Dunipace Castle

I first saw a reference to Dunipace Castle on Google Maps. It doesn't seem to be referenced on Ordnance Survey maps, for example, and I don't recall having heard about it until recently. An online search suggested it could be accessed via the Hills of Dunipace Cemetery, so that's where I headed this evening.

All that remains of the castle are the ruins of an octagonal stair tower (pictured above) and some adjoining pieces of wall. The information I read online suggests the tower dates from the mid-17th century, although the main castle building (of which there is no current trace) pre-dated it by at least 100 years as it appears on a 16th century map. The article goes on to say that the castle was abandoned and a new house built nearby, possibly using some of the stone from the castle, in the 18th century and, although the stair tower remained, it was converted into a doocot (dovecote). Even the pigeons seem to have abandoned it now.

It's always good to find new local landmarks to explore!

Extra is of the River Carron taken nearby on the road from Bonnybridge to Larbert.