Elphinstone Tower, Falkirk facts for kids

Ruins of Elphinstone Tower in 2009

Elphinstone Tower is an old, ruined building in central Scotland. It is also known as Dunmore Tower or Airth Tower. You can find it on the Dunmore Estate, about 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) north-west of Airth and 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) east of Stirling. This tower was built in the 1500s and is now a protected historic site.

What is Elphinstone Tower?

Elphinstone Tower is a type of building called a tower house. These were strong, tall homes built by important families a long time ago. They were designed to be both a home and a place to defend against attacks. Today, much of Elphinstone Tower is in ruins, but it still stands tall, showing its history.

Who Built Elphinstone Tower?

The tower was built in the early 1500s. A man named Sir John Elphinstone had it built. It was the main home for his family and the center of their land, known as the barony of Elphinstone. Later, in the 1600s, another family member, Alexander Elphinstone (the 4th Lord Elphinstone), made some changes. He added a gallery and a new hall to the tower before he passed away in 1638.

How Did the Tower Change Hands?

In 1754, the Elphinstone Estate was bought by John Murray for £16,000. He was the son of the 3rd Earl of Dunmore. Just two years later, he became the 4th Earl of Dunmore himself. Because of his new title, he decided to rename the estate "Dunmore."

The Dunmore Pineapple Connection

You might have heard of the famous Dunmore Pineapple. This very unusual building was also built on the Dunmore Estate by Lord Dunmore in 1761. It's a fun fact that both the tower and the pineapple are part of the same historic estate!

Later Changes and Decline

The tower was made bigger at some point, but it seems like people didn't live in it much after that. In the 1820s, the 5th Earl of Dunmore decided to build a new main house for the estate called Dunmore Park. To make space for a private church, St Andrew's Episcopal Church, parts of the tower that had been added were taken down around 1850. After this, the ground floor of the tower was changed into a family burial place.

The Murray family left Dunmore in 1911. Since then, the tower has slowly fallen apart. St Andrew's Church was taken down in the early 1960s. Then, around 1968, a big storm caused the north-west corner of the tower to collapse. Today, the tower is about 9 meters (29.5 feet) by 7.4 meters (24.3 feet) wide, and its walls are still 17 meters (55.8 feet) high to the top.

Images for kids

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  Ruins of Elphinstone Tower in 2016

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  Drawing of the tower and Elphinstone church, 1897