Kirkintilloch

Kirkintilloch is a burgh town of around 20,000 people in the Scottish council area of East Dunbartonshire. It is situated on the Forth and Clyde Canal, just eight miles to the north-east of central Glasgow, for which is very much a commuter dormitory, though it is also the administrative centre for East Dunbartonshire. It is located near the site of a Roman fort, that was on a volcanic hillock that provided good views over the surrounding countryside, and formed part of the route of the Antonine Wall. The settlement eventually grew as an important staging post for journeys between Glasgow and the north-east of Scotland, when it developed a weekly market and high street. But, it was with the construction of the Forth and Clyde Canal that runds through the town that Kirkintilloch gained prominence as an inland port. Today, the town is promoted as the "Canal Capital of Scotland", which makes it a popular visiting place for tourists as it is a very pleasant and restful base from which to explore the sites and history of the area.