Scar Steading: Detail of nest boxes in wall of dovecot. Digital image of D 3380

Description Scar Steading: Detail of nest boxes in wall of dovecot. Digital image of D 3380

Date 10/8/1996

Collection Scottish Farm Buildings Survey

Catalogue Number SC 738886

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of D 3380

Scope and Content Detail of nest boxes in wall of dovecot, Scar Farm, Sanday, Orkney Islands Scar is a coastal farm on the island of Sanday, part of the Orkney group. The economy of the island is based on agriculture helped by its fertile soils and temperate climate. Scar has an extensive complex of farm buildings and was once the seat of the Traill family. This shows the nesting boxes in the wall of the dovecot, a lean-to building with stone walls and a flagstone roof. Nesting boxes, made from thin flagstone slates, were built into all four walls including the south-east wall where a low door gave access to collect eggs, droppings and young birds. Pigeons were kept in dovecots as a source of eggs and meat, useful when other food was scarce. A large dovecot relied on surrounding arable land to provide grain for the pigeons to eat. Pigeon droppings could also be collected from the floor of the dovecot to fertilise the soil. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/738886

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap