Whilst visiting Hill of Tarvit Mansion you should also have a look at Scotstarvit Tower, located just across the road. It is free to enter and there are four floors of rooms to discover. My previous blog describes how to reach Hill of Tarvit Mansion using bicycle and train. Scotstarvit tower is across the road from the entrance to the mansion. Bicycle has an immediate advantage over car when accessing the tower. The farm track to the tower has no vehicle access or parking, but you can cycle right along that road and leave your bike outside the tower whilst exploring the inside. It is not a long walk, so if you are here with a car, you can park it at Hill of Tarvit Mansion and proceed on foot. A sign indicated that a key can be obtained from the private house next to the tower, but the door was already open during my visit. The tower dates from the 1500s. The most notable resident of the tower was John Scott a laird, judge, politician and writer. His most famous book was The Staggering State of Scottish Statesmen. A spiral staircase, with tiny little windows, connects all of the floors. The rooms are empty and there is not much to see, apart from the fireplaces and window niches with their stone seats. It was fun to go up and down the stairs and have a good look around the place. Unfortunately, the roof was locked, so it was not possible to get the fantastic views, but I did take this photo across a field from one of the windows. John Scott must have felt very safe in his tower. As I made my way through the rooms and up the stairs I could see how incredibly thick the stone is. It would be almost impossible for a would-be attacker to break into. How to get there
There is a map and directions on my blog about Hill of Tarvit Mansion. Scotstarvit Tower is across the road from the entrance driveway to Hill of Tarvit Mansion
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