Date: 5th April 2009

Stinking, Smoky and Spectacular, Grangemouth Oil Refinery

With a clear night and the prospect of a decent sunset on the horizon I jumped in the car and took a short drive to Grangemouth for some evening photography. Grangemouth is home to Scotland’s only oil refinery, an expansive landscape of towers chimneys and pipes which makes for some interesting images. The sunset lived up to my hopes and produced a lovely red sky with whispers of cloud.

With clusters of pipes and towers lit up with hundreds of spotlights, the refinery takes on the appearance of a small metropolis which can be a spectacular sight. The only down side is the smell of pollution hanging heavy in the air. It’s a sickly smell which certainly didn’t make me want to hang around for too long. I feel sorry for the locals!

Environmental pollution is a serious concern to many people living in the vacinity of Grangemouth. There is a constant pillar of steam rising from the various stacks on the site as well as gas flares and countless other chimneys. The refinery is however a major contributor to the Scottish economy with over 2,000 people employed there.

Posted in: Scotland, Travel Blog