Ardclach Bell Tower

Ardclach Bell Tower Details

Ardclach Bell Tower, a small defensive C17 belfry on a hilltop for calling people to church or an alarm about raiders

  • Closest To: Nairn, Forres, Ferness
  • Access: Free Public Access
  • Grid Reference: NH953453

Ardclach Bell Tower is a well-preserved little tower on a hillock above the parish church of Ardclach. The purpose of the tower is not clear, and it may be that it served two uses, calling parishioners to service, and as a warning tower, sounding the alarm if raiders were identified during the unstable Covenanting period.

The tower bears the datestone 1655 and the initials MGB. The laird of Grant sold the lands of Ardclach to the laird of Brodie in 1634, before the formation of the parish of Ardclach, and it is possible that the datestone refers to the addition of the bellcote rather than the construction of the tower. It has a single room upstairs, and a small hall with stairs and a vaulted cellar – with limited height. There are basic defensive features here, but there are more questions than answers here.  It is open to the public, but the number of stairs you need to climb to reach it should be borne in mind for those with limited fitness.

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