Description

18th century renovated 1979. Circular dovecot with lectern/catslide roof built into steep bank rising to S. Random rubble construction, harled in places. Stepped stone rat course/alighting ledge. Rebuilt entrance to S, blocked square flight hole above. Lean-to-roof, red concrete tiles; curved, crowstepped gables to W and E, remains of beaked skewput to W. Interior, stone floor and stone nest boxes to all walls.

Statement of Interest

NOTES: B-Group with St Colme House, St Colme House Coach House and Sundial, all Dalgety Parish and St Colme House North Entrance Gate Lodge. This is a fine example (despite modern alterations) of an intact dovecot. It is unusual in design being round, yet with the lectern style roof with crowstepped gables. Aberdour and surrounding lands is divided between the old feudal estate of the Earls of Morton (Easter Aberdour) and the Earls of Moray (Wester Aberdour). It is one of 3 dovecots within the village, several others being found outside the village in the parish (see separate listings). The dovecots throughout the parish served the Moray and Morton estates, not only acting as valuable sources of meat and manure but also as visible symbols of the wealth and status of the landowners (after 1617 only landowners who had considerable lands were permitted to build dovecots). St Colme House (see separate listing) was the factors house for the Moray Estate (the house is now privately owned, 2002). A large amount of the Moray estate was sold in the 1960s, hence the dovecot is to be found on the periphery of a late 1970s housing development (McLauchlan Rise). The dovecot was partly roofless and the entrance dilapidated in the late 1970s, it was subsequently renovated at the time that McLaughlan Rise was built. In 1979 when the dovecot was previously surveyed it was said to contain 653 stone nest boxes.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17817244

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects - Includes Relevant ... ... Properties (Haynes Manual) (Haynes Manuals)
• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)