47-501: Alloa Tower in Alloa , Clackmannanshire , in central Scotland , is an early 14th-century tower house that served as the medieval residence of the Erskine family, later Earls of Mar . Retaining its original timber roof and battlements, the tower is one of the earliest and largest Scottish tower houses, with immensely thick walls. It was designated as a scheduled monument in 1960 and
94-427: A burgh of barony , is the administrative centre of Clackmannanshire Council. Historically, the economy relied heavily on trade between Glasgow and mainland Europe through its port. This became increasingly uncompetitive and the port stopped operating in 1970. The local economy is now centred on retail and leisure since the closure of major industries; only one brewer and one glassmaker survive today. Parochially, Alloa
141-576: A V.C. They were part of the 7th Argylls under the 51st Highland Division . As of 2014, the temporary national headquarters of Police Scotland is located in Alloa. Alloa's most famous landmark is the 15th century Alloa Tower ( National Trust for Scotland ), the surviving part of the ancestral medieval residence of the Erskine family, the Earls of Mar . Despite extensive internal and external alterations,
188-456: A half-hourly service from Alloa railway station to Glasgow Queen Street via Stirling , Larbert and Croy between 0641 and 2315 Monday to Saturday and between 1041 and 2141 on Sundays. Passengers can travel to Inverness , Edinburgh Waverley and Aberdeen with a change at Stirling, however for journeys to or from Edinburgh passengers with heavy luggage may find it more convenient to change at Larbert, where Edinburgh and Glasgow services use
235-570: A small boat to Alloa, crewed by "simple men of seafare trade". According to George Buchanan and the " Book of Articles ", the crew were "notorious pirates", associates of the Earl of Bothwell including William and Edmund Blackadder. Mary wrote from Alloa on 31 July to Annabell Murray's brother-in-law, the Laird of Abercairney , on behalf of the evicted widow of one of his tenants. Claude Nau wrote that Mary's only companions were her ladies in waiting and
282-878: A witch, Janet Irvine, in order to poison their nephews so that they could claim their inheritance. Between May and August 1658, many residents of Alloa were also involved in a witch-hunt. Margaret Duchell was arrested by the Alloa kirk session, and, after interrogation, confessed to making a pact with the devil, harming others, and attending witches sabbaths with six other witches. Four of these six; Margaret Taylor, Bessie Paton, Janet Black, and Katherine Rainie, were arrested between June and August. Duchell died in prison in May. 56°06′45″N 3°47′18″W / 56.11242°N 3.78825°W / 56.11242; -3.78825 Alloa Alloa (Received Pronunciation / ˈ æ l oʊ ə / ; Scottish pronunciation /ˈaloʊa/; Scottish Gaelic : Alamhagh , possibly meaning "rock plain" )
329-800: Is a town in Clackmannanshire in the Central Lowlands of Scotland . It is on the north bank of the Forth at the spot where some say it ceases to be the River Forth and becomes the Firth of Forth . Alloa is south of the Ochil Hills on the western Fife peninsula, 6.0 miles (9.7 km) east of Stirling and 13.0 miles (20.9 km) west of Dunfermline ; by water Alloa is 25 miles (40 km) from Granton . The town, formerly
376-634: Is affiliated to the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church . Alloa is currently served by two churches in the Church of Scotland , namely Alloa Ludgate Church (formed by the union of Alloa North Parish Church and Alloa West Parish Church in 2009 in the building of the former West Church) and St. Mungo's Parish Church . In 1978 the Very Rev Dr Peter Brodie (then minister at St Mungo's) was elected Moderator of
423-524: Is by Sir Robert Lorimer with sculpture by Pilkington Jackson . The monument to the South African War is also by Lorimer (1904). Alloa is served by many food retailers including Iceland Frozen Foods , Tesco , Aldi , Lidl , Morrisons , Asda , Co-op Food and Farmfoods . The Asda supermarket, opened in September 2006, is adjacent to the site of the new railway station and was built on
470-532: Is located in Mar Street. The church is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dunkeld . There is a Musalla on Whins Road in Alloa. Muslims who are unable to attend a mosque can use this space as a place of prayer, worship and education. In 2003 it became open to the public. Alloa is home to one professional football club: Alloa Athletic Football Club . The club was formed in 1880 under
517-476: Is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland . The four-storey tower is 68 feet (21 m) high, excluding the attic . The building is made from coursed rubble and measures 62.5 by 39.5 feet (19.1 by 12.0 m) in size. The building has been extensively re-fenestrated during its history, but retains some internal medieval features. It was originally built as part of a line of fortifications defending
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#1732790453205564-571: Is served by the Rev. Jason Lingiah and is part of the Presbytery of East. On Greenside Street, in the old Greenside mission hall (a mission of Moncrieff United Free Church), is Alloa Elim Pentecostal Church . There are churches of other denominations in the town, including a Baptist church, and St John's Episcopal Church. There are also congregations of Latter-day Saints and Jehovah's Witnesses in Alloa. The Catholic church, also named St Mungo's,
611-646: The Alloa Advertiser , was founded in 1841 as a monthly but in 1855 it became a weekly. Similarly, in 1845, the monthly Clackmannanshire Advertiser became the Alloa Journal. More recently the Wee County News was launched in 1995 but went into liquidation in 2011. Some footage of a woollen mill and glassworks exists on film. River Forth (1956) B&W silent 15 mins. James VI of Scotland Too Many Requests If you report this error to
658-585: The West Indies , Egypt and the Far East . Alloa was also home to Alloa Brewery Co, developing Graham's Golden Lager in 1927 which was renamed Skol in the 1950s. Closures and mergers during the mid-20th century reduced the number of breweries to two and by 1999 after the closure of MacLay's Thistle Brewery, only one remained, the Forth Brewery which became Williams Bros. in 2003. In addition to
705-528: The 1990s, but was badly damaged by fire in August 2024. It was illegally demolished in September 2024 without listed-building consent. Alloa Town Hall and Library was designed by the architect Alfred Waterhouse and built in 1886-9 at a cost of £18,008. The Speirs Centre was built as Alloa's swimming pool in 1895 and was designed by Sir John Burnet of Glasgow. The Sheriff Court is by Brown and Wardrop of 1862–5. Alloa War Memorial (designed 1920 erected 1925)
752-446: The 19th and early 20th centuries. Alloa was long associated with the brewing industry, with at least nine major breweries producing ales at its height. However industrial decline during the mid to late 20th century has led to the economy relying more on retail and leisure. The first brewing firms in the town were Younger in 1762 and Meiklejohn in 1784. Alloa ale was sent to London and George Younger had an extensive export trade to
799-514: The Earl of Mar, and Darnley only made a brief visit. When Darnley came to Alloa by road, Mary told him to go away. Mary enjoyed dancing at Alloa during this visit. It is also said she went to Stirling in disguise dressed as an ordinary townswoman "in homely sort" and joined in a dance around the Market Cross. James VI of Scotland stayed at Alloa for four days in August 1579. In December 1592,
846-471: The Gartmorn Dam can still be seen today, and although the dam is no longer used for energy production or water supply, it is well used for fishing and leisure purposes. The Clackmannanshire Library was founded at Alloa in 1797 and it contained upwards of 1500 volumes. As the 18th century closed a whisky distillery was established at Carsebridge by John Bald. In the 18th century the staple business of
893-628: The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland . Four other former St. Mungo's ministers have held this position. Its current minister, the Rev. Sang Y Cha, is the first Korean to be ordained to The Church of Scotland . Alloa is part of the Church of Scotland's Presbytery of Stirling. The United Free Church of Scotland has a presence in Alloa through the congregation at Moncrieff United Free Church in Drysdale Street. The congregation
940-476: The Tower retains its original medieval wooden roof and battlements, as well as some internal features. It is one of the largest and earliest of Scottish tower houses . The town formerly contained a large number of 17th and 18th century buildings, but many were cleared with the expansion of milling operations and later with slum clearance in the 20th century. However, Alloa does retain some historic architecture in
987-785: The US, each day. However, in 2009 the company announced that it intended to close the Carsebridge Cooperage and move the work to nearby Cambus . The new Cambus cooperage was opened in December 2011 by the Earl of Wessex . Alloa is linked to the historic Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders housed at Stirling Castle . Many of the soldiers in the Second World War fought under Montgomery at the Battle of El Alamein and Wadi Akrit where their commanding officer Lorne Campbell won
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#17327904532051034-516: The birth of Prince James . Some sources say the French ambassador Michel de Castelnau came with the Bishop of Ross to Alloa to congratulate Mary on her safe delivery. They would later exchange dozens of letters in cipher code. Mary's visit to Alloa subsequently attracted the attention of her enemies, and the details are disputed. A chronicle mentions that she left her servants at Newhaven , and took
1081-574: The brewing of beer, Alloa is the site of the former Carsebridge Distillery. According to Alfred Barnard , the Victorian historian of British distilling and brewing, the distillery was founded as a malt distillery by John Bald in 1799. In the 1840s it was converted into a grain distillery and by the time of Barnard's visit in the mid 1880s the distillery covered 10 acres, employed 150 people, and had an annual output of 1.4 to 1.7 million gallons of pure grain whisky. The distillery's owner John Bald and Co
1128-503: The charter granted by King Robert the Bruce in the year 1315, to Thomas de Erskyne, it is called Alway; in some subsequent ones, Aulway, Auleway; and more recently Alloway. Dr Jamieson stated that the most probable etymology of the name was from Aull Waeg – the way to the sea. Sir Robert Erskine was granted the lands of Alloa and its environs in 1368 for services to King David II and he and his descendants were good stewards, developing
1175-408: The coal mines, and Robert Bald , a local mining engineer, was contracted to provide water power from the Gartmorn Dam to operate the mines and other industries. Good water supplies and the availability of barley from the carselands encouraged George Younger to set up a brewery in the 1760s and he was soon followed by others. Alloa became one of Scotland's premier brewing centres. The 6th Earl of Mar
1222-518: The colliers were attached to the properties in which they were born and were virtual serfs or slaves, supported by the master. After the Colliers and Salters (Scotland) Act 1775 abolished the system, the colliers could move between collieries at will, and they were supported in their needs by the Alloa Colliers' Fund or Friendly Society which was founded in 1775. Traces of the waggonway and
1269-584: The crisis caused by the discovery of the Spanish blanks . John Erskine , the second earl of Mar, is known to have been involved in two trials. The first, in 1596, concerned Margaret Crawford. She had been accused of practicing mass in the Catholic way, and John Erskine was asked to raise a commission for a trial. The second trial, held from 1613-1614, concerned the Erskine of Dun siblings: Robert, Anna, Helen, and Isobel. They were found guilty of consorting with
1316-471: The entrance on the first floor. In the 15th century, it was further enlarged to four/five levels while retaining its first-floor access. Late in the 16th century, ground-floor access was probably added. John Erskine, 6th Earl of Mar , built a very large mansion (Alloa House) in 1710 that incorporated the tower as its annexe. Mar wrote: There is something in the Old Tower, especially if made to conform to
1363-500: The estates and innovating. One of the earliest maps of the area was made by surveyor and cartographer John Adair in 1681. See Alloa witches John Erskine , the 6th Earl of Mar oversaw many far-reaching developments including substantial harbour improvements, a customs house, a "New Town" area of housing, and commissioning the building of the Gartmorn Dam , which was designed by George Sorocold . Erskine owned many of
1410-551: The form of Alloa Tower, Tobias Bauchop 's House at 25 Kirkgate (1695), as well as later buildings such as Inglewood House ( c. 1900 ), Gean House (1912) and Greenfield House (1892). Carsebridge House, known locally as the Doll's House, was a B-listed two-storey house built around 1799 as part of the plan to establish the Carsebridge Distillery. It survived the demolition of the distillery buildings in
1457-494: The gardener of Alloa brought trees to plant in the garden at Stirling Castle . Margaret Tudor met the Chancellor James Beaton at Alloa on 11 July 1524, to discuss transferring power from Regent Albany to the young James V . Mary, Queen of Scots visited John, Lord Erskine and his wife Annabell Murray at Alloa on 16 June 1562, and again in May 1565. Mary returned to Alloa on 28 July 1566, soon after
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1504-522: The grouting of a large number of shallow mine workings. The project also involved the construction of a new bypass road, and a bridge which replaced a level crossing in the town. Alloa railway station reopened in May 2008, a short distance east of its former site, just beyond the location of the former junction to the Devon Valley line that served Tillicoultry and Dollar, and also carried through trains to Kinross and Perth. ScotRail now operates
1551-570: The land where the Alloa brewery once stood. After the closure of the Stirling-Alloa- Dunfermline line in 1968 and the Devon Valley Railway in 1973, the town had no passenger railway services for 40 years until 2008. The Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail link project was completed in May 2008. The laying of new track had commenced in September 2006 after much preparatory work, including new drainage works and
1598-471: The line. Besides the two high schools of Lornshill Academy and Alloa Academy , the town also has four primary schools : Sunnyside, Redwell, Park, and St Mungos. In addition to these, the New Struan School is an independently run day and residential school catering for children of both primary and high school ages with autistic spectrum disorders . There is also a OneSchool Global UK that
1645-718: The main industry to the north and east of the town was coal mining. Wool was also locally plentiful and in the early part of the 19th century, John Paton set up a small yarn-spinning business in the town, later establishing Kilncraigs Mill. Much of the Kilncraigs complex has been demolished but a four-storey Edwardian Baroque block of 1903–1904 survives, with an extension of 1936. The buildings were converted to Council offices by LDN architects in 2003/2004. Patons merged with J. & J. Baldwin of Halifax in 1924 to become Paton & Baldwins Ltd. The town itself continued to be known for its weaving and glassmaking industries well into
1692-744: The name of Alloa but changed to its present-day name of Alloa Athletic in 1881. The team currently play in the Scottish Championship , formerly the Scottish Football League First Division , after being promoted as winners of a play-off with Dunfermline Athletic , the season after being crowned champions of the Scottish Football League Third Division at the end of the 2011–12 season . Their home games are played at Recreation Park in Alloa. Alloa's oldest newspaper,
1739-513: The new design, which is venerable for its antiquity & makes not a bad appearance & would make one regret the being obliged to pull it down. Mar made plans to remodel the tower's interior, but it is unclear what changes were actually made. The house burned down in 1800 and was rebuilt by George Angus in 1834–1838 for the 9th Earl. It was demolished sometime after 1868. The tower is a public attraction and hosts events for different holidays like Easter and Christmas every year. In February 1497,
1786-416: The north shore of the Firth of Forth . Several 19th-century works, including Groome's Gazetteer, date the tower to the year 1223. Archaeological investigations from the early 1990s date the original fortified house to the early 14th century, where it had a cellar that sometimes served as a pit prison. By the mid-14th century, it had been enlarged with a great hall and rose to three storeys in height, with
1833-454: The port was coal with about 50,000 tons a year exported. In 1813 the first steamboat started to operate out of Alloa harbour. Rival companies later united into the "Stirling, Alloa and Kincardine Steamboat Company". In 1822 water was brought into the town and in 1828 a gas works was built. While building a road to Alloa Academy in 1828, an ancient burial site was found at Mars Hill, with several finds including two gold armlets. Alloa Academy
1880-432: The same platform. The new railway opened for traincrew route learning in early April 2008, followed by the opening to the public on Monday 19 May 2008. This had been preceded by an official opening on 15 May 2008, where LNER Gresley K4 61994 The Great Marquess hauled four specials to Stirling. The return workings were hauled by Deltic 55022 Royal Scots Grey . Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson officially reopened
1927-590: The widower John Erskine , Earl of Mar , married Marie Stewart , a daughter of Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox . James VI and Anne of Denmark gave the bride clothes, and wedding celebrations were held at Alloa following the marriage at Holyroodhouse . One version of the Memoir of David Moysie mentions that the King and Queen were "in Alloway the earle of Mars house at the bankett at Yuill and at Nursemes". Newersmes
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1974-466: Was a Scots Language word for New Year's Day. Festivities, customarily held at a bridegroom's family home known as the infare , were mentioned by one of the invited guests, the courtier John Elphinstone . Costume was bought for a masque at Alloa in which Anne of Denmark performed, dressed in silk taffeta and "gold tock", a kind of tinsel fabric. The party was cut short when Sir John Carmichael and Sir George Home arrived from Edinburgh with news of
2021-400: Was built in 1824, being paid for by subscription. The Alloa Swing Bridge was opened to the public on 1 October 1885. The population was 5,434 in the 1841 census. After the improvements were made to the harbour during the 18th century, Alloa thrived as a river port through which the products of Glasgow manufacture were exported to continental Europe. At that time, and until the 1950s,
2068-527: Was forced to flee the country and forfeit his lands after disastrously backing the Jacobite cause in 1715. However, his brother was allowed to purchase the forfeited lands and future generations continued the tradition of creative industry by launching a glass-works in 1750 and laying one of Scotland's earliest railways (a waggonway) from the Sauchie mines to down to the harbour in around 1766. Before 1775,
2115-414: Was linked with Tullibody . The towns are now distinct, albeit with Lornshill in the middle, and Alloa is about twice the size of its north-western neighbour. The population of Alloa was estimated to be approximately 20,730 residents in 2016. Alloa grew up under the protection of Alloa Tower which may have been built before 1300 AD. The name of the town has had different spelling at different periods. In
2162-490: Was one of five companies that combined to form the Distillers Company Limited in 1877. In 1902, a fire devastated the distillery, after World War I it was refitted and started producing yeast. This yeast production lasted until 1938. In 1956 the distillery was modernised, it expanded in 1966 and in the 1970s a new still house, cooperage and animal feedstuffs plant added. By 1980 the Carsebridge Distillery
2209-524: Was the largest grain distillery in Scotland, however it closed in 1983 and was demolished in 1992. One of the distillery's Coffey stills is now in use at the Cameronbridge distillery. After whisky ceased to be produced at Carsebridge, the cooperage remained as one of two owned by Diageo in Scotland. In 2008, 30 people worked there assembling or repairing up to 400 bourbon casks, imported from
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