Alloa Tower

Alloa Tower stands at the heart of the old burgh of Alloa, one of the largest surviving keeps of its kind in Scotland. The fortified house dates to the early fourteenth century — archaeological work in the 1990s confirmed the period, correcting older claims of a much earlier origin — and formed part of a line of strongholds guarding the north shore of the Firth of Forth. Rising some 21 metres in coursed rubble with immensely thick walls, it retains its original medieval timber roof and battlements, along with a cellar that at times served as a pit prison. For centuries it was the seat of the Erskine family, later the Earls of Mar, and that connection drew the crown. Mary, Queen of Scots came here in 1562, 1565 and 1566; James V and Mary of Guise arrived by boat in 1540; and the young James VI stayed four days in 1580. In 1592 the Earl of Mar’s marriage to Marie Stewart was celebrated at the tower. A grand mansion was later built around it in 1710, but that house burned in 1800 and was eventually demolished, leaving the medieval tower to survive alone. It is now cared for by the National Trust for Scotland.