Drylaw House Doocot, Wester Drylaw Place, Edinburgh

2-stage, double-chambered, lectern dovecot; former roof sloping N to S; roof, crowsteps, nesting boxes, and upper part of S wall missing. Rubble sandstone incorporating fragments of dressed stone. Rat course (with later repairs) or alighting ledge above 1st stage; remains of droved coping to N wall. 2 doorways to S; replacement doors; fragment of marriage lintel with inscribed figures 6, 7, and 8 set over doorway to outer left.

Substantial remains of large dovecot, formerly part of the Drylaw estate (see separate list entries for Drylaw House, stables, walled garden, and gatepiers). An unusual survival of an 18th century agricultural building in a post-war suburban context. When described by Robertson in 1945, the dovecot had recently lost its slate roof, but a sundial at the SW angle and the "nine good crowsteps" were still intact.
Change of Category B to C(S) 14 December,1995. (Historic Environment Scotland)

14 August 2012: Nominated by local planners, member of the public has brought issues with condition to the attention of the Council.

21 May 2015: External inspection finds the doocot roofless with nesting boxes having also been lost. The structure appears relatively stable but would benefit from the renewal of consolidation works in places. Move to At Risk.

11 November 2020: External inspection finds no significant change from previous visit. Ruin appears relatively stable but vegetation beginning to become an issue within the building and on the exposed wall heads. It sits within a fenced enclosure which is full of vegetation hiding any issues in the lower walls.