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Corstorphine is now a suburb of Edinburgh, but at the time the doocot was built it was a village and had it's own castle, built in the 14th century, this has now long since disappeared, but the doocot has survived.
Photo by Kim Traynor The doocot is a large 16th century beehive with over 1000 nesting boxes complete, and is the only remaining structure of the Corstorphine Castle estate. It is situated in Dovecot Road, amongst some residential houses. It is in a prominent position immediately behind the stone boundary wall at the eastern end of the road, next to 2 Dovecot Road. It is a well preserved example of a beehive doocot, constructed in rubble sandstone and measures nearly 87 feet in circumference externally. It's walls are nearly 4ft thick and there are 3 string courses, the walls being slightly recessed above each course. The entrance is on the north side. Inside it contains 1060 stone nest boxes, arranged in 28 tiers, and still has its potence (ladder) for gaining access to the nesting boxes to collect the pigeons - once an important source of meat. It is now in the care of Historic Scotland.
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