Home Report Dollar

Dollar is a small affluent village of roughly 2800 residents in the Clackmannanshire council area of Scotland. It’s about 12 miles east of Stirling, about 7 miles northeast of Alloa, and just a few miles to the east of Tillicoultry. It is nestled in the Ochil Hills – one of the Hillfoot villages – on the northern bank of the River Devon. Dollar today is best known for its school Dollar Academy, one of the country’s most reputable private schools.

Dollar as we know it began to take shape in the 18th century when lead and copper mines opened in the nearby area. Iron was also extracted nearby but they were all relatively short-lived ventures, not of major significance. What did develop and bring prosperity to the village was coal mining, as it did in so many Scottish towns until the latter half of the 20th century and a bustling textiles sector.

Dollar today is now primarily an attractive commuter village for residents working in other towns in the nearby area such as Alloa, Stirling, and Tillicoultry but also as far as Glasgow, Edinburgh and Perth. The reputation and success of Dollar Academy combined with the village’s housing market and village feel draws reasonably well-off families looking for a scenic place to live without being too far away from things. As such, transport links are good by road. Residents can use the A91 road which bisects the village for travel west to Tillicoultry (where residents can take the A908 road south to Alloa) and Stirling, and westwards further into Fife all the way to St Andrews. The village doesn’t have a railway station, the closet stations are in Alloa and then Stirling. There are regular bus services passing through Dollar offering some public transportation to nearby towns and villages.

In terms of amenities and things to do, the village centre offers various services, quaint shops, eateries and the usual array of other stores you would expect. Arguably the most appealing feature of the village though is its location as a base for exploring the stunning scenery practically on its doorstep. The imposing 500-year-old Castle Campbell – also known as Castle Gloom – stands overlooking the village, sitting on a forward projection of rock on the south side of the Ochil Hills. The castle was the lowland seat of the Duke of Argyll, where Mary, Queen of Scots once stayed in the 16th century. It is now a popular tourist attraction. The castle sits in Dollar Glen, which also offers amazing views of deep gorges, fast-moving burns, as well as lush trees and woodland. This beautiful stretch of contains an abundance of rare wildlife habitats, including being a nationally important location for lichens and ferns. Green woodpecker, dipper and nuthatch are three of the many species of birds that can be found here. It is so rich that the wildlife habitats and geology of the glen have made it a Site of Special Scientific Interest. For your more modern amenities and attractions, residents can easily visit Alloa and Stirling, which aren’t far away at all.

As for local schooling then, the fee-paying Dollar Academy receives pupils from the village and surrounding area from primary one all the way through to sixth year. Some pupils attend from further away and make use of its boarding facilities. It has an excellent and consistent educational record. Strathdevon Primary School is the nearby state primary school found within the village, but the nearest state secondary is Alva Academy to the west, which takes pupils from all Hillfoot towns and villages.