Alloa Tower

Alloa Tower is the largest surviving medieval keep in Scotland, built in the 14th century to guard a ferry crossing on the Forth and the ancestral seat of the Erskines, Earls of Mar, guardians of the young Stuart monarchs, so Mary, Queen of Scots and James VI both stayed here. The 6th Earl, leader of the 1715 Jacobite Rising, remodelled it in the 18th century, so the massive walls hold surprisingly opulent rooms with portraits by Raeburn and Van Dyck, family china and silver, while the medieval Solar keeps its original oak roof timbers. Some 100 steps climb to the parapet for a view over nine counties. The National Trust for Scotland opens it four days a week in season. Reviewers praise the staff's stories of ghosts and the family curse and the roof views, and call it a short visit. Tips from visitors: parking is a ten-space car park about 200 yards away, the many stairs rule out wheelchairs, and children can dress up in period costume.