1 908-1909.] Old Dovecots {Scotland). 107 



from the following advertisement in the * Edinburgh Adver- 

 tiser ' of 28th March 1780:— 



" A Country House to be Let. — To be let and entered to at 

 Whitsunday first, the house and garden called Whitehouse of 

 Kings Cramond, situated near the Bridge of Cramond, with 

 pigeon-house, stables, and eight acres of rich ground mostly 

 laid down last year with ryegrass and clover. The house 

 consists of six rooms, with closets, &c. Inquire at the house, 

 or at Mr Eraser's, Writer to the Signet, St David Street, New 

 Town." 



I understand that the above pigeon-house was demolished 

 about sixty years ago. 



Old Dovecot in Pittencrieff Glen, Dunfermline (Nov. 

 1908). — The following particulars regarding the above have 

 been forwarded to me by my friend, William Smith, M.A., 

 Dunfermline : — 



" Eight to the top of the dovecot, from about 4 feet from 

 the ground, there are circular tiers of pigeon-holes for nesting. 

 There are thirty-five circles with twenty-four holes in each 

 (except that the door interferes with four rows), with a 

 breadth of four to the row, that is a total of 35 x 24 — 

 4x4 = 824 nesting -holes, very few of which seem to be 

 used for nesting. There are not many birds in the place, 

 and any young were near the top tiers of pigeon-holes. The 

 party who showed me the place told me that the birds seemed 

 to prefer nesting on the earthen floor rather than in the square 

 pigeon-holes intended for their nesting. A revolving ladder 

 inside the pigeon-house brings the nests w^ithin easy access." 



I will conclude by quoting, from Lady Nairne, " The Fife 

 Laird " : — 



" The laird is hame wi' a' his ain, 

 Below the Lomond Hill, 

 Richt gled to see his sheep again, 

 His dookit, and his mill." 



[This paper was illustrated by nearly three dozen slides of 

 dovecots, from negatives by Mr Campbell. Of these, four are 

 here reproduced — viz., Crail and Leadburn (Plate VL, p. 102), 

 and Boarhills and Rosyth (Plate VII., p. 106).] 



