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Balfron

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"Name, Extent, &c. - Balfron is a word of Gaelic derivation, and is said to signify "The Town of Sorrow." On what account the place obtained this name is not certainly known. The form of the parish is nearly an oblong square. Its length from east to west, is somewhat more than 8 miles; and its breadth, from north to south, from 1 to 2 miles. It is bounded by the parishes of Drymen, Killearn, Fintry, Gargunnock, and Kippen. The greater part of the grounds in this parish have the advantage of a fine southern exposure, rising gradually from the water of Endrick."

Parish of Balfrom (County of Stirling - Synod of Glasgow and Ayr, Presbytery of Dumbarton) By Mr James Jeffrey, Minister (Statistical Account of Scotland 1791-1799)

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Description & Travel

You can see pictures of Balfron which are provided by:

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Gazetteers

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History

The Balfron Heritage group, originally founded in 1989 to mark the 200th. anniversary of the Ballindalloch Cotton Works, maintains a web-site with much local information, including what "Local History Resources" are available at the local library. The history of the Ballindalloch works are also of some interest to numismatists as they issued their own money from about 1811 for a time.

More of the ecclesiastical history can be found at "The Balfron Church" web-site.

Balfron was the birthplace of Alexander 'Greek' Thomson, an architect who designed a number of churches in Glasgow.

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Maps

You can see maps centred on OS grid reference NS588897 (Lat/Lon: 56.079542, -4.270708), Balfron which are provided by: