tapoch broch & torwood castle

A lovely walk through the woods, along a path bring you out at the Tapoch Broch.Although only the ground floor remains. It is easily to visualise how this was a fortified building housing families and their cattle.Torwood castle has most of its outer walls standing and was being renovated when under private ownership. The future of this fine Castle is under question, with rumours abounding from it being pulled down to make way for housing to a renovation programme to rebuild it.

An area with footpaths that have some updated paths and others that are due to people following established tracks, No Access to the castle but there is a path that winds it's way from the castle and round to the Hospital. this circular walk takes you back round to Torwood then back up to a makeshift Parking Area. The smaller circular route go's up through the pine wood to the Broch then down through the woodland on to a forestry road down to the castle then back to the car park area. Good path routes for walking into Denny and Back if you fancy a further hike.

My surname is Forrester. Torwood was one of the clan Forrester's homes so the place has meaning to me beyond it significance as a standing ruin. This was my second visit to a Torwood from across the pond. This time I did it in fine style by contacting a member of the Torwood Preservation Trust and arranging to meet them there so they could take my wife and me into the castle for a walk about it. Our guide was a fount of information on the castle and the grounds around it. After the castle we walked through the woods in search of the Pictish ruins of the Broch. The hike was easy and we found the broch without difficulty. Sturdy boots are recommended. Some areas were wend boggy and others uneven surfaced.

No signpost. No clearly marked path. Yet this Iron Age ruin is a fabulous little time capsule that should have more visitors!Considering its age there is still a great deal left to see at the sight, including 6ft deep walls, doorways with lintels still in place and a stone staircase. Continue through the wood to pass by Torwood Castle on your journey back.I would recommend reading up on both places before visiting so you can make the most of your exploration.

This is a fantastic area to explore and needs more than one visit. There is not only a 2500 year old Broch here but also the remains of a 16th century castle and the Roman road which ran between Falkirk and Stirling. These woods also would have seen the build up of Scottish armies before the battle of Bannockburn and William Wallace would have tramped through this area.The car park is up a lane off Glen Road which is signposted DENOVAN RIGHT OF WAY. The castle can be easily reached from here by following the main lane upwards. Tapoch Broch is reached by crossing over from the carpark and climbing up a faint track through the woods until you can go no higher. The remains are easily spotted. I would suggest that you look at some of the web sites about this area for greater detail and directions. An os map of the area would be useful too. Great walks for families and dog walkers and superb views across the Central Belt.Just bring your imagination!