Alloa Tower facts for kids
Alloa Tower is a very old tower house in Alloa, Clackmannanshire, in central Scotland. It was built in the early 1300s and was the home of the powerful Erskine family, who later became Earls of Mar. This tower is one of the oldest and largest tower houses in Scotland. It still has its original wooden roof and battlements (the top parts of a castle wall), and its walls are super thick! Since 1960, it has been protected as an important historical site. Today, the National Trust for Scotland looks after it.
Alloa Tower's Story
This tower has four main floors, plus an attic. It stands about 68 feet (21 meters) tall. The building is made from rough stone and measures about 62.5 by 39.5 feet (19.0 by 12.0 meters). Over many years, its windows have been changed, but some parts inside are still from medieval times.
How Old Is It?
Alloa Tower was first built as part of a line of forts to protect the north side of the Firth of Forth (a large sea inlet). Some old books from the 1800s say the tower was built in 1223. However, experts who studied the ground in the early 1990s believe the first fortified house was built in the early 1300s. Back then, it had a cellar that was sometimes used as a dungeon.
Changes Over Time
By the mid-1300s, the tower was made bigger. It gained a great hall (a large main room) and grew to three floors. The entrance was on the first floor. In the 1400s, it was made even taller, reaching four or five levels, but the entrance stayed on the first floor. Later, in the late 1500s, an entrance was probably added on the ground floor.
In 1710, John Erskine, the 6th Earl of Mar, built a very large house called Alloa House next to the tower. The tower became like an extra part of this big house. He planned to change the inside of the tower, but we don't know exactly what changes were made. Alloa House sadly burned down in 1800. It was rebuilt later by George Angus for the 9th Earl, but then it was taken down completely after 1868.
Famous Visitors
Alloa Tower has seen many important people over the centuries. In February 1497, the gardener from Alloa brought trees to plant at Stirling Castle. On July 11, 1524, Margaret Tudor met the Chancellor James Beaton at Alloa to talk about how young James V could become king.
Mary, Queen of Scots visited Alloa Tower twice, first on June 16, 1562, and again in May 1565.
In December 1592, John Erskine, the Earl of Mar, married Marie Stewart. Their wedding party was held at Alloa. King James VI of Scotland and his wife, Anne of Denmark, gave the bride clothes. There was even a special play with costumes where Anne of Denmark performed! The fun ended early when news arrived from Edinburgh about a big problem involving some secret plans.
See also
In Spanish: Torre de Alloa para niños
