Building record MAB3906 - GRANGE HALL DOVECOT

Dovecot, built in circa 1805 and restored between 1996-1997.

Dovecot, built in circa 1805 and restored between 1996-1997. It is still in use and is occupied by doves and pigeons. It is a 2-storey hexagonal dovecot, constructed of pinned rubble with tooled ashlar dressings. There are ground floor doorways in the east and west faces, entering semi-octagonal chambers. The ground floor rooms may have served as hen houses. The combination of pigeon and hen houses in a single building was a common (and final) development of the dovecot as a farm building. There is also a door half way up the south wall, with seating on the cill for attaching a removable ladder. A continuous rat course/alighting ledge encircles the dovecot at the upper stage, projecting as curved ledges fronting groups of 4 flight-holes. The flight-holes are piercing semi-circular ashlar panels set in blind lunettes in the southwest, south, and southeast facets of the building. The piended octagonal slate roof terminates with an apex ashlar mushroom-shaped finial, which is topped by a weathercock that is in poor condition. Inside, there is an incomplete set of wooden nesting boxes lining the interior of the dovecot. Depicted on the 1st, 2nd, and current (2006) edition OS maps, this hexagonal dovecot is unique in Moray. It was probably built around the same time as Grange Hall (MAB3928) for its estate.

DOUGLAS, R, 1931, DOVECOTS OF MORAY, 21-2 (Bibliographic reference). SAB365.

ROBERTSON, A. N., 1961, OLD DOVECOTS OF SCOTLAND (Bibliographic reference). SAB1503.

BEATON, E, 1978, DOOCOTS OF MORAY, 12 (Bibliographic reference). SAB87.

BROWN, N, 1995, THE DOOCOTS OF MORAY (REPORT IN SUPPORT OF R.G.T.), Ch6 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3736.

Record last edited

Oct 1 2026 5:15PM