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[Internet Pic]

CHAS’ & RUBY’S
2006 UK TOUR

Thursday,
June 1st:
ALLOA TOWER

[Internet Pic]

I couldn’t get enough distance from Alloa Tower to take
my own EXTERIOR pix with my cheap camera. HAR!
ALLOA
TOWER
is a place
“OFF
the beaten
path”
as far as
Tourista
stuff goes.

It is completely
surrounded by
ALLOA CITY
buildings.

[Internet pic at Left]
But, it is of significant historical interest, and a FABU place to visit!
Here is another ALLOA TOWER Internet site, with more info.

“Dating from the 14th century,
Alloa Tower is the largest surviving
medieval keep in Scotland.
It was the ancestral home of the
Earls of Mar and has played host
to many of Scotland’s monarchs.
According to legend, Mary,
Queen of Scots was reconciled
with Darnley here.”

[Internet pic at Right shows a rear view of the Tower]
“Another [legend] holds that Mary’s infant son, later James VI,
died at birth and was replaced by the Earl of Mar’s baby son.”

Brodie and I had an absolutely grand visit with the VERY SCOTTISH gentleman
who was in charge of the Alloa Tower Reception Desk when we arrived.
He was a HOOT!!!
(Terrifically OBNOXIOUS – but, in an entirely FRIENDLY MANNER! LOL)

As with most historic buildings, photography is not permitted inside.
Usually, you get your interior pix from the booklet you buy when you visit.
But, the Alloa Tower booklet didn’t have ANY pix of the gorgeous rooms!
Even the Internet didn’t yield pix of
Alloa Tower’s interior!

This tiny Internet photo collection was the only
image I could find that showed “the sweeping
Italian-style staircase” [upper left corner] where
many of the fabulous Alloa oil portraits are displayed,
as well as a pic of one of the several restored
and period-furnished rooms [bottom right corner].

I did manage to
find THIS wonderful
Internet pic
of the
“SOLAR”
with it’s
medieval roof,
constructed of
“magnificent
oak beams”
–
many of which
are the
ORIGINAL
14th Century
beams!

During our guided tour, I was allowed to take these
two pix of Alloa Tower’s 14th CENTURY WELL!

When renovation work began [in 1995?] the Tower’s original well, which had been
filled in and blocked off during the 18th century, was discovered and excavated.

“It is a well-built circular shaft, running down through the thickness of the wall for
some 22 feet into the bedrock below the Tower. The soft porous sandstone acted as
natural filter for water percolating into the well. A secure water source is always
a prime consideration when designing a building to be defended …
any attacker would have had to tear the building down
to cut off the water supply.”

One place you can always take pix, however: THE ROOF!

Although difficult to appreciate from these few pix, the
“BATTLEMENTS” atop Alloa Tower were quite impressive.


TENNIS anyone?! LOL

Lovely views of ALLOA CITY.

GO TO THE NEXT PAGE:
BRODIE Takes CHAS To HIS HOME!

Return to the 2006 CHAS & REX UK TRIP INDEX

Visit Charly’s Renaissance Faire Website!
(Meet TEDDY – myne titmouse!)

Visit (or Return to)
The Miller Fandamily PIX DIRECTORY

If you have information or suggestions for Ruby & Chas’ 2006 UK TOUR Website
– or PHOTO contributions for it! –
PLZ Email CHAS!
c-d-miller@neb.rr.com
That’s: c-d-miller@neb.rr.com –
those are hyphens/dashes (-) between the “c” and “d” and “miller”