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Alloa Tower

Alloa Tower is a tall castle built in the 14th century, but added to and altered extensively over the centuries. It was built as one of a string of defences along the Forth following Scotland’s independence from England. One of the neighbouring castles – Clackmannan Tower – is visible from Alloa Tower’s battlements.

One of the earliest features which still remains is the dungeon, now visible through a portal in the floor. The walls are incredibly thick suggesting that they too are original. The roof is one of few surviving medieval roofs in Scotland, but is thought to be slightly later, probably 15th century, from when the castle was extended to five storeys. At first floor level there is a well, which was sunk into the bedrock to allow a water supply within the castle. It was blocked up during remodelling work carried out by John Erskine, the Sixth Earl of Mar, in the 18th century.

The Sixth Earl fought for the Jacobite cause in 1715, and as such was exiled in France, from where he planned improvements to Alloa Tower, apparently inspired by the Palace of Versailles amongst others. The tower now formed just an annex to a much larger classical house, set in 42 acres of gardens running all the way down to the Forth.

In 1800 the new mansion was destroyed by fire, but luckily the tower was saved when locals dug up the lawn and piled the turf in the doorways between the tower and the mansion to prevent the fire from spreading.

By the 1980s the tower had fallen into disrepair, with the Erskine family living nearby in a newer house, and the tower passed to the Alloa Tower Building Preservation Trust who restored it to its present state. It was opened to the public in 1997.

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Where is Alloa Tower?

Alloa Tower is in the parish of Alloa and the county of Clackmannanshire.

Grid reference:NS 88893 92518

Lat / long:56.11235047,-3.78844491

Bing Maps | Google Maps | Historic maps (NLS) | OpenStreetMap | Ordnance Survey | PastMap | Streetmap | Wikimapia

OS Map for Alloa Tower

OS map 366
Stirling & Ochil Hills West (Alloa & Dunblane)
OS Explorer map 366


Directions to Alloa Tower

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Weather at Alloa Tower

5°C
max 7°C / min 5°C
8km/h NW
1011mb
90%
87%
08:11 16:45

Overcast clouds
Weather observed at Alloa at 06:19

References (websites)

Listed Building record
Canmore
National Trust for Scotland
Wikipedia
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Castles near Alloa Tower

Clackmannan Tower

1.8km away

Kersie

2.2km away

Tullibody Castle (site of)

2.8km away

Sauchie Tower

3.3km away

Kennet (site of)

3.4km away

Throsk (site of)

3.5km away

Elphinstone Tower

3.6km away

Shanbody (possible) (site of)

4.6km away

Carnock House (site of)

4.8km away
more castles....

Ancient sites near Alloa Tower

Easter Moss souterrain

4.7km away

St Serf's Church standing stones

4.8km away

Castle Craig fort

5.7km away

Lipney standing stone

7.1km away

Dumyat fort

7.4km away

Bannockburn West cursus

7.6km away

Airthrey Stone standing stone

8.5km away

Tappoch broch

9.3km away

Pathfoot Stone standing stone

9.3km away
more ancient sites....
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Pictish stones near Alloa Tower

Hawkhill Class III cross-slab

1.3km away

Blackford Class I symbol stone

17.7km away

Tullibole Class III cross slab

18.5km away

Old Kilmadock 1 Class II symbol stone

20.7km away

Old Kilmadock 2 Class I symbol stone

20.7km away

Dupplin Cross Class III cross

31.0km away

Fowlis Wester Class II cross-slab

31.7km away

Fowlis Wester Church Class III cross-slab

31.8km away

Strathmiglo Class I symbol stone

36.5km away
more Pictish stones....
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Pictish sites near Alloa Tower

Todholes (possible) silver chain

49.1km away

Borland silver chain

49.4km away

Norrie's Law hoard

54.1km away

Haddington silver chain

65.1km away

Traprain Law silver chain

71.3km away

Whitecleugh silver chain

73.0km away

Whitlaw silver chain

75.1km away

Hoardweel silver chain

95.1km away

Dunnicaer fort

136.0km away
more Pictish sites....
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Accommodation near Alloa Tower

Claremont Lodge Hotel
hotelAlloa
0.9km away
Airth Castle Hotel
hotel, bar, restaurantAirth
5.8km away
Broomhall Castle
hotelAlva
5.8km away
Premier Inn Falkirk North
hotel, restaurantFalkirk
6.8km away
Express By Holiday Inn Stirling
hotelStirling
7.6km away
Premier Inn Stirling City Centre
hotel, restaurantStirling
8.8km away
Stirling Management Centre
hotelStirling
9.0km away
Castle Campbell Hotel
hotelDollar
9.1km away
Premier Inn Stirling South (M9, J9)
hotel, restaurantStirling
9.2km away
Golden Lion Hotel
hotelStirling
9.2km away

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more accommodation....

Cafés, restaurants & bars near Alloa Tower

Airth Castle Hotel
hotel, bar, restaurantAirth
5.8km away
Premier Inn Falkirk North
hotel, restaurantFalkirk
6.8km away
Premier Inn Stirling City Centre
hotel, restaurantStirling
8.8km away
Premier Inn Stirling South (M9, J9)
hotel, restaurantStirling
9.2km away
Papa Joe's Stirling
restaurantStirling
9.3km away
The Stirling Highland Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barStirling
9.5km away
Premier Inn Falkirk (Larbert)
hotel, restaurant, barLarbert
9.6km away
Sheriffmuir Inn
hotel, pub, restaurantDunblane
11.4km away
Premier Inn Falkirk Central
hotel, restaurantFalkirk
12.3km away
Best Western Park Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barFalkirk
12.4km away
more food.... / more drink....

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Dunbar harbour and castle
Published on the 14th of May 2010 at 1:54 pm. Updated on the 15th of June 2018 at 12:25 pm.

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Andy Sweet above Fast Castle

Stravaiging around Scotland is written, photographed and researched by Andy Sweet.
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