Standing Building Recording

Date 6 November 2012 - 7 November 2012

Event ID 933243

Category Recording

Type Standing Building Recording

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/933243

The National Trust for Scotland commissioned Alder Archaeology Ltd to carry out a historic building recording on Finavon Doocot, the largest doocot in Scotland, which lies just off the A90 near Forfar. The purpose of the investigation was to create a record of the Doocot ahead of a proposed repair programme. The work (site code FF14) was carried out on the 6th and 7th of November 2012 in good weather conditions. External and internal elevations of the large double-lectern doocot were surveyed electronically and an analytical record of the structure was made. The work revealed that the 1978-9 partial restoration of the doocot had replaced about a quarter of the building's original fabric including wall tops and the S wall. This reconstruction had effectively removed any phasing which may have been present in the original building, though some of the stone re-used in the restoration hints that there were some historic alterations. In particular, it seems that the finials and gablets may have been added in the late 17th or 18th century, and the crow steps possibly renewed at this time. The date of the original building is uncertain as the plaque in the wall is blank, but the doocote was probably constructed around the time of Finavon Castle which is likely to have been built by the Earl of Crawford some time after 1608. The original building appears to have had yetts in the doorways, an important security measure to protect a doocot of this size.

Information from Oasis (alderarc1-139783) 20 December 2012