Corstorphine Dovecot

Gazing up at the Corstorphine Dovecot, one might hear the faint flutter of ghostly wings. This isn’t your average garden ornament. The Corstorphine Dovecot stands as a proud relic of a bygone era, a fascinating testament to the opulence and practicality of 16th-century Scottish estates. It’s hard to believe now, as we stand in this peaceful Edinburgh suburb, but this dovecot is all that remains of the once-grand Corstorphine Castle, the stronghold of the Lords Forrester. Imagine, in the 1500s, this elegant stone structure wasn’t surrounded by houses but by the bustling activity of a castle estate. The Corstorphine Dovecot wasn’t just a decorative feature. It played a vital role in providing a steady supply of fresh meat for the castle’s kitchens. Those plump little pigeons, known as squabs, were a prized delicacy. Inside this beehive-shaped structure are over a thousand nesting boxes, 1,060 to be exact. Though we can’t go inside, picture rows upon rows of these tiny compartments, once teeming with birds. The Lords Forrester certainly weren’t shy about showing off their wealth. Dovecots like this were status symbols, eye-catching additions to the landscape designed to impress visitors and rivals alike. The Corstorphine Dovecot’s excellent state of repair is remarkable. It has weathered the centuries, outlasting the very castle it was built to serve. Now under the care of Historic Scotland, the Corstorphine Dovecot serves as a unique window into the past. It offers a glimpse into a time when even the dinner table relied on the feathered inhabitants of these elaborate stone towers. So, next time you enjoy a meal, think of the Corstorphine Dovecot and the thousands of pigeons that once played a crucial, if slightly unusual, role in feeding Scotland’s elite.