Dollar, Clackmannanshire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dollar
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 Dollar
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| Population | 2,840 (2020) |
| OS grid reference | NS964978 |
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| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Dollar |
| Postcode district | FK14 |
| Dialling code | 01259 |
| Police | Central Scotland |
| Fire | Central Scotland |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
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| Scottish Parliament | |
Dollar (Scottish Gaelic: Dolair) is a small town in Clackmannanshire, Scotland. About 2,800 people live there. It's located about 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) east of Stirling.
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What's in a Name?
The name "Dollar" has nothing to do with the money called "dollar." People think the name might come from old words. One idea is that it comes from Doilleir, a Scottish Gaelic word meaning "dark and gloomy." Other ideas suggest it comes from Pictish words like 'Dol' (field) and 'Ar' (arable, meaning good for farming), or 'Dol' (valley) and 'Ar' (high). Another thought is that it means "water meadow place."
A Look Back in Time
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Overlooking Dollar is the 500-year-old Castle Campbell. This castle sits on a rocky hill in the Ochil Hills. It was an important home for the Duke of Argyll. Even Mary, Queen of Scots stayed there in the 1500s!
The oldest parts of Dollar are in the northeast, on the hill below the castle. Many buildings there are made of stone and are two stories high. Some of these buildings are from the mid-1600s and 1700s. As time went on, the town grew towards the west and south in the 1800s.
Around 1840, a new main road was built. This road quickly became the centre of town, with shops and activities.
Dollar has two memorials to remember people who died in the World Wars. One is at Dollar Academy. It's a bronze statue that honours those who fought in the First World War and also includes names from Northern Ireland.
There's a small museum in Dollar run by volunteers. It has local items and information about the old Devon Valley Railway. This railway stopped carrying passengers in 1964. Today, many people who live in Dollar travel to work in bigger cities like Stirling, Glasgow, or Edinburgh.
Where is Dollar and How to Get There?
Dollar is one of the Hillfoots Villages. These villages are located between the Ochil Hills to the north and the River Devon to the south. Dollar is about 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) east of Stirling on the A91 road, which goes towards St Andrews. The old Devon Valley Railway used to connect Dollar to Alloa and Kinross, but it closed completely in 1973.
What Dollar Does for Work
People tried to mine lead and copper in Dollar Glen a long time ago, but it wasn't very successful. Coal mining started around the same time. Until 1973, coal from Dollar was used to power nearby stations like Kincardine Power Station and Longannet Power Station.
Like other villages in the Hillfoots area, the textiles industry was very important for Dollar's growth. The Harviestoun Brewery started near Dollar in 1985 before moving to Alva.
How Dollar is Governed
From 1891 to 1975, Dollar had its own town council. Now, it's part of the Clackmannanshire council area. Dollar is in a local election area called Clackmannanshire East. In the 2017 local elections, people in this area chose three councillors from different political parties.
Famous People from Dollar
Many interesting people have connections to Dollar:
- William Auld (1924–2006) was a poet and writer who lived in Dollar. He was even nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature three times!
- Around the year 874, a Norse king named Amlaíb Conung was said to have been killed in a battle at Dollar.
- James Legge was a Scottish expert on Chinese studies.
- Dollar Academy was founded in 1818. It was started with money from Captain John McNabb, who was from Dollar and had made a large fortune. Many famous people have studied there, including:
- James Dewar, who invented the vacuum flask.
- The grandsons of Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, a famous emperor.
- George Reid, who was the second leader (Speaker) of the Scottish Parliament.
- Journalists like Alan Johnston and Fraser Nelson.
- Lavinia Malcolm was a very important person in Dollar's history. She was the town's leader (Provost) from 1913 to 1919. She was the first woman to be a provost and the first female town councillor in all of Scotland!
- Alan Longmuir from the famous band Bay City Rollers lived near Dollar for a while and even owned a local pub.
- The Scottish author Iain Banks studied nearby and said that the beautiful landscape above Dollar inspired some of his novels.
- Footballer Steven Caulker can play for Scotland because his grandmother, Jessie, was from Dollar.
- Jazz pianist Fergus McCreadie grew up in Dollar.
Sports in Dollar
Dollar has many sports clubs! You can find the Dollar Glen Football Club, a 9-hole golf course, a tennis club, a squash club, a bowling club, and a cricket club. The Ochil Hills, which are right next to Dollar, are also great for mountain biking.
Places of Worship
There are three churches in Dollar: a Church of Scotland, a Scottish Episcopal Church, and the Ochil Hills Community Church, which meets in the Civic Centre.
Twin Town
Dollar is twinned with a French town called La Ville-aux-Dames. It's located near Tours in the Loire Valley.
Images for kids
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A sketch of Dollar in the 19th century
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A sketch of the Mill Green in the 19th century
