A circular seventeenth-century doocot marks the later estate landscape beside the great medieval castle mound.
Quick facts
- Date
- Dated 1661; roof probably later
- Architect / designer
- Unknown
- Type
- Estate doocot
- Designation
- Listed building, Category A (LB8851)
- OS grid reference
- NO 45214 21916
Architecture and continuing use
Two projecting rat courses ring the rubble cylinder, which steps out below a missing armorial panel before corbelling into a square top. A later pyramidal roof covers rows of stone nesting boxes.
Its story
The doocot was dated 1661, long after the medieval castle’s first occupation but while the estate remained active. It supplied pigeons as a controlled food resource and displayed privilege; the official record now describes the roofed structure as going to ruin.
Why it is included
Category A listing recognises a rare, strongly modelled estate doocot whose date, nesting fabric and relationship with the castle landscape give it exceptional interest.
What to notice
- Two horizontal rat courses around the circular wall.
- Corbelling that turns the round tower into a square roof base.
- The former position of the missing armorial panel.
Reading the surroundings
The structure is on private agricultural land and may be unstable. Do not cross fields, enter, approach livestock, climb masonry or attempt to inspect nesting boxes without explicit landowner permission.
Timeline
- 1661 The dated doocot was built for the Leuchars Castle estate.
- 19th century The adjacent stone castle was finally demolished.
- 1971 The doocot received Category A protection.
- 2026 No dependable public access or conservation update was identified.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The designation regards the roof as probably later and records that the structure was becoming ruinous; present condition has not been independently verified.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Leuchars Castle Doocot, LB8851 — Current designation status, mapped location, date, fabric and architectural or archaeological interest.
- Trove designation: LB8851 — Parallel national record identity and archival context.
Location
OS grid reference NO 45214 21916 · Location confidence: High: the current national designation supplies an exact mapped National Grid Reference; public text separately states access and current-use uncertainty. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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