Having already visited Clackmannan Tower, Alloa Tower and Menstrie Castle, it is now time for us to continue to blaze along the Clackmannanshire Tower Trail and start to loop back east. Well, technically east-southeast from Menstrie, south from the stunning town of Alva (Alva Glen is perhaps one of our absolute favourite nature walks, with its waterfalls and caves), towards the small village of Fishcross and the town of Sauchie. Follow us to Sauchie Tower!
We were close to Sauchie Tower in our Andy Scott Public Art Trail post, more specifically when we stopped to admire the River Spirit statue. In fact, we are not too far away from Alloa and Clackmannan either, which means we are really getting to know the wee Clacks. However, as mentioned earlier, we are heading towards Sauchie, but we will stop just about a mile north from the town. Therefore, you might be wondering, why is it called Sauchie Tower if it’s not located in the town of Sauchie? Well, the quick answer is that the rest of the town moved south, and only the old tower house, also known as Devon Tower (due to its proximity to the River Devon), remains of the original Sauchie. Before we head inside for a very rare glimpse of the Tower, we should first cover some of the early history of the area and the tower itself.
With the tower’s proximity to Clackmannan, it is not at all surprising that we start with a link to King Robert the Bruce. The lands around Sauchie (which means ‘a field of willows’) were granted as the Barony of Sauchie by King Robert the Bruce to Henry de Annand in 1324. There is some speculation that there was an earlier tower built on the same site around 1335, however that is still yet to be confirmed due to lack of evidence. What we do know for sure is that about a century later the heiress of Sauchie, Mary de Annand, married Sir James Schaw of Greenock. Thus, the ownership of the lands transferred to the Schaw family. It was Sir James who first built the tower, that survives to this day, sometime around year 1430.
The tower house was first adorned with stone walls, a mote, and an interior courtyard. A small section of the wall is still standing. It soon expanded to include adjoining buildings of staples and other auxiliary buildings. And it wasn’t just Sauchie Tower that grew and developed, so did the rest of the settlement around it. Houses for servants and workers for the mills and mines in the area soon developed around the tower.
The Schaw family were one of the most influential families in Scotland. For example, the son of Sir James, also named James Schaw, became the Comptroller to King James III. However, by no means was he the only Schaw to serve in the Scottish Royal Courts. In 1529, Alexander Schaw was granted the hereditary post of Master of the King’s Wine-Cellar. That is why, to this day, the Schaw family crest features three golden cups. Later, in the 16th century, another influential Schaw was William Schaw, who served as Master of Works for King James VI. He is also considered to be one of the founders of modern freemasonry. The Royal connections continued into the 17th century, when, for example, another Alexander Schaw was knighted by King Charles I in 1633.
As time went on and changed, so did the technologies and tastes when it came to homes, and Alexander Schaw decided to build a new adjoining mansion house (now referred to as the ‘Old Sauchie House’). It was more modern and comfortable lodgings for the Laird, but as the family moved into the house, the tower started its slow decline. It may have been used for special occasions, but most likely it became used for storage and even livestock. Now that we’ve established some of its history, let’s head inside Sauchie Tower to see how it is today.
Sauchie Tower is now owned by Clackmannanshire Heritage Trust who arrange limited tours of its interior during Scottish Archaeology Month and Doors Open Days. In fact, our visit to the Tower took place on the 26th of September in 2021, during a Doors Open Day. That is why our Angel- Sawyer is featured in some of these photos.
As we step inside, the first thing that stands out is that, despite the ravages of time, weather, and fire having left their mark, the interior remains stunningly ornate as seen in the fireplaces and window recesses. You wouldn’t expect this if you were to judge the building by its plain and ordinary exterior. What is also quite fascinating about the Tower today is that what remains has changed very little from when it was built in the early 15th century. The entrance is on the ground level, which potentially housed a guard room, storage room, a well, and of course access to the stairs that lead to the floors above.
The first floor is where the main hall is located, with its sandstone flooring still mostly intact. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the subfloors between the first and second, and second and third storeys. It is thought that those were destroyed in a fire sometime in the 1750’s.
Moving outside to the grounds around Sauchie Tower, some sections of the ruinous ‘Old Sauchie House’ (the one that was built by Alexander Schaw) can still be found on the property under heavy vegetation. The reason why it is in such ruinous state, is that eventually it too fell out of style, and the Schaws built a whole new house - the Mansion of Schawpark. This was in the ‘New’ Sauchie – the location where the Lord and his family moved. And when they moved, so did the servants and workers, which explains why essentially the whole town moved a mile south from the old tower.
The Old Sauchie House is said to have been used by some tenants until it was demolished in 1930. Even the Mansion of Schawpark was demolished in 1961. Therefore, it’s a bit ironic that Sauchie Tower may have fell out of style, but it is now the only Schaw family house that remains. I guess when you make the stone walls of your home 1-3 meters thick - it’s built to last.
That doesn't mean that the tower is not in some desperate need of further restoration works. It wasn’t only the fire that gutted it, but further damage happened in 1858 when its roof collapsed. Some of the conservation and restorations were finally started around 1980 when the Tower received a new roof which helped prevent further deterioration. The tower has also been stabilised with cables.
A lot of the current restoration efforts have been done by the Clackmannanshire Heritage Trust with the help of Friends of Sauchie Tower, a group formed in 2002, who have been successful in attaining some funds for the projects of clearing the site. However, they need a lot of help. So, if you are interested in helping – please get in touch with the Friends of Sauchie Tower.
For now, we will let Sawyer show you around the grounds of Sauchie Tower, but don’t forget to stay tuned for the conclusion of the magnificent Clackmannanshire Tower Trail, as we next head to the breathtakingly beautiful Dollar Glen, where we will visit Castle Campbell!
Until next time- Explore & Discover!
