Kirkintilloch is located 10 miles north of Glasgow and is the principal town in East Dunbartonshire.

The town dates back to the time of the Romans, the line of the Antoinine Wall running through part of the town. The town was an important textile centre for locally grown flax, which was replaced by cotton in the early 19th century.

The Forth and Clyde Canal was opened in 1790 and the town lies at almost exactly the half way point of the canal, which runs between Grangemouth on the Forth and Bowling on the Clyde.