World’s Finest Dove Hotel - Dry Stone Wall Building

We spend 39 days building a Dovecote or ’Doocot’ (a home for doves or pigeons). The stone work construction is entirely ’dry stone’ (built without any mortar). This video shows the complete build from start to finish including a dry stone arch, pop holes, stone carving installation, cheek ends and corners, and all the wood work. The roof was built in my workshop and was made out of timber and reclaimed slate before being lifted on in one piece. Working with natural stone is a wonderful, cathartic process. I really hope you enjoy watching and also that our own enjoyment and pride in the project is evident. All involved in the project are extremely grateful to Sir Fraser and Lady Morrison who commissioned the Dovecote and without whom projects that we all get so much pleasure from, like this, would not come to fruition. A dovecote/dovecot or doocot (Scots) is a building to house doves or pigeons. Dovecotes can be built in a variety of shapes; they can be free-standing or built into the end of a house or barn. They usually contain holes for the birds to nest. Traditionally dovecotes were often placed in prominent positions on grand estates with Lords showcasing their right to keep doves to those who passed (ordinary citizens were not allowed to keep birds). The earliest examples of purpose-built dovecotes in Scotland are often circular in shape, tapering to a domed roof, similar to the style of a ‘beehive’. The design evolved to a ‘lectern’ style - rectangular with a sloping roof - and then to more decorative structures. COMMISSIONS I am available for public, private and corporate commissions. I ship my work worldwide and where required work on site building my sculpture in situ. MORE ABOUT MY WORK.... Find me on Instagram: Facebook: Website: CONTACT To discuss a commission or find out what work I currently have available for purchase, please use the contact details listed on my website above. CONTACT DETAILS OF ALL INVOLVED... Visitors are welcome to visit Teasses Estate and Gardens where they can see the Doocot. Before visiting please visit Teasses website for opening times and admission prices. This is a link to their website... The other drystone wallers who were a massive help on this challenging project were Martin Tyler, Findlay Reade and Stevie Gordon. They can all be found here... The stone carving with the coat of arms was beautifully carved by local stone carver Gardner Molloy. You can find Gardner’s work and contact details here... The stone used in this project was supplied by Alston Natural Stone, a quarry in the north of England (around a hundred miles away as the crow flies). You can find more information on their website... The timber was locally grown larch which will silver to become more muted in colour over time. When it reaches this point it will be oiled to protect it - even though it does have a certain amount of natural protection against the elements. Steven Laing at the sawmill who was very helpful may be contacted here... DISCLAIMER This video is intended to be viewed for entertainment and is not a tutorial. I am completely self taught and aim only to give an insight into the process involved. #building #drystone #stonework