Scotland · Ruin
Auchenbathie Tower
Auchenbathie Tower (also Auchinbathie or Barcraigs Tower) is a small ruined Scottish tower house in Renfrewshire once held by the Wallaces of Elderslie. Only fragments of the original rectangular tower's rubble walls survive today; historical records and early maps show it once stood intact beside a small clachan and farm buildings.
Its prime
1590
Today
Ruin
As it stood in 1590
The shape it held in its prime.
A compact rectangular tower house, historically about 29 ft by 10–12 ft, built of dark, rounded rubble masonry with continuous thick side walls; parts of the side walls once stood to about 17 ft high. The tower sat on a low rise amid pasture and small farmsteads beside a lane, with a small enclosed yard/byre within the tower footprint. Surrounding ground shows traces of an infield and a nearby well; no roofline survives today.
Its story
The story of Auchenbathie Tower.
Auchenbathie Tower — the spelling varies greatly, with Auchinbathie and Barcraigs Tower among the alternatives — is a ruined tower house in the parish of Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire, once held by the Wallaces of Elderslie. Tradition holds that Sir Malcolm Wallace, believed by some to be the father of Sir William Wallace, may have been Lord of Elderslie and Auchenbothie — though William's own seal gives his father's name as Alan Wallace.
The Wallaces owned the tower by 1398, when John Wallace of Elderslie passed the lands of Auchinbothie Wallace to his son Thomas; the family line died out around 1650. The Semples of Eliotstoun and the MacDowalls also held the lands at various times, and in 1596 sasine of Auchinbothie was held by David Cunningham of Robertland. Only fragments of the rectangular tower's rubble walls survive, though records and early maps show it once standing intact beside a small clachan and farm buildings.
Step inside
6 places to explore in 1590.
The record describes 6 distinct spots at Auchenbathie Tower — including 2 interiors: ground-floor courtyard and byre, adjacent cottage and chimney. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and walk through every one — more scenes means more photos, more angles and more rooms of the immersive experience.
Create History
Recreate Auchenbathie Tower with AI to explore it.
The artist rebuilds it as it stood in 1590 — a photoreal walk that belongs to you alone. Pay with coins, no subscription needed.
Recreate Castle to Explore →Whose castle
Clans who held Auchenbathie Tower.
The families that held Auchenbathie Tower for a decade or more across its history — follow a name to its clan.
Held by the Wallaces of Elderslie, recorded owners in 1398; the Auchenbothie Wallace line died out around 1650.
Semple
The Semples of Eliotstoun held the lands of Auchenbothie at various times.
MacDowall
The MacDowalls held the lands of Auchenbothie at various times.
