Auchmacoy, Dovecot

In the grounds, a Tudor mausoleum for Thomas Buchan (d.1866), with diagonal buttresses and a gabled porch. Also estate office, using part of earlier house, and doocot, also near previous house site.

Auchmacoy Doocot, 1638 (although Leper-like, therefore ?late 16th century) Like an improbable giant stone barrel, squared-off and corbie stepped, in pinned split-boulder rubble. Two pronounced rat-courses encircle its squat, friendly body and the two east-facing skewputs bear weathered carvings of faces.

Taken from "Aberdeenshire: Donside and Strathbogie - An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Ian Shepherd, 2006. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk

NJ93SE 45.02 98973 31419

(NJ 9897 3141) Dovecot (NR)

OS 1:10,000 map, 1979.

The finest dovecot in Aberdeen county, dated 1638 (SDD List 1960) and composed of a large barrel-shaped lower part, surmounted by a rectangular portion, crow-stepped, with a high ridge roof.

The corners of the upper rectangular portion of the dovecot are corbelled in to the lower part. The crow-steps are in white granite with concave skewputs on the north and a weathered human face in each of the southern skewputs.

A N Robertson 1957

The dovecot is as described.

Visited by OS (NKB) 25 August 1970.

Auchmacoy, pepper-pot dovecot. Air photographs: AAS/97/13/G29/14-15 and AAS/97/13/CT.

NMRS, MS/712/29.