Alloa Glass Cone

The unique Alloa Glass Cone, constructed around 1824 and standing about 20m high, is the oldest surviving glasshouse cone in Scotland and the only one in Europe in a continuously working glassworks. The arched openings in the octagonal stone base originally led to adjoining workshops and furnaces. Archaeological remains of the annealing furnace still lie buried beneath the cone, which is sadly disused and in a state of disrepair.

The conservation audit carried out by Robin Kent Architecture & Conservation included archival research into the origins and use of the glass cone, and a structural assessment by a specialist structural engineer, which identified a number of urgent repairs to preserve this important industrial monument.

The study also proposed a new sustainable use for it as the focal point of a possible centre for interpreting the history of glassmaking and related industries in Scotland. Conservation recognises that importance of using historic buildings as the key to their survival.