Saltoun Hall, Dovecot

Salton Hall stands one mile north of Salton station, on the right bank of the winding Birns Water, above its confluence with the Tyne. It is a large and imposing mansion in the Tudor style of last century, but there is an earlier nucleus overlaid and obscured by the modern work, and this goes back at least as far as the early 17th century. This portion is the part on the west which crests the steep river bank. It is now four storeys in height and has been refaced and otherwise modernised, but the basement still retains in parts its stone vaulted ceilings.

DOVECOT. On the opposite bank of the river there is a dovecot, which is apparently a late 18th century structure but may not be much older than the modern portion of the house. Externally it is square, but it is circled internally and the nests are of stone. It is treated in a free rendering of the Classic style.

HISTORICAL NOTE. Salton in the 12th century formed part of the great possessions of the De Morevilles, hereditary Constables of Scotland. About 1295 it was held by William of Abernethy (1), and in 1483 all the lands of this family were erected, in favour of William Lord Abernethy ‘in Rothemay’(Banffshire) into the free barony of Salton (2). The laird of Salton in 1547 was pro-English and was one of the Lothian lairds who had placed his house in ‘our auld ynemeis hands’, for which reason, and because no one would undertake to hold the place against the English invaders, the Privy Council ordered the destruction of it as it then stood (3). But in February 1548 Salton was one of the strengths occupied by the English (4). In 1643 the lands and barony of Salton with tower, manor place, etc. were sold to Sir Andrew Fletcher of Inverpeffer (5), who, as a judge of Session, became Lord Innerpeffer. In 1650 Sir Robert Fletcher of ‘Innerpeffer’ was served heir to his father Sir Andrew Fletcher of ‘Innerpeffer’ in the lands and barony of Salton (6).

RCAHMS 1924, visited 25 June 1920.

(1) Reg. de Dryburgh No. 304; (2) Reg. Mag. Sig. ii., No. 1534; (3) Reg. P.C. i., p. 82; (4) Scot. Pap. i., No. 168; (5) R.M.S. s.a. No. 1388; (6) Inquisit. Spec. Hadd. No. 222.

Photographic survey of dovecots in East Lothian by the Scottish National Buildings Record in 1960-1962.