Falkirk Trysts

The great cattle markets, which began around 1700, took place three times a year outside Falkirk and were the largest in Europe. They attracted up to 100,000 cattle, sheep and horses from as far afield as Ireland, northern England and the Western Isles.

At their height in the mid-nineteenth century, thousands of drovers, dealers, bankers, pedlars, fairground folk and tourists came to the trysts and Falkirk grew rich letting pasture and selling food and services.