Agnes Airth

<span style="font: bold 12px arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000">Airth</span><span style="font: 12px arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000"> Castle is made up of a tower alleged to be as old as the time of William Wallace with a well balanced Victorian extension that wraps around it. <br></span><span style="font: bold 13px arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000">Airth Castle, </span><span style="font: 13px arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000">near Stirling is now a spa and leisure resort but is housed in one of the most ancient and historic buildings in the area.</span><span style="font: bold 13px arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000"><br></span><span style="font: bold 13px arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000"><br></span><span style="font: bold 13px arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000">A Brief History</span><span style="font: 12px arial, verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000"><br>A castle is first documented as being commissioned by Fergus Airth in 1309. The Airth family had already owned large amounts of land in the Stirlingshire area for centuries. Around 1440 Edward Bruce, the second son of Robert the Bruce married Agnes Airth, one of three daughters of William Airth. On the 11 th of June 1488, Airth castle was burned in an act of revenge by King James II who considered Edward&rsquo;s son, Robert to be a rebel. It took Robert more than a year to receive compensation amounting to 100.00 pounds exactly for to &lsquo;byggen of his place that was byrnt&rsquo;. The new Airth castle incorporated the damaged Wallace&rsquo;s tower.<br>In 1600 King James VI granted that Airth Castle should be a Royal Burgh, a title that was removed when the keepers of Stirling Castle protested - their own building not having received this honour.<br>The ruins next to the Castle are from the Airth Old Church. The tombstone of Sir John Bruce has the Bruce family crest as well as the initials of Sir John Bruce encrypted in it (S.J.B). Alexander Bruce succeeded John and his black marble tombstone is seen alongside. Alexander&rsquo;s death brought a change in ownership again. In 1642 the Barony of Airth went to his daughter who was married to Richard Elphinston. In 1717 the property was sold to Judge (later Earl) Graham, whose family held on the property for over 250 years. During this time, the building was much extended and redesigned to suit Georgian and early Victorian fashions. It was only in 1971 that the Castle was sold to the Forrester family who have refurbished the Castle to what it is today.<br>The building is reputed to be haunted by a variety of ghosts, including a lady called Violet: twin girls and a mother with a crying child.<br>The Airth Old Church is said to have been built some time during the 12th century. It stands on a rocky outcrop, next to the Castle. <br></span>