The Herald

They have been dismissed as the poor relation of "polite architecture". Despite being a familiar part of the Scottish landscape for more than 600 years, the humble doocot, or dovecote, has long stood in the shadow of churches, castles and mansions as an architectural footnote. Now, however, the structures, used to farm doves for their flesh from medieval times until the nineteenth century, are attracting attention from scholars for their own aesthetic and cultural importance. As they continue to disappear at a rapid rate, doocots are becoming the object of serious study, shedding light not only on historical building and farming practices but even giving a telling insight into the diet of past cultures.