GRANGEMOUTH

seaport and industrial town on the south shore of the River Forth estuary, Falkirk council area, historic county of Stirlingshire, Scotland. Grangemouth was founded in 1777 as the eastern terminus and transshipment point of the Forth-Clyde Canal (closed in 1963). It became Stirlingshire's chief port and the main east-coast outlet for Glasgow. Grain and timber were the main imports, and coal the chief export. By 1914 Grangemouth had begun to import oil, and within a decade a refinery had also been established to treat the imported crude oil. The importing and refining of petroleum and the associated petrochemical industry are together responsible for Grangemouth's subsequent growth. North Sea crude oil moves to Grangemouth by overland pipeline from the landfall terminal at Cruden Bay to the Grangemouth refinery. The refinery's by-products supply plastics and petrochemical industries in Grangemouth. In addition to the expanding industrial complex, Grangemouth's port facilities have been constantly updated and enlarged. Already Scotland's principal oil port, Grangemouth also became its busiest container port, with services to both northern Europe and North America. Apart from oil, main imports include timber, cement, bauxite, wood pulp, and rubber. Exports consist mainly of steel, whisky, machinery, and electronic equipment. Pop. (1991) 18,739.