1856: 7/87

work zz kind, if they think proper- Good materials for making roads abound in the upper parts of the county; but in the Carſe there are none but what are brought from a diſtance. Many good fione bridges are built at a conlfi- derable expence on the turnpike-roads 3; and alfo ſeveral upon the parochial roads, generally by private contribu- tion, as the public fund 1s very ſcanty.

TOWNS AND VILLAGES.

ÖTIRLING, 2 town of very remote antiquity, 15 the capital of the county.“ This town, on account of its vicinity to &« the Forth, as well as the caſtle, hath always been deemed “ a place of importance, and a ſort of key to the kingdom. « From the remoteſt ages, the common and eaſielt commu- « nication between the northern and ſouthern parts of the « iſland, hath been by the fords and bridges in its neigh- “ bourhood; hence the poſſeſlion of it hath ever been “« reckoned of the greateſt conſequence to thoſe who fought “ to be maſters of Scotland*."“ The town was ereCtted « into a royal borough by King David 1. about the year « 1150, and is reckoned the fifth borough in Scotland in << point of antiquity+."" It 1s accommodated with a well frequented weekly market held on Friday, and with a confi- derable number of annual fairs, at which great quantities of grain, cattle,&c. are ſold. The market-place 15 good, and the town furniſhed with proper granaries.

Kilſyth and Falkirk are alſo market-towns; the latter 15 populous, and its market well frequented, The population of the whole county may be about 56,000 ſouls, of whom 9500 reſide in the market-towns.

Beſides the market-towns, there 15 a conſiderable number of populous villages, as St Ninian's, Upper and Lower Ban- nockburn, Balfron, Carronſhore, Camelon, Airth, Bains-

C ford,

* Nimmo's Hiſt. of Stuliogſhire, p. 326. FT Ditto, p- 327.