Alloa Tower, a sturdy 14th century stone keep, whose 11-feet-thick walls once protected the Stuart monarchs. For the Erskine family and the Earls of Mar were guardians of kings and queens, and loyal supporters of the Stuart dynasty.

Indeed, both Mary Queen of Scots and her son James VI spent part of their childhood here, and in later years, in 1566, Mary sought refuge in the tower and protection from her husband Lord Darnley, who was denied entry when he arrived at the door of the tower.

Make no mistake, Alloa Tower is no ordinary tower.

In this video we look briefly at the development of the tower from a defensive keep to a stately home, amidst a backround of the development of the town of Alloa itself. For Alloa would probably not exist had the tower not been built.

For the Earls of Mar encouraged growth and industry, like glass bottle manufacture and the brewing of fine ales, all of which could be sent to the new harbour and shipped anywhere in world. 'At Alloa a merchant may trade to all parts of the world,' wrote Daniel Defoe in the 1720s.

And at Alloa a waggonway was built to make it easier to transport coal to the harbour for export. Such innovative waggonways existed before we had railways and were very much the forerunners of the railway systems that came later.

Examination of John Wood's 1825 map of Alloa gives us a glimpse of all that industry and a well developed town.

Then we visit Alloa Tower itself. In each room there is no getting away from the thickness of the walls; at 11-feet-thick each floor probably has more wall than space between! The interior, run by the National Trust for Scotland, gives a good insight into the tower's development, and in places a general feel of that luxurious big house that once sat beside and formed part of the tower. Sadly that house burned down in 1800 and it's lucky the tower itself survived.

We also learn of the enormous restoration project that saved the tower and transformed it from a derelict ruin to the stunning visitor attraction that it is today.

Then there's the view from the battlements ... ... oh my goodnesss, what can I say: views towards the River Forth and the vast expanse of the Ochil Hills. And towards Clackmannan Tower too, where we end our visit and the video, looking back at Alloa Tower and the town that grew around it.

Details on how to visit Alloa Tower can be found on the National Trust for Scotland's website (nts.org.uk) at https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/a...

#scottishheritage
#scottishhistory
#scotlandtourism
#royalfamily