Tealing House Dovecot - Angus, Scotland.
Posted by: creg-ny-baa
N 56° 31.889 W 002° 57.368
30V E 502698 N 6265235
16th century dovecot in the grounds of Tealing House, north of the city of Dundee, managed by Historic Scotland.
Waymark Code: WMX9Z9
Location: Northern Scotland, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 12/14/2017
Views: 2
The village of Tealing lies four miles north of the city of Dundee in the county of Angus just west of the A90 dual-carriageway road that runs northwards. Within the grounds of Tealing House is a dovecot built in 1595.
The structure is rectangular with a pitched roof and crow-stepped gables. Inside is around 700 nesting boxes. A plaque on the south side of the dovecot next to the entrance reads:
'THIS DOVECOT WAS BUILT IN 1595 IT BEARS ON A GABLE STONE THE ARMS AND INITIALS OF SIR DAVID MAXWELL OF TEALING, AND ON THE DOOR LINTEL HIS MONOGRAM WITH THAT OF HELEN HIS WIFE.
THIS IS A FINE EXAMPLE OF THE MANY LARGE DOVECOTS WHICH STILL SURVIVE IN SCOTLAND. IN THE MIDDLE AGES THE BUILDING OF DOVECOTS WAS ENCOURAGED BY ACT OF PARLIAMENT BUT BY THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY PIGEONS HAD BECOME SO NUMEROUS AND DESTRUCTIVE THAT THEY HAD TO BE RESTRICTED.'
The dovecot and nearby earth house, both managed by Historic Scotland, are signposted from the dual-carriageway. Car parking is free and visiting times are unrestricted.