📌 Whitecross, Falkirk
★★
Almond Castle is a tangibly unsettling spot, and certainly not one that appears in Scotland’s glossy tourist brochures. Located a mile west of Whitecross village, it’s surrounded by a derelict industrial site and former brickworks (though there are plans to build new homes here soon). The strange setting has an otherworldly feel, and you could easily imagine a production company shooting a post-apocalyptic film here. As for the castle itself – this 15th century, L-plan tower house has obvious cracks and gaping holes in between its huge bricks, suggesting its days might be numbered. A fence sensibly prevents visitors from getting too close, but even a more distant view should be enough to send shivers down your spine.
🌍 Location
📌 1 mi west of Whitecross
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NS 957773
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.977191,-3.673593
🚌 Bus to Whitecross (1 mi)
🚗 Car park at Muiravonside Parish Church
📝 Key info
⌚ Always viewable
🎫 Free
💬 From the car park it’s a 5- to 10-min walk (each way) to the castle (⬤ Easy). Head southwest from the car park (to the left as you arrived), soon reaching the Union Canal, then turn right. Follow the towpath which passes underneath a bridge crossing the canal. Immediately after, double back right to a crossroads of paths next to the bridge. Turn left (away from the bridge), with the castle is soon visible ahead. Alternatively, another path leads directly north from the car park (to the right of the church as you arrived), past the church cemetery, meeting the other route at the bridge crossroads.
