Sauchie Tower, Fishcross, United Kingdom

In 1431 Sir James Schaw of Greenock, Comptroller to the King, acquired the lands of Sauchie when he married the heiress Mary de Annand. Sauchie Tower was built by Sir James soon after. His son was appointed Governor of Stirling Castle in 1460. The Schaws held the land into the 17th century, with several members of the family serving in the Scottish royal household.

Around 1631, Alexander Schaw, who was knighted by King Charles I in 1633, built a house in the courtyard to the north-west of the tower. Another house on the estate, Schawpark, was built around 1700, and in 1752 Sauchie passed by marriage to the Cathcart family. Around this time the tower is thought to have been gutted by fire, and was not subsequently lived in. The roof and turrets were destroyed in the second half of the nineteenth century. Old Sauchie House, in the courtyard, was demolished after the estate was bought for coal extraction in the 1930s. The tower was derelict but in good condition in 1950. Schawpark was sold in 1826, to the Earl of Mansfield, who was then Lord Lieutenant of Clackmannanshire, but was demolished in 1961.

Today the tower is restored. It measures 11.5 by 10.3 metres and rises four storeys to a corbelled parapet walk, with bartizans (open round towers) at the corners. At the north-west corner is a hexagonal cap house (a small room covering the top of the stair), with a pyramidal roof. The vaulted basement contains a well, and the main hall is at first-floor level.

References:

Wikipedia

Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom

User Reviews

Joshua Tann (6 months ago)
Access not permitted, exterior view only. Tours seemingly in September only. Lone information board was useful.

Jimmy’s Beard (3 years ago)
Protected but neglected. Even a walk all the way round would be nice. It’s secured with bricks gates and fencing . Great access to the information board though .

macedonboy (5 years ago)
Visited this tower house back in August. This type of building served as both residence and fortification in remote or inaccessible land, and were once quite common to Scotland. This one belonged to various minor nobles including de Annand, Schaw and Cathcart families before ending up in ownership to the Earl of Mansfield. This tower house is not open to the public, but there is some history and interpretation on the information boards on-site. One interesting feature is the roof of the house which looks like an early example of Scottish Baronial architecture by adding a tower type extension on the room. I do enjoy Scottish history, so it was only a small detour, otherwise Alloa Tower would be a better site to visit to see a good example of a Scottish tower house.

John James (5 years ago)
It's interesting enough if you're passing

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright missbutterflies

Historic Site of the week

Saint-Émilion Old Town

Saint-Émilion is a picturesque medieval village renowned for its well-preserved architecture and vineyards. The town and surrounding vineyards was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, owing to its long, living history of wine-making, Romanesque churches and ruins stretching all along steep and narrow streets.

An oppidum was built on the hill overlooking the present-day city in Gaulish times, before the regions was annexed by Augustus in 27 BC. The Romans planted vineyards in what was to become Saint-Émilion as early as the 2nd century. In the 4th century, the Latin poet Ausonius lauded the fruit of the bountiful vine.

Because the region was located on the route of the Camino de Santiago, many monasteries and churches were built during the Middle Ages, and in 1199, while under Plantagenet rule, the town was granted full rights.

Sauchie Tower

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Saint-Émilion Old Town