Clackmannan Tower is a five-storey tower house, situated at the summit of King's Seat Hill in Clackmannan. It dates back to at least the 14th century, when it was inhabited by King David II of Scotland, and David is recorded as selling it to his cousin Robert Bruce in 1359.
Clackmannan Tower is located on King's Seat Hill, on the western edge of the town of Clackmannan in the Scottish county of Clackmannanshire. The tower is at an elevation of 55 metres above sea level, with views of the River Forth to the south and the Ochil Hills to the north. The tower is largely still intact from its medieval days, including the roof, although part of the eastern wall was reconstructed following a collapse in 1950. The building is L-shaped, with five storeys. The original part of the building is on the north, and the slightly higher 1500s wing to the south, using cut blocks of pink sandstone. The newer section features a fireplace on the second floor, typical of its period. Gardens and an area probably once used as a bowling green are situated to the south of the tower, while a large platform is on the northern side.
The land on which the tower stands was the originally the property of the Crown of Scotland, and in the late 12th century the town of Clackmannan was home to a mill belonging to the monks of the Cambuskenneth Abbey. It it not known exactly when the original tower was constructed, and local tradition asserts that it was built by Robert the Bruce. King David II Bruce was recorded as being in residence at the town in 1329, and the tower may have been constructed by then. In 1359, David sold the site, including a hunting lodge, to his cousin Sir Robert Bruce, possibly with a view to keeping it in the possession of the Bruce family and not as a royal asset.
In around 1500 the south wing was added, and in the seventeenth century a moat and drawbridge were built as well as surrounding walls.
References:The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.
The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.
The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.
The history of the castle is the subject of different legends.