small but remarkable river in Scotland, rising about the middle of the isthmus between the Fritids of Forth and Clyde. Both its source, and the place where it empties itself into the sea, are within the shire of Stirling, which it divides into two nearly equal parts. The whole length of its course, which is from west to east, is not above fourteen miles. It falls into the Frith of Forth about three miles to the N.E. of Falkirk. The stream is small, and scarcely deserves the notice of a traveller; yet there is no river in Scotland, and few in the whole island of Britain, whose banks have been the scene of so many memorable transactions. When the Roman empire was in all its glory, and had its eastern frontiers upon the Euphrates, the banks of the Carron were its boundaries upon the N.W.; for the wall of Antoninus, which was raised to mark the limits of that mighty empire, stood in the neighbourhood of this river, and ran parallel to it for several miles.

From the valley of Dunipace the river runs for some time in a deep and hollow channel, with steep banks on both sides. Here it passes by the foundations of the ancient Roman bridge, not far from which, as is generally thought, was the scene of the memorable conference between the Scottish patriot William Wallace and Robert Bruce (father of the king of that name), which first opened the eyes of the latter to a just view both of his own true interest and that of his country.

After the river has left the village and bridge of Larbert it soon enters another smaller valley, through the midst of which it has now worn out to itself a straight channel; but in former ages it had taken a considerable sweep round, as appears by the track of the old bed, which is still visible. The high and circling banks upon the south side give to this valley the appearance of a spacious bay; and, according to the tradition of the country, there was once a harbour here. Nor does the tradition seem altogether groundless—pieces of broken anchors having been found here, and some of them at no distant period. The stream-tides would still flow near the place if they were not kept back by the dam-head built across the river at Stenhouse; and there is reason to believe that the frith flowed considerably higher in former ages than it does at present. In the near neighbourhood of this valley, upon the south, stand the ruins of ancient Camelon, which after it was abandoned by the Romans was probably inhabited for some ages by the natives of the country.

Another ancient monument called Arthur's Oen once stood upon the banks of the Carron; but it has been entirely demolished. The corner of a small inclosure between Stenhouse and the Carron iron-works is pointed out as the place where it stood. This is generally supposed to have been a Roman work; though it is not easy to conceive what could be their motive for erecting such a fabric at so great a distance from any other of their works, and in a spot which at that time must have been very remote and unfrequented.

As the Carron extends over half of the isthmus, and runs so near the ancient boundaries of the Roman empire, the adjacent country naturally became the scene of many battles and encounters. Historians mention a bloody battle fought near the river between the Romans and the confederate army of the Scots and Picts in the beginning of the fifth century. The scenes of some of Ossian's poems were, according to Macpherson, upon the banks of this river. About the distance of half a mile from the river, and near the town of Falkirk, is the field of battle where the English defeated Wallace in the year 1298. It goes by the name of Graham's muir, from the valiant Sir John Graham, who fell there, and whose gravestone is still to be seen in the churchyard of Falkirk.

small village of Scotland, at which the celebrated iron-works are situated, lies in the parish of Larbert, on the northern bank of the river Carron, about two miles from Falkirk. These works belong to a chartered company established in 1760, with a capital of £150,000, and afford employment to upwards of 2000 individuals.