Document: Aberfoyle Industry
Author: JPR
In the 18th and 19th century as an outcome of the Industrial Revolution, villages such as Aberfoyle were founded. Aberfoyle grew round the ironworks which was established here in the 1720's using charcoal from the local forest trees such as oak and birch. Other industry was based on spinning the wool from the plentifull sheep and flax from the local crops. Tweed was weaved from the local wool and linen was made in Aberfoyle Lint mill from the spun flax. A plentifull supply of water is necessary for such villages to develope with iron, linen and tweed. The Forth which runs through Aberfoyle provided such a supply.
In 1858 Aberfoyle Slate Quarry was established with quarries on the south side of Craig Mhor and also in various places between Aberfoyle and Brig of Turk to the north . Aberfoyle and Brig of Turk mark the extremities of a vein of slate. Slate was quarried until the early 1900's when cheap imported Slate meant that all British Slate production fell by eighty percent, so the industry collapsed. By 1916 it was finished.
With so much industry now in Aberfoyle a railway line was established to take in particular the slate to the markets in the industrial parts of Scotland. The railway was an unfortunate victim of Beeching and so now longer exists. The tourist will also be happy that there virtually no signs that industry ever existed in such a beautiful location.
Return to top of database