Sauchie is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies north of the River Forth and south of the Ochil Hills, within the council area of Clackmannanshire. Sauchie has a population of around 6000
History
The name means the place or field of the willows. The land originally belonged to
Clan Campbell, being mentioned in connection with Cailean Mór and Gilleasbaig of Menstrie. In 1321 Robert the Bruce granted the lands of Sauchie to Henry de Annand, former
Sheriff of
Clackmannan. A tower was built in 1335, and the present
Sauchie Tower is on the same site. The extant tower was built before 1431 when Mary de Annand, the co-heiress to the estate, married Sir James Schaw of Greenock.
The tower is all that remains of the village which developed within its protective radius. In the early 18th century the
Clan Schaw moved from the tower to the more comfortable Newtonschaw. The village developed a brick works by the River Devon which fell into disuse following the collapse of the local mining industry.
The rare and typically Scottish New Sauchie or Auchinbaird Vaulted Tower Windmill stands on a ridge overlooking New Sauchie and dates from the late 17th or early 18th century. It was a grain mill and later converted to a dovecote and has been preserved as a landscape feature and tourist attraction.
Sport
The village has a strong footballing tradition and is home to the football club Sauchie Juniors, who compete in the East of Scotland League. The club was founded in 1960 and play their home games at Beechwood Park in Sauchie, next to the park is Alloa Golf Club. The village is also home to several youth teams including Claremont Football Club.
New Sauchie
New Sauchie is a relatively modern settlement developed around the Holton Village area to house miners working in the Earl of Mar's
colliery at the Holton mine, and Newtonschaw, a village housing servants of the Schaw family. It lies about south of the original village. Schawpark Golf Course lies on the site of the Schaw family estate which is no longer extant.
Notable people
See also
-
List of places in Clackmannanshire
-
Sauchie and Alloa - A People's History, John Adamson, 1988
External links
