Dunmore, Sluice

Explorer Tom Black Devon is a nineteenth-century tramway that had a major drama with the nearest tree, which won by growing over the tracks. It’s got that rusty, industrial vibe that makes you want to imagine steam trains rumbling through the mist. The whole thing feels like a forgotten chapter in a very boring book. Tell your mates you found it first.

Explorer Tom Clackmannan Tolbooth is in a fierce rivalry with a much more famous castle down the road and it’s not winning on charm points yet. It’s just standing there looking like it’s got some serious business to discuss but no one has booked an appointment. The whole place has that 'I used to be important' energy that you can’t quite shake off. Go before the tourists find out.

Explorer Tom Alloa Tower is a fifteenth-century tower house that has been standing there looking smug for four hundred years, ignoring everyone who walks past it. There’s a bird that refuses to leave its roof, treating the whole structure like its personal balcony for judging the world below. Take a mate and argue about what it was for all night long.

Explorer Tom Another War Memorial in Clackmannanshire is bragging about surviving a storm that I’m pretty sure was just a strong breeze with attitude. It’s standing there looking like it’s seen things, which is fair for any stone object left outside long enough. The whole thing has the energy of a grandpa who won’t shut up about his war stories. Best enjoyed with a bag of chips.

Explorer Tom Alloa War Memorial hears everything through its thick stone walls, including your embarrassing phone calls from last Tuesday. It keeps all the gossip safe until someone asks for the real story behind the names. The place feels like it is waiting for you to crack a joke that doesn't fail. Bring biscuits, because every good story needs biscuits.