Building record MAB34926 - FINAVON

Dovecot, probably built in the 17th or 18th century and shown on the 1st and 2nd edition OS maps as a rectangular dovecot.

Dovecot, probably built in the 17th or 18th Century and shown on the 1st and 2nd edition OS maps as a rectangular dovecot. It was recorded by the OS in 1967, at which time the western half of the roof had fallen in, and subsidence was causing structural issues. It was subsequently restored between 1978-1979 by the Angus Historic Buildings Society, and is the largest complete dovecot in Scotland, with 2420 nesting boxes. The structure is a large rectangular lean-to, double-chamber, rubble-built dovecot with a slate roof and crowstepped flanks and dividing wall. It was re-roofed with old-type slates and was re-harled during the 1970s restoration. Pigeons have been allowed to remain in the east chamber.

Alder Archaeology Ltd carried out a historic building recording on the dovecot in November 2012 ahead of a proposed repair programme by National Trust Scotland. The external and internal elevations of the large double-lectern dovecot were surveyed electronically and an analytical record of the structure was made. The work revealed that the 1978-1979 partial restoration of the dovecot had replaced about a quarter of the building's original fabric, including wall tops and the south wall. This reconstruction had effectively removed any phasing which may have been present in the original building, though some of the stone re-used in the restoration hints that there were some historic alterations. In particular, it seems that the finials and gablets may have been added in the late-17th or 18th Century, and the crow steps possibly renewed at this time.

The date of the original building is uncertain as the plaque in the wall is blank, but the dovecot was probably constructed around the same time as Finavon Castle (MAB34927), which is likely to have been built by the Earl of Crawford after 1608. National Trust Scotland date the structure to the 16th Century, although this is less certain. The HES listing dates it to the 17th Century, and Trove dates it to the 18th Century. The original building appears to have had yetts in the doorways, an important security measure to protect a dovecot of this size.

Scots Magazine, 1979, The Scots Magazine, 94 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11112.

ALDER ARCHAEOLOGY, 2012, FINAVON DOOCOT, ANGUS - HISTORIC BUILDING RECORDING FOR THE NTS (Bibliographic reference). SAB3602.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2014, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND, NEW SERIES, VOLUME 14, 2013, p.36 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5483.

Record last edited

Sep 9 2026 7:49PM