In the medieval Dumbarton Castle, the main entrance was on the north, while the only present-day entrance, on the south, was at that time a back gate. One of the defensive structures that protected the northern entrance was the Wallace Tower, whose remains are shown here (it was built after the lifetime of William Wallace, but may have been named in his honour).

This was a four-storey tower, which was probably built in the early fifteenth century [OSG07, p5]. Its role in defending the main north entrance made it the most important of the castle's buildings. In 1617-18, while William Middlemist was keeper of the castle, the Wallace Tower was the subject of extensive repairs, the work being overseen by Thomas Fallisdail (on whom, see 927345), provost of Dumbarton [MacPhail, p106-7]. Its walls were also repaired in 1674, during the keepership of Major George Grant [MacPhail, p133].

In the twentieth century, between the Wars, a barracks that had been built on this site was cleared away, allowing the remains of the Wallace Tower to be uncovered [MacPhail, p164].

When I visited the Rock in June of 2009, the French Prison and surrounding area were off-limits (I have therefore used photographs from earlier visits) because stonemasons were carrying out conservation and repair work; there were plans to provide access to the French Prison and to the remains of the Wallace Tower, the latter being described as the "best-preserved part of the medieval castle".

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