Sauchie


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 and is located north-east of Alloa and east-southeast of Tullibody.

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 Schaw family 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.

Sport

The village has a strong footballing tradition and is home to the football club Sauchie, who compete in the East of Scotland League. The club was founded in 1960 and play their home games at Beechwood Park in Sauchie. 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