Forging a path - Scotland's iron industry

In July 2025 one of the last iron foundries in Scotland closed its doors. Ballantine Castings Ltd, based in Bo’ness, had been in operation for 200 years. The foundry supplied decorative, architectural and engineering ironwork across Scotland, the UK and the globe.

The company’s origins can be traced back to the 1820s, and it was formally established in 1856. For the entire period of its operation, the foundry was owned and run by the Ballantine family. Upon closure, the Director was 7th generation.

The firm made railings, balconies and drainpipes. They also produced manhole covers, fire grates and all kinds of street furniture, such as lamps and benches.

In recent years, notable work included:

• lamps for London’s Thames Embankment
• railings and lamps for National Galleries of Scotland
• window frames for Harrods
• cast-iron tiles for the Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben.

All their products were made using traditional iron casting techniques with a team of highly skilled staff.

Scotland's once-thriving iron industry

The iron industry was once a huge part of Scotland’s industrial past. A ready source of raw materials and innovations in technology enabled the formation of number of major production sites. This included the foundation of the Carron Iron Company in 1759 and the establishment of Gartsherrie Ironworks in the nineteenth century. Gartsherrie Ironworks was once the world’s largest producer of pig iron.  

Whilst iron production in Scotland might be remembered today more in association with ship building and steel manufacture, a wide variety of decorative and architectural castings were made by hundreds of foundries. 

The most successful Scottish foundries were based in Glasgow, Kirkintilloch and Falkirk - and they shipped their products across the world. Ballantine Castings was one of the very last foundries from this long tradition, and its closure marks an end to this once-thriving industry. 

During the closure, National Museums Scotland was able to collect a number of objects from the foundry. The objects range from tools and instruments to a worker’s apron. Two patterns were also collected, which are master versions of what was being made. One pattern is a maker’s plate that says ‘Ballantine Castings’ and the other is a thistle-shaped finial for railings. 

A more unusual object acquired was a piece of slag – the waste product from iron smelting. There are many historic examples of slag in the collection from the iron industry. This more contemporary sample fills a gap in the collection. It is also useful in understanding the composition of what was being put into the furnace. 

The acquisition of these objects marks a significant point in the history of ironworking in Scotland. Crucially, they provide an insight into the workers, operations and outputs of a long-established iron foundry and a once prosperous industry.