Glencorse Reservoir

NT26SW 121.00 22094 63804 to 22808 63257

See also NT26SW 63.00.

Glencorse Reservoir was built (completed 1824) by the Edinburgh Water Company, which was formed in 1819 to supply water to Edinburgh. The eastern boundary of the land surrounding the reservoir marched with Castlelaw Farm and was marked by a series of at least sixteen boundary stones, the majority of which are still visible. In addition to this series of stones, four other stones (NT26SW 121. 18-21) appear to have delineated a small detached area of largely wooded ground to the E of the reservoir and enclosed by Castlelaw land.

Of the main series of stones, eight are depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Edinburghshire 1854, sheet 12) and twelve are shown on the 2nd edition of the map (Edinburghshire [new series] 1905, sheet VII.SW & 1906, sheet XIII.NW).

All of the stones in the main series are finely-dressed red sandstone pillars, rectangular in section and with a shallow pyramidal top. Typically they measure about 0.3m by 0.24m and the tallest stands 0.7m in height. The top of each stone bears the incised date 1819, and the opposing faces bear the initials 'EWC', standing for Edinburgh Water Company, and 'C' for Castlelaw. There are comparatively minor differences between the stones in respect to their size and detail. Some are now barely visible, either having been almost entirely buried or else obscured by vegetation, but only one stone (NT26SW 121. 01), at the NW end of the series, was not located during the survey.

Of the four stones that are shown enclosing the detached area to the E of the reservoir, only two (NT26SW 121. 18-19) are now visible, the other two having been removed from the edge of cultivated ground. Both of the surviving stones, which are roughly square in section, have pyramidal tops; neither stone bears a date and only one bears an inscription.

(CDTA05 161-73, 178-9, 181-3, 212-14)

Visited by RCAHMS (JRS), 6 June 2005.

J Colston 1890.