Bruces Castle
Bruces Castle Details
Bruce's Castle, very ruined C15 tower of the Airth family later owned by the Bruces and Drummonds
- Closest To: Cowie,Plean,Airth,Stenhousemuir,Stirling,Larbert,Falkirk
- Access: S.O.A.C. Public Access
- Grid Reference: NS857878
Bruces Castle is an impressive ruined 15th century tower house built on a ridge overlooking the low-lying lands of the Forth in between Stirling and Falkirk. There is no evidence for additional buildings, and the surrounding area is used for livestock, so permission should be sought from Castleton farm for access. Only one wall of the tower survives to a significant extent, the others being at least partially ruined and the ground floor being largely filled with rubble.
The history of this castle is part of a convoluted story involving the lands and baronies of Airth, Plaine and Carnock. The earliest name for Bruces Castle was Over Carnock, which was part of Carnock. The tower was damaged in the late 15th century and rebuilt by 1519 for Sir Robert Bruce of Auchenbowie, who may have been related to Bruce of Airth – but this matter requires significant research to clarify, and it is not clear how long the castle was occupied for, although the indication on Roy’s mid 18th century map is occupation to this period.
Become a supporter of my work to access a more detailed history