Bothkennar, a parish of E Stirlingshire, containing, towards its centre, the village of Skinflats, 3¼ miles NNE of Falkirk, and, at its NW, SW, and SE angles respectively, parts of the villages of Kinnaird and Carronshore and of the seaport and police-burgh of Grangemouth, this last with stations on the North British and Caledonian, and with a post office having money order, savings' bank, insurance, and telegraph departments.
Bounded N by Airth, E by the Firth of Forth (here from 1¼ to 2¾ miles broad), SE by Polmont, S by Falkirk, and W by Larbert, Bothkennar has a length from E to W of 2 miles exclusive of foreshore, a width from N to S of 1¾ mile, and an area of 2645¾ acres, of which 824¾ are foreshore and 46¾ water. The Carron seems once to have traced all the southern border; but, having straightened its course, has now three portions of Falkirk and Polmont on its northern, and three of Bothkennar on its southern, bank. The surface forms part, and by far the richest part, of the Carse of Falkirk, and is all a dead level, near Skinflats only 17 feet above the sea. It is almost wholly under cultivation, and consists of alluvial loam, free from the smallest stones, but overlying fine and abundant coal, which is very extensively mined. The Earl of Zetland and 3 more proprietors hold each an annual value of £500 and upwards, 8 hold between £100 and £500,3 between £50 and £100, and 13 between £20 and £50. The Rev. Wm. Nimmo, author of the History of Stirlingshire (1777; 3d ed. 1880), was minister of Bothkennar, which is in the presbytery of Stirling and synod of Perth and Stirling, its living amounting to £343. The parish church, near Skinflats, is a plain building, of date 1789; and a public school, with accommodation for 264 children, had (1879) an average attendance of 208, and a grant of £180,18s. Valuation (1881) £18,152,16s. 6d., of which £14,364,16s. 6d. was for lands and houses. Pop. (1801) 575, (1811) 821, (1831) 905, (1841) 849, (1851) 1179, (1861) 1210, (1871) 1726, (1881) 1798.—Ord. Sur., sh. 31,1867.
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