Description

Mid-19th century. Simple, rustic, timber hexagonal summerhouse with open entrance to south and thatch roof. Situated in woods on a steep slope to northeast of Invercauld House and with extensive views to the house and surrounding policies. Rustic timber columns intersperse between vertical timber sections with open lattice timberwork to upper half. Internal fixed bench.

Statement of Interest

This is a small rustic summerhouse, situated on a dramatic site to the northeast of Invercauld House A structure of a similar plan is marked on an Estate Map of 1753, and this mid-19th century example is thought to be on the same site.

Garden design by the late 18th century often included structures within the landscape placed at strategic points where visitors could see the extent of the estate. It was also a time when dramatic landscapes and rugged natural features were becoming fashionable within landscapes and the nature and position of this summerhouse places it within this Picturesque movement. This type of summerhouse is also known by the term 'fog house'; fog, being a local word for moss and may refer to the appearance of the roofing material.

It is among a relatively small number of buildings with a surviving thatched roof found across Scotland. A Survey of Thatched Buildings in Scotland, published in 2016 by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), found there were only around 200 buildings with a thatched roof, most of which are found in small rural communities.

Listed building record revised in 2021 as part of the Thatched Buildings Listing Review.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77779972

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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