Listed Building

The only legal part of the listing under the Planning (Listing Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 is the address/name of site. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing – see 'About Listed Buildings' below for more information. The further details below the 'Address/Name of Site' are provided for information purposes only.

Address/Name of Site

DUNDAS CASTLE KEEPLB45474

Status: Designated

Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Category
A
Group Category Details
100000019 - See notes
Date Added
22/02/1971
Supplementary Information Updated
12/01/2017
Local Authority
Edinburgh
Planning Authority
Edinburgh
Burgh
Edinburgh
NGR
NT 11792 76707
Coordinates
311792, 676707

Description

Circa 1416. 4-storey L-plan tower house. Random rubble with long and short quoins, some harl pointing. Corbelled and crenellated ashlar parapet of 16th century, with bartizans on external angles; new wing added to NW angle after 1424 license, producing stepped T-plan frontage to south and L-plan frontage to N. Chamfered arrises to external angles of new wing, from 2nd floor upwards.

S (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: 3-bay comprising regular fenestration at 1st and 2nd floors of advanced central bay; regular fenestration at 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors at recessed bay to right, and irregular fenestration at 2nd and 3rd floors at recessed bay to left. Timber door, with iron yett, to re-entrant angle at right. Later addition at ground floor to left, used as carriage house.

W ELEVATION: 2-bay comprising Tudor-arched window at ground floor with ashlar sandstone dressings, at advanced bay to left; irregular fenestration to 1st and 2nd floors at recessed bay to right; blank wall at ground floor to right with Tudor arch linking with stable court (see separate listing).

N ELEVATION: 3-bay comprising irregular fenestration at 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors of advanced bay to right; irregular fenestration at ground, 1st and 2nd floors of bays to left. Later addition at NW angle, linking keep with mansion (see separate listing), with single storey lean-to building.

Slit windows, some enlarged and more regular windows; small-pane timber in sash and case and casement/fixed. Platform roof with single look-out turret; graded grey slate roof to water tank; irregularly spaced water-spouts at top of corbel members. Dundas shields to outer faces of bartizans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: mainly barrel-vaulted, with large fireplaces. Fireplace in 1st floor hall with angle supports resisting arch-thrusts. Greatly altered after circa 1820 when used as distillery; detached 17th century mansion removed and extensive enclosing curtain walls built, at least partly on line of previous walls.

Statement of Special Interest

A Group with Dundas Castle, including Blue Acre, Boat House, Brown Acre, Castleloch, Castle Grove, Dovecot, Dundas Loch Bridge, Dundas Mains, Fountain Sundial, Ice House, Lilac Cottage, North Lodge, Rose Cottage, South Lodge and Walled Garden (see separate listings). The family of Dundas of that Ilk owned the barony of Dundas Castle from the beginning of the 12th century to the late 19th century. The diamond shape of the later addition to the NW corner of the keep is most probably due to the steep inclination of the land, as the keep was built on the summit of a hill. The Tudor arched window to the west elevation of the keep seems almost ecclesiastical in design, and suggests that the keep may have contained a chapel for Dundas family private worship.

References

Bibliography

Groome, ORDNANCE GAZETTEER OF SCOTLAND. VOL. II. (Edinburgh, 1882), p412; Small, MANSIONS AND CASTLES OF THE LOTHIANS. VOL. I. (William Paterson, 1883); McGibbon and Ross, THE CASTELLATED AND DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTLAND. VOL. I (David Douglas, 1887-92/The Mercat Press, 1971), pp328-335; INVENTORY FOR MIDLOTHIAN AND WEST LOTHIAN (The Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions of Scotland, 1929), pp203-206; McWilliam, EDINBURGH, EXCEPT LOTHIAN (Penguin, 1978), pp51, 191, 192.

About Listed Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

Find out more about listing and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.

Images

There are no images available for this record, you may want to check Canmore for images relating to DUNDAS CASTLE KEEP

There are no images available for this record.

Search Canmore

Printed: 28/03/2024 11:18