View of doocot tower from NW Digital image of MO/1101

Description View of doocot tower from NW Digital image of MO/1101

Date 3/8/1976

Catalogue Number SC 765970

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of MO 1101

Scope and Content Water-tower from north-west, Gordonstoun House, Moray This shows the mid-18th-century water-tower beside the house. The tower is entered through an arched doorway (right) and has a pyramidal roof topped with a stone ball finial and metal weather vane of an angel blowing a trumpet. The building was used to store water and it may also have been converted to a dovecot during the 19th century. Water supply to the country house was not always straightforward and it was usual for the owner to spend money on supply schemes. This tower acted as a buffer between the supply source and water being used in the house; it is located near the kitchen to ensure that there was not a water shortage in this vital area in the house. The improvements in public water supply in the late 19th century would be a factor in this water tower becoming redundant. Gordonstoun was probably built in the 16th century as a tall and thin rectangular tower. The first Marquis of Huntly added flanking wings in 1616 and the building was altered in 1730. The Classical front was added in 1775 and further alterations were made during the 19th century. Dr Kurt Hahn converted the house to Gordonstoun School in 1934. The building was extensively repaired in 1945 after a fire. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/765970

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap