Building record MAB28832 - MOUNTHOOLY DOVECOT

Square plan dovecot, circa 3.65 m (12 ft) square, with chamfered angles forming an octagonal plan.

Square plan dovecot, circa 3.65 m (12 ft) square, with chamfered angles forming an octagonal plan. The dovecot was constructed in the late 18th or early 19th century to commemorate the amalgamation of twelve estates by Lord Garden of Troup, represented by the twelve ball finials atop the parapet. All twelve estates can be seen from the base of the dovecot, and many were purchased from the Crown which had seized them from the estate of Lord Pitsligo as a result of the 1745 Rebellion. It is built of harl pointed rubble with tooled granite ashlar dressings and margins with heavy boulder footings. It is built in two stages with long elevations on the north, south, east and west with a doorway in the west. There are oval oculi in the east, west and south elevations above a continuous alighting ledge. The crenellated wall head is slightly corbelled and masks a pyramidal slate roof. Inside the interior is lined full-height with approximately 300 brick and slate nesting boxes with the base of each box constructed of brick slabs. A tall potence ladder still survives although some of the rungs are missing. A programme of repair work was undertaken in the late 1980s by Banff and Buchan Council. The apex of the dovecot is an Ordnance Survey trigonometrical survey intersected station (sighting point) depicted on the 5th edition OS map.

Period Notes
Built 1800, although previous notes state it is dated c1750 which does not match up.

HISTORIC BUILDINGS COUNCIL FOR SCOTLAND, 1988, MOUNTHOOLY DOOCOT, ROSEHEARTY, BANFF AND BUCHAN ARCHITECT'S REPORT, Architect report (Bibliographic reference). SAB4448.

BLACKWOOD, E, 1993, SPECIFICATION OF REPAIR WORK AT DOVECOT, MOUNTHOOLY FARM, ROSEHEARTY (Bibliographic reference). SAB3777.

SDD, n.d., BLDS OF ARCH & HIST INTEREST, PITSLIGO 6 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1827.

Record last edited

Oct 31 2024 3:09PM