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Red Friars Monastery dovecot is a stone structure standing in East Lothian, Scotland, built upon bedrock of the Stratheden Group. This Late Devonian formation of interbedded sandstone and conglomerate provided the local building stone for the dovecot's construction. The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM767.
Dovecots of this type were essential to monastic and estate economies across medieval and early modern Scotland. They housed pigeons whose meat and eggs supplemented the diet, whilst their droppings provided valuable fertiliser. The structure's design and surviving stonework reflect the practical architecture of its period, with internal divisions that would have accommodated nesting birds.
The dovecot stands as evidence of Red Friars Monastery's agricultural operations and resource management. Its survival to the present day, preserved within the protected monument designation, offers insight into the domestic infrastructure that supported religious communities in East Lothian during their occupation of the site.
Red Friars Monastery,dovecot is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM767. View the official record →
Red Friars Monastery dovecot is a stone structure standing in East Lothian, Scotland, built upon bedrock of the Stratheden Group. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM767.
Red Friars Monastery,dovecot is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM767.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bell Craig, fort 1100m WNW of The Brunt (4.9 km), Spott Mill,promontory fort (5.2 km), The Chesters,fort,Spott (5.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Red Friars Monastery,dovecot's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Red Friars Monastery,dovecot stands on Stratheden Group, bedrock that formed in the Late Devonian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.