To most people, Falkirk is that place that happens to have two train stations – the High and Grahamston – a couple of large horse’s heads and a football team that’s been in a slump for what seems to be forever.

While for us Falkirk Bairns, it can sometimes be hard to see through the vapour cloud rising from Grangemouth to figure out why it might have become one of Scotland’s most coveted places to live.

After all like many others we’ve watched our High Street shops vanish, once thriving industries fade and right now – not to put anyone off who might be considering investing in a Falkirk property, of course – Falkirk Council is facing protests over proposals to scrap 133 council properties, threatening school swimming pools, community rooms and sports centres.

READ MORE: Why house hunters are snapping up properties in Falkirk 

Coming soon are garden waste bin charges, a 7% council tax hike - the council needs to save £63 million in order to balance the books – a bizarre new roundabout system that will raise cyclists and walkers into the sky but has seen trees chopped down and land area around it looking like a WW1 battlefield, and infuriating new online booking system for recycling centres which means the days of rolling up with a boot-load of junk now requires military like preparation and planning.

But… then again…

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Head ‘up the braes’ to a high spot close to the Battle of Falkirk memorial, and there’s a bird’s eye view across Forth Valley.

The rolling Ochils rise in the distance, the river Forth snakes its way from Grangemouth towards Stirling, the Steeple – once a jail - pierces the sky and those Kelpies, sparkle.

Romans set up forts and built the Antonine Wall here: evidence remains in undulating turf mounds that cut through Tamfourhill near the Falkirk Wheel and at Callendar Park, with its boating pond, golf course and magnificent Callendar House, a curious cross between French chateau and Balmoral.

In its day, Falkirk was a hub for cattle markets, its foundries made cannons, bathtubs and telephone boxes. Buses rolled out of Alexanders in Camelon (Came-lin/Cam-E-lon, even locals can’t decide), and the town did gave the world Irn-Bru – you can thank us later.

Recently Falkirk has reinvented itself thanks to the Falkirk Wheel, rejuvenated canals with shady walks and cycle trails, Kelpies and Helix Park, it’s become a place to visit.

Soon, its much-loved mothballed distillery, Rosebank, will reopen. Heck, even the football team is rising from the ashes with hopes of promotion and a Scottish Cup semi-final on the horizon.

But as any househunter will tell you, it’s all about location – and here is  where Falkirk holds all the cards. Handy for Edinburgh and Glasgow – both around 25 miles away – motorway links north and south and, of course, those two train stations.

As for property prices, many Bairns may well be rubbing their hands: I know of one three-bedroom former council property recently hitting the market for £165,000, a good £40,000 more than its neighbour achieved just two years ago.

So, with that in mind, anyone want to buy a house?