Woodlands is a large, prosperous central area (ward) of
Falkirk
Falkirk ( ; ; ) is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow.
Falkirk had a resident population of 32,422 at the ...
, Stirlingshire,
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
, which is mainly residential. Much of the ward is taken up by leafy streets where property prices are among the highest in Central Scotland (with several houses selling at over £800,000) and includes Lochgreen, Slamannan, Rosebank, Gartcows and Southern Pleasance areas (excluding property in Pleasance Gardens and Pleasance Court). Many of the Victorian and Edwardian houses were built by wealthy industrialists who had profited from Falkirk's economic prosperity during the industrial revolution, often without regard to expense.
The area is close to the town centre - the shopping centre and high street are not within Woodlands, however, as the limit of the ward area is the nearby Scout Hall - and incorporates the Dollar Park, given to the town by Falkirk-born billionaire
Robert Dollar, who is recorded as the 80th richest man ever to live. Dollar Park is situated on Camelon Road, one of the busiest roads in Scotland. Both the
Lord Lieutenant of Stirling and Falkirk This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Stirling
Stirling (; ; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Central Belt, central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town#Scotlan ...
and the Chief Executive of
Falkirk Council live in Woodlands.
Places
Local schools include Comely Park School, with high competition for places, founded in 1878, and Bantaskine Primary School, situated near the Bantaskine Estate. Secondary schools include St. Mungo's Roman Catholic High School. However, many families educate their children privately at Edinburgh
public schools or at
Dollar Academy
Dollar Academy is a 5–18 Private schools in the United Kingdom, private co-educational day and boarding school for boys and girls in Scotland. The open campus occupies a site in the centre of Dollar, Clackmannanshire, at the foot of the Ochil ...
.
Falkirk Lawn Tennis Club, founded in 1891, is situated within the area, as is Falkirk Bowling Club, founded in 1838. Refurbishment of the Woodlands Community Sports Hall was completed in 2023.
The local public house situated on High Station Road is the famous Woodside Inn.
Most of Woodlands is in the Parish of
St. Andrew's West Church, and some is also in the Parishes of
Falkirk Old and St. Modan's, and Erskine Parish Church. Some also attend Roman Catholic church, St. Francis' Xaviers.
Economy
In the 2006 Scottish Index of Deprivation (compiled by the
Scottish Executive
The Scottish Government (, ) is the executive arm of the devolved government of Scotland. It was formed in 1999 as the Scottish Executive following the 1997 referendum on Scottish devolution, and is headquartered at St Andrew's House in t ...
) a particular part of Woodlands was ranked 11th highest out of 6500 areas in Scotland in terms of income.
According to the 2001 Census, 35% of residents are of Social Class A/B (compared to 17% in Falkirk), with only 15% receiving benefits. 33% of residents hold a First or other professional degree (compared to 14% in Falkirk) and 42% of housing is detached (compared to 17% in Falkirk). 86% of housing is owner occupied (compared to 60% in Falkirk), while only 10% is council housing (compared to 33% in Falkirk).
References
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Areas in Scotland
Geography of Falkirk (council area)
Falkirk