Alloa Tower

Fax.: 0844 493 2131

Info Telefon: 0844 493 2129

The National Trust for Scotland

1 April - 30 April
Friday - Monday (1-5pm)

1 May - 31 August 
Thursday - Monday (1-5pm)

2 September - 30 September 
Friday - Monday (1-5pm)

Last entry on all above dates is 4-15pm

Dating from the 1300s, this fine medieval tower house is one of the largest, best designed and constructed of its type in Scotland. (Completed by 1497, with later alterations).
Of special interest are the original oak roof beams, medieval groin vaulting, a pit dungeon and the original internal well.
It was the home of the distinguished Erskine family, Earls of Mar, from the 15th century until c1800. By the late 17th century a mansion house and other buildings had been added. John, 6th Earl of Mar, made more changes, both modernising yet preserving the tower and mansion to complement an ambitious and extensive planned landscape around his home and stretching down to the River Forth. It was at this time the domed Italianate staircase leading to the Great Hall was added.
The mansion was destroyed by fire in 1800, but the solidly constructed tower survived. Alloa Tower Building Preservation Trust restored the tower carefully to its likely appearance in 1712, by which time many of the 6th Earl's improvements had been completed.
The interior is splendid and there is a fine collection of Erskine family portraits and memorabilia on display. A DVD presentation on the ground floor tells the story of the tower and its restoration.

The tower was opened to visitors in 1997.
 

Castle Campbell and Garden

Info Telefon: 01259 742 408

Historic Scotland

Summer
1 April - 30 September, Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun, 9.30 am to 5.30 pm
October
1 October - 31 October , Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun, 9.30 am to 4.30 pm
Winter
1 November - 31 March , Mon Tue Wed Sat Sun, 9.30 am to 4.30 pm
Not suited to handycapped.

The castle is 1.5 km north of the A91, East of Stirling.

“A Lowland stronghold for a Highland chief

Everyone is awestruck by Castle Campbell. The imposing ruin stands in solemn isolation upon a narrow ridge, overlooked by a crescent of the Ochil Hills. Two precipitous ravines hem it on either side, through which thunder the Burn of Care and the Burn of Sorrow. The setting couldn’t be more dramatic.

The oldest part of the stone castle was built in the early 15th century. At that time it was called ‘Castle Glume’. Around 1465 it passed through marriage to Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll. This powerful Highland chief needed a secure but impressive Lowland seat at the heart of the realm, within easy reach of the main centres of the royal court. Castle Glume fitted the bill perfectly. In 1489, the earl changed the name to Castle Campbell. And there the Campbells stayed for the next 200 years, until they tired of all those steps and relocated to Argyll’s Lodging, a fine townhouse beside Stirling Castle.
A fine tower-house castle

Castle Campbell is one of Scotland’s best-preserved tower-house castles. The tower house itself served as the family residence. Standing 20m high, it dominated the courtyard. The service access was at ground level, but the main entrance was at first-floor level, the norm at this date. Inside were four floors of accommodation – a storage cellar at ground level, a hall on the first floor and private chambers on the two upper floors. These latter were altered around 1600, and the fine vaulted ceiling at the top, with its two grotesque carvings representing the Green Man, dates from then.

Across the courtyard, the Campbells added a two-storey range. On its first floor was the great hall, for use as the principal reception and banqueting suite. A withdrawing chamber lay at one end and the court kitchen at the other. Below was a row of vaulted storerooms. In its overall appearance, this range bears a striking resemblance to the royal lodging in Stirling Castle, known as the King’s Old Building, built for James IV in the 1490s. The earl would have been a frequent visitor to the royal castle, and clearly wanted to follow suit.

Friend or foe!

The castle was visited by all sorts of important personages. They included John Knox, the fiery Protestant preacher, in 1556, and Mary Queen of Scots in 1563. The Marquis of Montrose had the place torched in 1645, during his campaign on behalf of the beleaguered Charles I, and Cromwell’s lieutenant, General Monck, did something similar in 1654. The execution of the 8th Earl in 1661 effectively ended the castle’s days as a noble residence.” (Text and foto: Historic Scotland)
 

Clackmannanshire Council Museum and Heritage Service

Fax.: 01259 721313

Info Telefon: 01259216913
Besucher-Email: smills@clacks.gov.uk
http://www.clacksweb.org.uk/culture/muse...

Clackmannanshire Council

Tues-Fri 13.30-17 h and by appointment.

Small exhibition gallery. We can help with enquiries and research into many aspects of the history of the county. We also give talks and lectures on a range of subjects which can be tailored to meet the needs of the group. We provide outreach to schools and other groups in the form of activity sessions and loans boxes.

Picture: View of Alloa, with cattle and figures in the foreground, c. 1840, oil on canvas, 68.6 x 121.9 cm

 

Dollar Museum

Info Telefon: 01259 742895
Besucher-Email: dollarmuseumj@btconnect.com
http://www.dollarmuseum.org.uk...

Regional Museum