Clackmannan Tower is situated in the town of the same name, six or seven miles from Stirling, and two from Alloa. The tower belonged to David II, who gifted it in 1859 to his cousin Robert Bruce, in the possession of whose descendants it remained until 1791. King Robert Bruce is also said to have resided here, and his sword and helmet were preserved in the tower until the Bruce family died out, when they were transferred to the Earl of Elgin, as the nearest of kin. The old Jacobito lady, Mrs. Bruce, who knighted Robert Burns with the sword of Bruce, resided here.
The tower is of peculiar construction. The original keep, which has a gabled roof, eventually became too small, and another wing was built on to the south, which is higher than the original structure. This addition has an embrasured parapet with open machicolations and rounded corners, which gives the structure a very martial air.

If you would like to visit this area as part of a highly personalized small group tour of my native Scotland please e-mail me:

Return to Scottish Castles