Working in Grangemouth

Where?

Grangemouth, hugging the estuary of the River Forth on the East coast of Scotland's central belt, approximately 25 miles west of Edinburgh, and 40 miles east of Glasgow.

Why?
Grangemouth, once renowned for port activities and shipbuilding is now synonymous with petrochemicals and chemicals in Scotland. BP has a massive 500 acre refinery, chemical plant and pipeline reception facility on the edge of town - all 3 generally referred to as BP Grangemouth. Enichem, Avecia (previously known as ICI) and Rohm and Haas also have plants in Grangemouth. And, as if that was not enough, the Mossmoran oil terminal is only a few miles along the coast.
Jacobs Engineering have an office in the town, some of the smaller contractors e.g. Clark Eriksson are located nearby, and there is a host of service companies in the area. All of which are potential clients.

How to get there
By Road. Grangemouth is adjacent to the M9. Take either junction 5 or 6. Five is the better junction for the BP Complex and Enichem.
By Air. Edinburgh's International Airport, is only 22 miles away. It is served by British Airways, British Midlands, EasyJet, and many foreign carriers. The airport is on the right side of the city for easy access to Grangemouth via the M9.
By Rail. The nearest station is in Polmont, about 2 miles from Grangemouth, and is served by Scotrail. Use the TrainLine website to or check on line. What to know
Grangemouth has all you need in terms of shops, banks, sports centres etc. However, it is a little bit run down, and suffers from the continual presence of the refinery cooling towers and chemical plant flare stacks.
Falkirk, on the other hand is only a few miles away and offers a world of difference. Restaurants, bars and a good selection of shops.
Rented Accommodation is fairly limited in Grangemouth, though somewhat more plentiful in Falkirk and nearby Stirling, and even more plentiful (and expensive) in Edinburgh. Wednesday's Grangemouth Advertiser or Thursday's Falkirk Hearld are good starting points. Must Haves
The first thing you will need is a map showing Grangemouth and the surrounding area. An Ordanance Survey Landranger Map 0065 from Amazon is ideal.
Then you will need a local street map. A Grangemouth and Polmont Street Plan is also available from Amazon.

Must Do's
Paint the Forth Rail Bridge, well not literally. One of Scotland's most impressive landmarks, the Forth Rail bridge, crosses the River Forth between South Queensferry and North Queensferry just a few miles from Grangemouth. The bridge took seven years to build, and more than fifty men were killed during its construction - an HSE man's nightmare!
Walk the one and a half mile long Forth Road Bridge. When it opened on the 4th of September 1964, the bridge was Europe's longest suspension bridge. Great views of the rail bridge are guaranteed for those who walk to the middle.
Visit the Falkirk Wheel, the world's first and only rotating boatlift, yet an incredible civil engineering achievement within a few miles of Grangemouth. Enjoy the waterways of the Union Canal and take a boat from the visitor centre and ride the wheel. The Falkirk Wheel: Art and Engineering is worth a look if you are interested in the Wheel.
Get fruity - visit the Dunmore Pineapple, near Airth. Often described as the "most bizarre building in Scotland" this house is built in the shape of a 45 foot high pineapple. The house, built in 1761, and it's 16 acres of gardens has been restored by the National Trust for Scotland and is open to the public - and can even be rented as a holiday home!
Watch a football match. Falkirk, Livingstone and both Edinburgh clubs (Hibs and Hearts) are all within a short drive.

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