Tealing Dovecot in Angus, Scotland

We only ended up at Tealing Dovecot (or Doocot in Scotland) on our way to Tealing Earth House. As drystone wallers we are always keen to visit historic sites that feature drystone or stone.

The Dovecot itself is a pretty sandstone building, and although there is a date stone saying 1595, it’s believed to have been built in the 17th century. As we stood and looked at the monogrammed lintel above the door (the intertwined initials of the estate owner and his wife), a man walked past and informed us that the dovecot was unlocked and we could enter. I was keen to get to the souterrain, so I thought twice about going in. To be honest, the building seemed rather unremarkable…

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The interior of the dovecot was absolutely amazing. At first, I thought I was looking at floor to ceiling wooden shelves, but as my eyes grew accustomed to the low light, I saw that slabs of flagstone had been used to create a large grid of boxes. Ledges where the birds would have nested. This is precise and impressive work.

I did not know that pigeon farming (it was Rock Doves that would have been in here) was such a serious agricultural pursuit, and that the birds were used as a main source of meat and eggs. Dovecots were seen in the same way that deer forests and rivers were. The buildings also provided a constant source of valuable manure.

The grid system worked in the way that natural nesting areas would. Weakest birds at the bottom and strongest at the top. The birds, reluctant to fly in the dark, would be 'harvested' without any light. A person would work their way along the shelves, choosing birds by their weight and size before wringing their necks. All done by ‘feel’.

Everyday’s a school day, right?

The Dovecot is well worth the visit if you are in the area.