Stenhousemuir station so go to nearby Larbert.
By Air
The nearest airport is Edinburgh International Airport.
By Sea
Alas, there’s no sea access. You can sail some of the Carron.
Got Five Minutes?
If you are still cruising for some interesting things to do near you, check out our other local travel guides. As ever, we like to remind our readers that they can join us on Facebook if they feel up to it. Every follower counts in spreading the word of Five Minutes Spare.
[i] https://falkirklocalhistory.club/around-and-about-the-area/places/larbert-and-stenhousemuir/
[ii] https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/sad-secrets-glasgows-abandoned-mental-hospital-1439724
