villages. Menstrie's Long Row and Ochil Road lie on the old route along the foot of the hills. The new road, now the A91, became a focus for construction of churches, houses, mills and shops. By the mid-19th century, the Elmbank and Forthvale mills were in business on either side of the Menstrie Burn. In 1841, Menstrie's population was about 500 but had increased to more than 900 by 1881. In the 1860s a company, which included the owners of local mills and a distillery, financed a branch railway line through Menstrie to a terminus in Alva. This joined the old North British Railway (N.B.R.) line between Alloa and Stirling at Cambus.A goods train delivered Molasses to docks at Greenock. Menstrie had its own passenger station at the North end of Tullibody Road. Practically nothing of the station remains and the railway branch line, which continued to carry freight after the Beeching Axe, fell into disuse during the mid-1980s in favour of road transport. The Glenochil Distillery had opened in the middle 18th century on the site of the Doll Farm to the east of the village, beside the Dams Burn. At its peak, around one million bottles of grain whisky were made. Manufacturing has continued on this site for more than 250 years though production of whisky stopped around 1930. Yeast, initially a by-product of whisky fermentation, had gradually become the main product and went for manufacture of whisky and bread. Soft water, locally available, is still useful. An extensive bonded warehouse area remains for storage of whisky as it matures in barrels before bottling, while bakers' yeast has given way to fermentation products derived from yeast. The whisky and yeast businesses are now operated by separate companies, namely Diageo, (successors to Distillers Company) and Kerry Group. The latter conducts product development as well as manufacturing at the Menstrie site. The Forthvale Mill no longer stands but the Elmbank Mill, having been used for some years as offices by the Water Board, now houses small businesses. A furniture factory, The Charrier, stood near the Menstrie Burn but was destroyed by fire in about 1968. A street nearby now bears its name. In the mid-20th Century, Menstrie (pop. 1200 - 1300) was home to families whose menfolk worked the Clackmannanshire Coalfield and other mines in Central Scotland. As the mining and textile industries have declined, Menstrie has become a commuter