Alloa
A long chain of settlements can be spotted against the southern slopes of the Ochils and are known by the name Hillfoot villages. These hillfoot villages include Alva and Alloa. Alloa is fabled as a centre for brewing beer.
Alloa in Scotland is a small burgh in Clackmannanshire. It is located six miles to the east of Stirling, on the north bank of the River Forth. Alloa offers many historical landmarks which reflect the turbulent history and the architectural legacy of the place. The prominent and notable among them is the 14th century Alloa Tower, which is now under the control of National Trust for Scotland.
This landmark is the surviving part of the ancestral medieval residence of the Erskine family, the Earls of Mar. Even though much altered both externally and internally, the Tower retains its original medieval wooden roof and battlements, as well as some internal features. Alloa Tower is one of the largest and the earliest of Scottish tower houses. The town was a burgh of barony, and at one time it has gained considerable commercial importance.
Formerly the town had a large number of 17th and 18th century buildings. On the 19th century most of the historical sites were cleared away as slums. But this town still retain some historic architecture in the form of Alloa Tower, Inglewood House, Gean House and Greenfield House.
During 18th century, Alloa established itself as a river port through which various products manufactured in Glasgow were exported to all over the Europe continent. Until 1950s, the main industry of the north and east of Alloa was coal mining. An extensive wagon way existed to transfer the coal to the harbour. Still you can see many traces of the wagon way, and the Gartmorn Dam, can still be seen today, and although the dam is no longer used for energy production, or water supply, it is now utilised for the purposes like fishing and leisure.
The Alloa town itself was known for its weaving and glassmaking industries. The town was long associated with the brewing industry, with at least nine major breweries producing ales. However this industry declined severely during the late 20th century. Alloa is the home town of many prominent personalities like football commentator Allan Hansen, artists Lys Hansen and Emma Scott-Smith and the Canadian politician George Brown are some among them.
Region
Stirling & TrossachsActivities
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Local Sights & Activities for Alloa
A few miles south of Alva is the unappealing brewery town of Alloa, notable only for the beautifully restored Alloa Tower Buy A Pass, which stands in a park a short walk from the town centre. The 15th-centurytower house, one of the largest surviving medieval tower houses in Scotland, is the ancestral home of the Erskine family, Earls of Mar and Kellie, who were custodians of the young Mary, Queen of Scots. Of particular note is the Italianate staircase, the original oak rood beams and the pit dungeon. There are also excellent views from the parapet walk. Apr-Sep daily 1330-1730; Oct weekends only 1330-1730. Tel. 211701 (NTS).
The town has well connected railway links and a range of world class shopping facilities to woo the global tourists. Prominent places near Alloa are Alva, Tillicoultry, Dollar, Rumbling Bridge, Culross and Falkirk. Alloa in Scotland offers a wide range of accommodation facilities to the comfort of the visitors. Accommodation facilities ranging from hotels, guest houses and self catering cottages with all sorts of modern facilities, will add up the comfort level of the visitors and provides an ideal base to explore the serene beauty of Scotland.
Alloa Hotels & Accommodation
Dunmar House Hotel, Tel. 214339, on Tullibody Rd, a luxurious Edwardian mansion house hotel in 4 acres of grounds.
Express by Holiday Inn Stirling
Springkerse Business Park, Stirling,FK7 7XH
In Express by Holiday Inn Stirling hotel you can expect a warm Scottish hospitality, comfortable accommodation facilities and a great location for exploring Central Scotland, Edinburgh, Glasgow, the Trossachs National Park and Loch Lomond. Rooms are comfortable with all modern facilities included in it. Additional features of this hotel include the fully licensed bar, professional meeting rooms and free parking areas. Apart from this the guests can take advantage of the family restaurant and play area which is adjacent to the hotel.
Accommodation
This hotel boasts 80 comfortable rooms, which can accommodate up to 2 adults and 2 children. All the rooms are equipped with high speed internet access, satellite TV offering in-room movies, tea/coffee making facilities, hairdryer, telephone, disabled access public area and bedrooms and lift facility to all rooms. The hotel offers a range of rooms that include twins, family rooms and accessible guestrooms to cater to the requirement of the visitors.
Customer Review
After travelling in small inns throughout Ireland, We reached the smaller town—Stirling by train. That was our first visit to the Holiday Inn Express and we found that cheap and have all the required facility what we are looking for.
Late deals for Holiday Inn Stirling
The Grange Manor
Glensburgh, Grangemouth, FK3 8XJ
The Grange Manor is a family run hotel with lot of comfortable facilities. The highlight of this hotel is its AA Two Rosette & a Taste of Scotland Restaurant. The Hotel has an extensive Conference hall to woo the business tourists. Over the years, the hotel has undergone several up gradation, which includes a complete refurbishment of the bar and restaurant at the front. The mirror works of the Victorian period of the existing building was renewed to add more attraction, it is virtually impossible to differentiate the old from the new. The reception area of Grange Manor is light and airy, with upholstered sofas and chairs arranged in conversation groups. This hotel is located centrally so that you can have an easy access to both Glasgow & Edinburgh.
Accommodation
This hotel has 36 rooms with all sort of modern facilities to make your stay a pleasant one. Rooms are equipped with technical gadgets like TV, satellite TV, Radio, telephone and high speed internet access, which will allow you to keep track of your communication needs. Round the clock reception and room service, conference rooms, restaurant, bar, wedding license and additional cots make your stay more comfortable one. The hotel provides wheel chair access to reception, restaurant, bar, conference room and car parking, which will help them a great deal.
Customer Review
We had an extremely pleasant stay; it is suitable for family tourists. It is a beautiful property with a lush green garden. With the ample room facilities and the friendly services you will have a great time in the Grange Manor
Late deals for the Grange Manor
If you are looking for self catering accommodation, or serviced apartments in Aberdeenshire, visit this page instead (Cottages and apartments around Scotland ) . If you are looking for real cheap accommodation in Scotland, have a look at our hostels around Scotland instead. For something a little better, go for the hotels in Scotland which is here.
Many people wonder what the difference between a guesthouse and a bed & breakfast really is. This is our definition for a bed and breakfast: a private home that offers a bed for the night and breakfast in the morning at one cost. This is offered to "transient" visitors and has less than 10 bedrooms.
Bed & breakfast accommodation can vary between the absolutely excellent to the mediocre and pretty dire. Many people swear by B&Bs as it offers the opportunity to meet local people, get local advice and other informations on the breakfast table and a price which is usually lower than hotels or guesthouse accommodation.
Benefits: Small, informal, run by locals, budget, fun
Drawbacks: less flexible than larger properties (they have a life as well). Quality can vary.
We also have a range of guesthouses and hotels available across Scotland as well as our Visitor Guide to Scotland. If you are looking for things to do, you might to visit the Calendar of things to do in Scotland or our Ideas and Inspirations section. We can also help with car hire and trains and ferries.
Alloa Cottages and Holiday SelfCatering
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Orchard Lodge, nr Stirling - Sleeps 14
Set within the extensive grounds of a stunning Edwardian house this stylish modern detached house, with its own private entrance, has been designed to a very high...