Strathblane

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Strathblane and Blanefield are linked villages 12 miles north of Glasgow in the Parish of Strathblane at the southern extremity of the Stirling Council Area.

To the east lies the historic town of Lennoxtown and to the North the Campsie Fells. To the west is the volcanic plug Dumgoyne, Glengoyne Distillery and the Trossachs National Park. The West Highland Way passes close to the village.

The Blane – Beulabhuin, pronounced Beul-uin, meaning "river issuing from the ravine" – rises from the earl’s seat in the Campsie Fells. The stream passes over the waterfall the Spout of Ballagan which shows 192 alternate strata of earth and limestone including pure alabaster. The Blane flows into the Endrick, which, in its turn, flows westward to Loch Lomond.

[edit] History

The principal local family are the Edmonstones of Duntreath who had ancient links to the kings of Scotland. In 1374 Sir John Edmonstone was an ambassador to France for Robert II, subsequently his son Archibald settled the family at Duntreath. In 1425 William Edmonstone married Mary Stewart, Princess of Scotland (second daughter of Robert III). More recently Edward VII's mistress Alice Keppel (née Alice Frederica Edmonstone) was the eighth daughter of the 4th baronet.

The population of the Parish was 620 in 1795, the 1871 census reported 1,235 which had grown to 1,811 by the time of the 2001 census.

The rise in population in the early 19th century was due in part to the development of a large calico print-field at Blanefield (employing 78 adults and 45 children under 14) and 2 bleach-fields at Dumbrock (employing 67 adults and 14 children under 14) working 10-11 hours per day, 6 days a week. There is no sign of this industry in the village today which has a rural, picturesque aspect while the majority of parishioners now commute to work in neighbouring towns apart from those who stay at home to pump their neighbours.