Building record MAB8934 - TUGNET ICE HOUSE AND FISHERY

Former ice house and fishery, now in use as a visitor centre and exhibition space.

Former ice house and fishery, now in use as a visitor centre and exhibition space. The complex comprises a group of buildings of various dates, including a two storey, five bay ashlar dwelling house block with central elliptical pend and boiling house. The ice house has three turf covered vaulted bays which with single low level entrance. The ice house was built in 1830 replacing an earlier building. The Statistical Accounts of 1791 and 1799 describe the fishery as having buildings for overseers, coopers and other trades, and that around 150 men were employed there. The ice was collected in the winter from special ponds lying between the salmon station and the shore. It was then broken up and carted to the ice house where each chamber was filled up from the upper level doorways. It was last used for storing fish in 1968, but the netting of salmon has been carried out on the estuary for centuries. This range of late 18th and early 19th century buildings connected with commercial salmon fishing are amongst the most important of their kind in Scotland and of a most unusual survival. The icehouse is the largest in Scotland. The courtyard square with dwellings was probably built by John Baxter in 1772. It has a 2-storey, 5-bay south facing frontage. There are slightly lower 2-storey single bay wings that are set back, terminating in a U-plan rear range, which encloses a hollow square. The frontage is constructed from tooled and squared rubble, with tooled rubble elsewhere and tooled ashlar dressings. There is a centre keystoned segmental-headed pend with impost blocks leading to inner court. The fenestration is regular, with 12-pane glazing. There is a shaped centre front wallhead stack and coped end stacks with Banffshire slate roofs. The inner court is enclosed by a 2-storey U-plan range comprising dwellings, former cooperage, stables, and stores. A forestair leads to the first floor. The fish house is dated to 1783. It is an L-plan single storey range abutting the west gable of the steading square and has a rear yard closed at the north by a wall. There is an irregular 4-bay south front with a doorway and blocked keystoned arch, as does the steading square, and also a centre window. Further doorways in west return the elevation and massive double wallhead stack. There is varied glazing and slate roofs. These buildings were designed and built to serve the rich salmon fishings of the lower Spey, exporting salmon to the expanding early 19th century urban markets and creating a considerable income for the Gordon Castle estates. The ice house and associated buildings are now a museum and wildlife centre. Inside, there are two large fireplaces that are each fitted with substantial iron swey, and there is wheel and hoisting tackle in the roof. The flooring is constructed from stone slabs.

Period Notes
The boiling house is dated to 1783. The ice house was built 1830, replacing an earlier building. The courtyard square and dwellings was probably built in 1772. The site was last used for storing fish in 1968. Designated 26/01/1971.

Hume, JR, 1977, Industrial Archaeology of Scotland, 228,PL13 (Bibliographic reference). SAB730.

FLETCHER, M, 1981, BULLETIN NO 9 MFC, No9,Dec (Bibliographic reference). SAB522.

BARTLAM, W. A., 2007, SOME ICE HOUSES IN MORAY, p.8-9 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3716.

Aug 15 1996 , AAS/96/14/G37/7, AAS/96/14/G37/7 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB31267.

MORAY DISTRICT COUNCIL, n.d., MUSEUMS INFO SHEET, No12 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1176.

Author unknown, n.d., THE NORTHERN SCOT, 11/06/83 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1270.

MORAY DISTRICT COUNCIL, n.d., TUGNET SALMON FISH STATION, LEAFLET (Bibliographic reference). SAB1177.

Sep 19 1984 , DH 10-12, DH 10-12 (Ground Photograph). SAB30169.

Sep 19 1984 , DJ 1-8,11-11a, DJ 1-8,11-11a (Ground Photograph). SAB30170.

Record last edited

Jul 26 2023 2:37PM