What’s Oot Ma Windae?

From the photographers, Dennistoun Conservation Society:

This is a view from the top of Westercraigs looking down to King’s Cross (Duke Street and Bellgrove junction). The first occupant of this house, Reverend Rattray, in 1874, would have had this view as all the villas were here prior to that date.

What a wonderful street adorned with such incredible Victorian villas! This street is within the Dennistoun Conservation Area – a conservation area is defined as being of “special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance”. As we mentioned way back in our first #WhatsOotMaWindae, Alexander Dennistoun employed the famous architect, James Salmon in 1854 to plan out Dennistoun. The scheme was much grander than what we have today, but nonetheless, some of the wonderful villas and terraced streets remain today, including the villas in this shot! Toward the end of the street you can just make out (what remains of) Blackfriars Church, built around 1876, but which has been converted into flats in recent years. The Dennistoun Conservation Society has had an enquiry about what happened to the set of five bells from Blackfriars Church tower when it was converted into flats. They were one of the few complete sets cast by Gorbals Bell and Brass Foundry. Do you have any leads about the missing bells? If so, get in touch with Dennistoun Conservation Society.

From the photographers, Musselburgh Conservation Society:

This is our view from Hope Place, Levenhall, Musselburgh. It shows the back of the local pub The Levenhall Arms, and on the left a terrace of artisans red sandstone cottages. In the background you can see some red brick flats built about 30 years ago.

This is a great picture showing varied building types. From right to left you are getting an old rubble wall (made of stones which are undressed and not uniform in size) which was raised with new build, the strong gabled public house straight ahead and the ridgeline of the red sandstone cottages that the photographer mentions. On the public house, you can just make out the sash window on the top left – notice how the glass seems to distort the reflections? This to us suggests original plate glass which has wonderful texture and plays with the light beautifully! For more on the repair and maintenance of historic windows and doors, you can check out this resource from the SPAB (the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings). Lastly, we are also full of admiration for the striking pantile roof on the pub. Pantiles are clay roof tiles that are S-shaped. They are laid in rows so that the bottom of one tile overlaps the top of the tile below. The S-shape of the tiles helps with drainage by directing rainwater into the centre of the tile and channeling it down the roof slope.

Though we are unable to see much of the aforementioned cottages on the lefthand side of the shot, we do like the dinky wee dormer saying hello and the very steep pitch of the roof – was this once thatched? Could some local historians drop us a line? Finally, the wee boundary wall of the cottages is ever so sweet the way it both undulates and works with the curve of the street. 

From the photographers:

Here are some views from the windmill tower at Dumfries Museum (photos 1-2) including a sneaky peak at the view of town provided by the oldest working Camera Obscura in the world (photos 3-4). The Camera Obscura is on the top floor of the windmill tower at Dumfries Museum. Originally an astronomical instrument, it was installed in 1836 when the windmill was converted into an observatory. From it you can see a fascinating panoramic view of Dumfries and the surrounding countryside.

Thanks for sending these shots in – lots of architectural gems here! The lovey wee temple we can see in photo 1 is B-listed (1841). It’s an open octagonal painted stone Tuscan temple, one bay of peristyle (row of columns that surrounds a building). With a low-pitched and facetted roof (a roof with multiple sides). So lovely!  

Photo 2: This terrace of houses are all B-listed as well. As per the Historic Environment Scotland listing:

• They are an early-mid 19th century, 2-storey terrace (a row of houses joined together along their side walls) of 5 houses.
• Number 4 differentiates itself from the others with a single dormer (windows typically set vertically on a sloping roof).
• Numbers 1 and 2 are rubble-built (the stones are undressed and not uniform in size) with ashlar dressings (dressing is a general term for all finishes or mouldings, often projecting, around doors and windows)
• Number 3 has a band course (A horizontal, decorative row of stonework that extends across the front of a building) between floors.
• Each house has pilastered doorcase (a pilaster is a decorative rectangular column that projects partially from the wall to which it attached) with recessed door with fanlight.

Heading up to Inverness now and we are loving these beautiful blue skies! So, what can we see on these delightful houses?

Photo 1: those ridge tiles (tiles that run across the ridge of a roof) are so sweet atop the lovely lefthand slate roof. On the righthand building, we’re admiring that well-pointed chimney stack. We’re also appreciating the deep eaves (the part of a roof that meets or overhangs the walls of a building) on the righthand building – they look like well-fitted hats! We’re spying some cast iron rhones (half-round gutters) on the righthand building as well. Lastly, the segmental wall dormers (a dormer whose front wall is in line with the wall below, like a continuation of the wall above the roof eaves) are just too cute!

Photo 2: Hipped roof, meet gabled roof. This is a lovely contrast when you look straight-on. Is the house on the right getting some new lime pointing we wonder? Lime mortar needs regular maintenance in the form of re-pointing every few years. This is because lime mortar is “sacrificial” – the mortar is softer than the stone, so if the wall gets wet water will drain through the mortar; this means that the mortar will break down over time, but in doing so saves the stone. Also, the wee finial up top is so pretty as is the brattishing detail (a decorative cresting that often includes leaves or flower motifs) just above the ground floor bay window. Great to see surviving ironwork details like this. **Top Tip**: If you are ever surveying a building, it’s always worth looking at the ridge line. If it is bowed slightly, it may give an indication that something within the roof needs closer inspection. However, the ridge lines on these buildings look super level and straight!

Wow! A B-listed curve of houses on Belmont Crescent AND the A-listed Glasgow University Gilbert Scott building peeking through the trees in this first shot…can we move here please? There are so many amazing architectural features on Belmont Crescent (we’ve included a front view of it for photo 2), so we’ll go through some of the Historic Environment Scotland listing and break it down for you:

• Astylar (lacking columns as a decorative feature), terraced (belonging to a row of houses joined together along their side walls) crescent of 16 houses.
• 2 storeys over basement, with steps oversailing (part of a building projecting over a lower part) basement to tall doorpieces.
• All upper windows are architraved (the windows are framed by moulding).
• Band course (A horizontal, decorative row of stonework that extends across the front of a building) at upper floor window cills.
• Decorative cast-iron railings to steps and basement.

An interesting feature of Belmont Crescent is the central ‘pavilion’, a taller section in the middle of the terrace, used to give variety and focus to the curve of the crescent. This central pavilion is 9-bay (bays are the number of windows in a horizontal line across a facade) and 3-storeys over the basement. Hopefully we’ve helped cut through the technical architectural terms a bit. Now when you see those terms, you’ll be in-the-know!

This reconstruction of an Iron Age roundhouse is just the most wonderful view. Here’s a bit about some of the roundhouse’s details, and how the roundhouse came to be, from our friends at the Whithorn Trust and AOC archaeology:

The Iron Age roundhouse at the Whithorn Trust was built in 2016, for opening to the public in Spring 2017. It was built on precise details derived from excavations by AOC Archaeology at Black Loch of Myrton, which began in 2015 and continue seasonally. The settlement there dates to approximately 450BC and includes some of the best preserved evidence ever found for Iron Age woodwork, which survived well in the boggy, waterlogged conditions. Waterlogged conditions preserve wood because the lack of oxygen in the soil slows the natural process of decay. Over the years, the excavations have uncovered: an oak doorway; a façade of vertical oak timbers; woven flooring made of hazel, covered with grasses and vegetation; evidence of wood-turning and metalworking; and a finely decorated wooden bowl.

The Whithorn Trust has used the evidence to construct this full-size replica, which won the Scottish Heritage Angels Award in 2017. It measures 13 metres across, with a central working fireplace, and is about 9 metres at the apex. The building is thatched with water reed – this work was carried out by local volunteers and trainees, under supervision of a master thatcher. The timbers are alder or oak and the woven walls, filled with clay, are from hazel gathered from an Atlantic Hazel Woodland near Newton Stewart. The Trust now operates the venue as part of its visitor attraction and for educational and community use. The interiors of the building continue to develop, as archaeologists continue excavation and post excavation analysis.

Photo 1: what a great row of tenements and we just love the way they subtly step down with the gradient of the street. Can you see how the bay windows on the tenements project upward creating a wee parapet? So sweet! Also, notice the missing metalwork on the remaining entryways. This is either a result of deterioration or damage of the metalwork, or because the ironwork was taken away to support the war effort. Lots of clues can still remain though to help determine the style of ironwork that was once there, such as the spacing of the holes, the shape of the holes and any remaining pieces of metalwork… check behind those hedges! The new build in the foreground is interesting too in the way it respects the scale and colour of the existing tenements, with projecting windows and fenestration (arrangement of windows) that complement the existing tenement windows. 

Photo 2: an amazingly blossom-filled picture! We encourage you to look at the rear elevation of buildings as you can often find some original features. This is because owners aren’t as likely to alter the backs of buildings, as they would generally not be seen. The stand out here for us is those stunning close/stairwell windows. It is great to see these original timber beauties with the coloured, surrounding edges of the glazed unit. These will flood the communal ways with such colour! There is, though, lots of staining around the rainwater goods which is a sign that something is not quite right. Worth taking a look (safely) in wet weather to ascertain leaks and a possible course of action! Finally, as above, loving the dinky little steps these tenements are taking down with the gradient.  

Leith – a lovely wee place by the water, with lovely architecture, history and views! In the words of our friends at BT Architects (the photographers of this shot):

 Leith is a mix of architecture from different periods and for a range of purposes, but in the foreground mostly chimneys. Mary Poppins style I can dream myself away to Arthurs Seat and Calton Hill while I work from home!

The star of the show here are these brick beauties! Who doesn’t love brick with its wonderful colour, size and texture variations? There are some beautiful, soft brick arches above the windows here (pity the timber windows are no more but hey ho…). We’re also really liking those very regimented chimney stacks that the photographers have mentioned. We did a little feature on chimneys in one of our previous posts (#7 Newington), as well as a feature on chimney pots (#18 Stirling) – so scroll down and check those out as well. Back to the shot from Leith – the pyramidal rooflight would allow natural light to flood the stairwell below. These rooflights are often found on historic buildings – they were popular architectural features during the Victorian period. We can also see two smaller rooflights to either side of the roof; originally these would have been cast iron. The flat roof is interesting as it forms a small parapet wall around the edge. A ‘parapet‘ is a low wall that extends upwards at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. Delicious!

From the photographer:

Attached is a photo taken just a couple of minutes ago (14 April) from my study window in my home.  In the foreground is the neolithic tomb of Maeshowe, in the middle distance left are the Standing Stones of Stenness and middle distance right you might just make out the neolithic stone circle of the Ring of Brodgar.  These are three of the four major sites making up the World Heritage Site of the “Heart of Neolithic Orkney“. My name is Keith Brown and have the privilege of working as an Historic Environment Scotland Ranger at these sites. It’s a hard life but someone has to do it!! 

Firstly Keith, we are so jealous of your role in this incredible location – that’s 5,000 years of history oot yer windae! Does it get much better? We’ve done some *digging* into the history of Maeshowe and found a supernatural story we’d like to share. When Maeshowe was excavated in 1861 by James Farrer, local Orcadians told him that “the building [Maeshowe] was formerly inhabited by a person named Hogboy, possessing great strength”. Although no description of this Hogboy survives, we do know that ‘Hogboy’ is one of the names that locals have given to the spirits that are rumoured to haunt mounds across Orkney. These legends often kept people from excavating or disturbing mounds, in fear of upsetting the spirit within. You can read more about mound dweller folklore across Scotland here, with this great article from our friends at DigIt!

This lovely picture came to us all the way from Stornoway! Dead ahead (had to use a nautical theme!) is a lovely hipped roof on show but what catches us here is the available green space and sense of openness in this picture. Fitting for today’s post, in honour of Earth Day 2020! Also, is that a modern interpretation of a catslide roof in the far left? A catslide roof is a roof that continues down below the main eaves height and allows you to have a greater depth of building without increasing your ridge height.

Now, let’s look to the right at this wooden house that just sticks a bit into the shot? The photographer has shared with us that they think it came from Scandinavia and was reassembled in Stornoway! What a wonderful thought. It is a delicious wee house with that strong gabled roof and of timber construction, which would allow for very quick assembly. Timber is one of the most sustainable building materials – firstly, it is a renewable resource, meaning that harvested trees can be replaced by planting new ones. Also, timber requires little energy to transform it from the raw material (living tree) into timber for building. Timber can be even more sustainable when it is sourced locally, as this decreases the energy used to transport materials to the construction site. You can read more here to learn how timber can be sustainably-sourced!  For all of these reasons and more, timber is popular in Scottish construction as a key way to address the Climate Crisis and reduce our carbon footprint. This wee timber house also provides a nice aesthetic contrast amongst its masonry contemporaries too. Did you also notice that there is no chimney stack protruding from the roof (that we can see); how interesting!

Wow! Here we have the A-listed, incredibly beautiful Stewart’s Melville College in Edinburgh.  An extensive Neo-Jacobethan college building with a wonderful separate Art Hall. Scotland’s own Sir Basil Spence worked on some of the interior decoration! There is so much to mention about this building so we’ll just mention a few of the lovely architectural features.

As per Historic Environment Scotland, this building is a 16-bay (bays are the number of windows in a horizontal line across a facade), 2-storey (front courtyard now enclosed) Neo-Jacobethan college building. Examples of this style are Harlaxton Manor in Lincolnshire, Mentmore Towers in Buckinghamshire and Sandringham House in Norfolk, England. In the neo-Jacobethan style, lots of detailed ornamentation is common, usually designed by one architect. In the case of the Stewart’s Melville College, David Rhind (Edinburgh-born) designed the main college blocks.

Some details we’re loving are the turreted towers at the corner of the flanking bays. These towers, with crenellated 3rd stage and octagonal 4th stage, culminate at the top with ogee dome. Ogee domes are domes with a pointed apex, formed by the intersection of two S curves. You can also see ogee domes on the larger turrets! There are also moulded architraved windows, some hoodmoulded, transomed and mullioned. There is predominantly plate glass in timber sash and case windows. 

Phew! Today’s home schooling homework is working out these architectural terms!

Now this is where we need to be during lockdown, immersed in lovely nature. We’re going to do a ‘spot the building features’ with this one! So, what do we see…on the house to the left we have sash windows, which are a wonderful 6 x 6 design. ‘Sash windows‘ are made of one or more moveable panels, called ‘sashes’. These sashes form a frame that holds panes of glasses. Sash windows often have two panels that open by sliding up and down or sliding side to side. This is different from casement windows, which open by swinging outwards.  We’re also seeing solid stone window surrounds too. The lower windows are what are called tripartite windows, which means three-part windows – you can see one large opening with two smaller openings on each side. This is a classic detail usually found in higher status buildings. We also spy a lovely hipped roof through the trees! It’s also great to see original cast iron pipework – we love original building details! Good maintenance is where it’s at!

From the photographer – Mick Macleod, Dumfries & Galloway Doors Open Days Coordinator: On the left, we can see Harbour Street 100 Years ago. The young boy, William McKie straddles the Water Standpipe on the corner of the street. On the right, we can see the view fom my office window in 1 Harbour Street today. William McKie went on to work in the Creetown Co-Op store from this room.

This is a great set of pictures that subtly show change over time. We’re loving the road surface in the original picture! There is a lot going on here so let’s pick out a few bits. Creetown is a coastal town on the west coast, note the Harbour Street street name? The older building in the picture is interesting as it was once a draper store (it sold textiles). The building has an exciting historical juxtaposition of stone – the lower ‘courses’ (a layer of stone running horizontally in a wall) of stone are very rough and of rubble construction, transitioning to neatly cut stone above. We wonder – maybe these are the foundations of an earlier building? The wee ‘pinning’ stones (small stones embedded in the wall to make larger stones secure. This was common practice in traditional rubble stone masonry walls) are most interesting. The pinning stones almost resembles ‘Aberdeen Bond’ which was three wee pinnings between the main stones. Also if these are the original windows, that’s amazing!! (shame the wee pump is gone though). There are some roughly hewn granite quoins (stones at the corner of a wall – can be structural and/or for decoration!) just below the Harbour Street sign and a lovely palette of rubble stone built walls. We’re loving the big, chunky window surrounds! 

One of our current groups participating in My Place Mentoring have sent in this pic…and there is so much going on! In the words of the photographer:

From the left is a DVD of a film about building sod houses featuring Daniel Postma. Beyond that is a cardboard stereo / 3D iPhone viewing box. Right of that is a small plastic car component which I aim to replicate with 3D printing (one day). Adjacent are two rolls of beautiful Chinese calligraphy paper, bought for painting and on which I want to experiment with printing. They were bought in the far east by my father in 1972 and I inherited them in 1984 when he died. Right of that is my grandfather’s standard issue Army notebook from WWI, set aside for the museum and in front of that you can just make out a copy of the last Scottish Civic Trust annual report.

Outside are the remnants of a building, built in or shortly after 1810 by James Gillespie Graham. There has been some crude raising of the wallhead in more recent years, using any old found stones and cement mortar. Suspended from the wall is a fat feeder with a female greater spotted woodpecker having its breakfast! My project for 2020 is to get a monopitch roof on this building – when I can buy timber!

This lovely shot was sent in by one of our e-bulletin readers, who shared this wee history of their hoose:

This is the view from the main bedroom looking south. From the garden we can see Dumbarton Rock and the distant hills in the photo are in fact across the Clyde. We are surrounded by farmland and woods. No, that is not our extensive lush lawn in the photo, but the neighbouring farm’s field. Nearer to us there is evidence of my gardening – or lack of it. Pots awaiting replanting. Veggie patch awaiting replanting. The greenhouse awaiting new seedlings. Gravel awaiting weeding. But I have laid new pavers and set up an arch with optimistic climbing roses just showing new growth.

But this is not a gardening post! I should be talking about the built environment such as that close-by cottage. That is the Dog House. It was built about 1890 as the kennels for the estate of the extended family who descended from Scotland’s first novelist, Tobias Smollett. This Dog House originally had pens at the back. The rooms presumably for storage, dogs and someone who was the dog handler, but perhaps much like a ghillie. There is evidence of large gruel pots being over a fire in the front room. We restored and altered it as our guest cottage. And it served as my office for a while. And when my mother-in-law came to stay, she was put in the Dog House. Naturally. Don’t worry. It is fully fitted out and comfortable. Our main house, Carman Cottage, was built a little later. 

We at Scottish Civic Trust love this shot and bit of local history – this wee cottage is just so cute! And the fact that it was originally a dog house is fascinating! The admirable attention to detail and finish of this cottage obviously reflect the importance of the estate owners. This is evidenced in the finely cut stone finish, which has remnants of beautiful tooling marks on both the door and window surrounds. And that slate roof?! Yes please! Thanks for sending this in!

Are those the incredible Andy Scott sculptures, The Kelpies, in the distance? Wow, what a view against the far off hills! These lovely creations are popping up to say hello over the rooftops of what appear to be a cluster of post-war homes. These homes would have been built to maximise the green space both in terms of gardens and communal spaces to complement and encourage outdoor activities. 

The Kelpies sculpture takes the form of two 30-metre high horse-head sculptures. ‘Kelpies‘ are shape-shifting water spirits of Scottish legend, usually said to take the shape of a horse. The sculpture was completed by Andy Scott in October 2013 and is a monument to Scotland’s horse-powered industry and heritage. So apt here as they stand aside the Forth & Clyde canal, which was synonymous with horses back in its *hay* day!  According to Visit Scotland, Kelpies are apt to represent Scotland’s horse-powered heritage not only because they often take the shape of horses, but also because “the mythological transforming beasts possess the strength and endurance of 100 horses; a quality that’s analogous with the transformational change of the area’s landscapes, endurance of its inland waterways and the strength of its communities.” Another site well worth a visit once we can travel out and about again!

Firstly, this wee window ledge cacti garden is adorable! A green-fingered inhabitant no doubt…anyways, look at those lovely tenements just standing across the road looking proud! What is striking is the wonderful symmetry of this building dominated by that stunning chimney stack adorned with six pots. Chimney pots are (usually clay) pipes attached to the top of chimneys, and they have a functional and decorative purpose. Functionally, pots create a taller smokestack, which allows for a better draft. Drawing more air through the chimney and across the coals is critical for burning fires because fires need oxygen. Design-wise, most chimney pots are tapered, but they can be any shape. Some chimney pots are ornately decorated to represent the owner’s status and wealth, such as these chimney pots on Duart Castle on the Isle of Mull, or these chimney pots found on Hampton Court Palace. We’re also really loving the chimney’s curving detail where the stack meets the roofline. Such wonderful heritage out your window! It appears that the windows have since lost their lovely timber and are now replaced with plastic, a common sight nowadays unfortunately but this should not detract from this most handsome building. And is that a lovely wee hood mould over the door into the close we see?

We’re loving the recent trend of folk communicating with neighbours by posting messages on windows (here are some examples from across Europe: an ‘Everything will be alright’ banner in Italy, a woman in Leeds using signs to get to know her neighbour’s cat and children across Scotland spreading rainbow cheer). This is a great way to use our built environment in innovative ways to stay connected during these tough times.

In addition to sharing uplifting messages on its windows, this wonderful tenement has so many yummy architectural details! So, where to begin – let’s go with the top and that refined balustraded parapet wall. ‘Balustraded’ describes the design of the wall – it means a low wall made of a row of short posts topped by a long rail. A ‘parapet’ describes the location of the wall – it means a low wall that extends upwards at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. This wall is not only visually gripping, but also has a functional purpose. This wall hides any view of the roof, as roofs were sometimes deemed ‘not for the eyes’ in previous building fashion. We can also see three wonderful blind windows (windows that have been blocked up) to the right with dinky pediments on two of the lower windows. It’s also great to see the (almost all timber) ‘two over two’ windows with the wee horns still visible. Window horns strengthen sash windows at their joints. Did you know that window horns differ according to geographic regions? Aberdeen has none as is the norm up there…mad! There are also four pattress plates visible (these are the small discs you can see). Pattress plates are structural ties, which basically tie one side of a building to the other. We’re also seeing what looks like a steel beam above the lower windows. This would suggest some structural movement took place within this building at one time and has now been stabilised. Crackin’ building…..no pun intended!

This is a great example of creating a sense of place over an extended period of time, with the Edwardian red sandstone blocks (on right and centre of the shot) and the former social housing blocks dating from somewhere between the 1950s-1960s, we think (left of the shot). The idea of a central square is suggested by the tenement blocks on each side, all built to a similar height so that none overpowers the other, and with largely similar internal dimensions suggested by the window pattern (or fenestration as we nerds like to call it). It’s nice to see green areas have been added to the centre, particularly as they are clearly well-maintained. Heavily-overlooked communal areas like these make for great passive surveillance – ideal locations for bringing up children and building a sense of community. Other design elements that can enhance perceptions of safety, work to reduce crime and relatedly improve the health and wellbeing of a community are:

• (1) Active frontages: related to the design decision to put public green space in highly visible areas, designing ‘active frontages’ means designing buildings with views of the street. This increases passive surveillance of public areas, working to keep everyone safe.
• (2) Lighting: well-lit public spaces and routes can improve safety and surveillance and increase their use
• (3) Street crossings – providing street crossings at intersections, on busy streets and at key pedestrian routes of transit (to access shops, schools, parks, public transport) increases safe passage through a neighbourhood.

Now aren’t these a beautiful pair of 19th century semi-detached, red sandstone delights! Similar in some ways but with lovely differences setting them apart. Firstly, they both have door cases with a wonderful keystone detail. Keystones are the wedge-shaped stone at the top of an arch. Arches are precision feats – each wedge in the arch is carefully crafted so that when assembled the arch can hold its own weight and bear the load from above. Arches have some advantages over horizontal beams – namely that they can hold up heavier weights. This is because, as seen in this diagram, the gravitational force downward on the wedges forces them together instead of apart. It is this same technology that underpins the massive, iconic Scottish landmark the Glenfinnan Viaduct!  These houses have other details in common as well, such as outer storm doors with lovely fanlights above. Introduced in Britain in the early 18th century, fanlights were a design element added to increase the amount of light in previously dark hallways. Despite their similarities though, these houses differ on a few key details – while both have lovely slate roofs, the righthand house’s roof is hipped and the lefthand house’s roof is gabled. We’re loving the almost pediment’esque detailing over the upper windows on the right. Gorgeous! And it’s great to see timber windows in situ with remaining stained glass on the pair on the left. You could almost play a spot the similarities/differences game here!

A cracking (in more ways than one!) 15th-16th century ruinous tower house, completed by John Gordon in 1564. The castle then passed to the Earls of Huntly in 1586 and thereafter was used as a hunting seat. In 1746, following the Battle of Culloden, Cumberlands troops destroyed the ‘house of Blairfindy’, likely referring to the destruction of Blairfindy Castle. The castle has remained ruined and unoccupied since then. Remnants of the lovely wee corner turret remain along with the imposing chimney stack in the centre of the picture. An interesting feature is the box machicolation which projects from the wall above the entrance (not seen from this angle, but can be seen in this shot). Machicolations are an architectural feature found on the top of defensive walls of medieval castles. They are openings in the wall that defenders could use to drop things like boulders, hot oil or boiling water onto attackers. Defenders could also shoot arrows through these openings. The word machicolation comes from the Middle French macher (to crush) + col (neck). However, Canmore notes that the machicolation box on Blairfindy Castle was likely added for aesthetic purposes, to give a ‘warlike appearance to what was essentially a residential building.’

Now this is some entrance into a B & B – through the actual historic Stirling Town Wall! Mad! (but brilliant). This wall is a Scheduled Monument and dates from the 16C. The walls were built In 1547, a time during the reign of King Henry VIII when the Royal Court at Stirling was continually under attack. The wall was built for defence and had gates which allowed passage in and out of the town. The wall is mainly of rubble construction (meaning the stones are undressed and not uniform in size) made with lovely lime mortar and looks stunning; lime mortar is crucial to its construction and longevity as this material is sacrificial (mortar is softer than the stone, so if the wall gets wet water will drain through the mortar. This means that the mortar will break down over time, but in doing so saves the stone. The mortar can be then re-pointed every few years). Lime mortar also allows for flexibility and movement. We can see good regular maintenance of the mortar here – there is no reason why these hulking walls won’t survive for several hundred more years!

A cracking view from North Uist for What’s Oot Ma Windae! The structure we can see in the distance of this shot is Teampull na Trionaid, or the Church of the Holy Trinity, said to have origins from the 12th century. The site went through several iterations right up to the 19th century, including functioning as a monastery. The west end of the church is the best remaining feature with walls up to 1m thick!  This impressive structure lies adjacent to a field called ‘Feith na Fala’. Although this field looks sleepy and picturesque today, Feith na Fala means ‘Ditch of Blood’, in memory of the Battle of Carinish. The Battle of Carinish took place on this site in 1601 between the feuding MacLeod and MacDonald clans. It is said to have been the last battle fought in Scotland using only traditional weapons! You can get up close and personal with the site by checking out this  virtual tour of Teampull na Troinaid.

This is a great example of 1960s public housing, and notably set in lush surroundings. Callendar Park is a large 18th and 19th century park space, with history dating back to the Antonine Wall in 142 AD. As pictured here, there are five high rise tower blocks set within the park. Some blocks are known to have been built with shops at the first storey level! These blocks are an example of the modernist trend of building in mature landscapes.  This housing development is similar to other sites in Britain such as the Alton Estate in Roehampton in Southwest London. The Alton Estate is a housing development built on Victorian gardens. The architects retained trees from the gardens and set the estate amongst picturesque landscaping.

The primary building material in Stonehaven is granite, as is the case for the neighbouring city of Aberdeen (known as the Granite City). Granite is a popular building material in these parts due to its abundant local supply. Granite is a tough, unyielding material that can be difficult to quarry and carve, but is favoured as a building material for being strong and durable. Aberdeen granite has even been used in the construction of the Houses of Parliament and the Waterloo Bridge in London. In this shot here, we have a lovely granite rubble wall (meaning the stones are undressed and not uniform in size) with a side chimney stack and two ‘dinky dormers’ saying hello at the rear. Dormer windows are windows positioned in the slope of a roof and are ideal for maximising space by creating ‘rooms in the roof’. We’re also loving the wee finial at the front of this house!

We’re really taken by the mix of architectural features we can see on the immediately visible building. On the slate roofs we have a box dormer and a couple of hipped dormers. Hipped dormers have three or more sloped roof sections that come together in a peak, as opposed to a gable dormer (which has two sloped roof sections meeting at a top ridge, forming a triangular shape) or a box dormer (which is box-shaped, with a flat roof). One of the hipped dormers has delightful slate ‘cheeks’, meaning that the sides of the dormer are covered in slate, like the roof. We also have what would have been originally cast iron roof lights. All of these different windows have enabled attic rooms to become living spaces by introducing more natural light. Interestingly, on the elevation, we also see a ‘blind window’ (a window that has been blocked up) which may conceal structural timbers if this is an earlier build, or has been done simply to maintain consistency of the facade. This blind window would not be a case of ‘window tax’ concealment. This is a great view that just keeps on giving!

This popular suburb of Glasgow grew rapidly when the railway arrived in the 19th century,  followed by the tram network in the 20th century. This resulted in the construction of a variety of residential homes, such as these very lovely dormer bungalows with incredible pyramid hipped style roofs (such an interesting architectural mix!).  Dwellings like these really utilised their outdoor space as green space was seen as vital in a lot of early 20th century construction. As people moved to get away from crowded city centres and spread out in the suburbs, gardens became commonplace, particularly after WWI & II. Thanks for sending in this great shot – and framed by a beautiful rainbow!

With a bit of a similar look to #WhatsOotMaWindae 3 (below), here we have some great blonde sandstone tenements in the popular area of Newington, Edinburgh. Newington really took off from the 1820s onward, with a mix of villas and tenements being built. We can definitely see some original cast iron pipeworks and what appears to be some original timber windows, though hard to discern from here! There are also some rear boundary walls that marked out private plots of land and the communal part of the backspace. Note all of the chimneys in this shot! There are some interesting rear elevation chimney stacks – these are called wall head chimneys. Wall head chimneys are built on top of the front and back walls of a tenement. They normally carry flues from bedrooms. They had to be tall so the tops were above ridge height (the tallest point of the roof) where the airflow was strong enough to allow the chimney to draw. There are also some chimneys adjoining the tenements – these are called party wall chimneys. They are built on top of the gable wall and carry flues from the neighbouring tenement as well as from your own.

Here we have a beautiful range of 2-storey workers cottages, all B-listed and were constructed in both the 18th & 19th century. Some still present the original three-window pattern with lovely ridge roofs. These houses have been beautifully restored with great attention (and respect) to historic details. Note the stunning archway which would have allowed vehicular access, primarily carts and agricultural, to the rear of the properties where outbuildings would have stood (and hopefully still do!). It’s also lovely the way these buildings follow the natural topography in both stepped fashion and curving the roadway. A great view!

One of our followers is spoiled with this incredible view of the National Wallace Monument! The National Wallace Monument was designed by the Edinburgh-born Glasgow architect J. T. Rochead, and built between 1861 and 1869.  Did you know that you can climb all the way to the top (a total of 246 steps!) for panoramic views over the area? From the top, you can see Ben Lomond and the Trossachs in the West, and through the Forth Valley past the city of Stirling and the Ochil Hills to the Pentland Hills in the East. Well worth a visit once we’re all out and about again! It is one of more than 20 Wallace Monuments which are located throughout Scotland, including the Wallace Monument at Dryburgh (1814) and Thomas Hamilton’s Wallace tower in Ayr (1833).

Another follower submission – a beautiful wee cottage! Built circa 19th century, this dwelling would likely have been originally harled due to its coastal location. Harling is a type of rough-textured exterior wall finish that helps make walls more weatherproof.  This wee cottage was also possibly housing for the once thriving, local fishing trade. Stone copings are still evident running down from the chimney stack along with a wonderful slate roof. The dinky dormer is just too cute! Did you know that these houses usually run at right angles to the shore, with the gable end facing the incoming weather from the beach? This was done so that the strong gable end would take the brunt of the harsh coastal weather, protecting more fragile parts of the house, like the roof. This would be especially important if roofs were thatched (made from straw or reeds).

Thanks to another lovely Twitter follower for sending in this shot. A lovely range of blonde sandstone tenements here with some beautiful, original cast iron downpipes still in situ, which is great to see! And such a green, lush back garden! Before tenements had internal bathrooms, communal loo and washing facilities were often in the back gardens along with shared drying greens. A lot of these original cast iron drying poles still exist. This outdoor space also allowed for recreation and social gathering. Perhaps nowadays a good space for some brief solo exercise and social distancing instead?

A special shoutout to one of our Facebook followers for sending in this shot oot their windae in Willowbrae, Edinburgh. What a beautiful pair of semi-detached Victorian houses! Dwellings such as these sprung up outside Edinburgh in the late 19th/early 20th century, as wealthier folk wanting to escape the grime of the city moved to newly emerging suburbs.  The semi-detached house design popped up as a compromise between the terraced houses in the crowded city centre and the detached villas further out in the countryside, where land was cheaper. By living in the suburbs, people could have access to a bit of green space and clean air, while also remaining closer to the city. The lovely dwellings pictured here have loads of yummy details such as the finials atop the front gables, beautiful detailed ridge tiles on the roof (the reddish tiles sticking up atop the roof) and chamfered upper windows (the chamfer detail can be seen on the nearest pair of houses above the upper corner windows). The Victorians loved their details! As you can see on these Victorian dwellings, bay windows and fronted gables with a three-part window style were very common. Bay windows were favoured because they let in more light than windows that are flush with the wall line.

As the city of Glasgow spread east in industrial times, Alexander Dennistoun employed the famous Glasgow architect, James Salmon in 1854  (who designed such iconic Glasgow landmarks as the ‘Hatrack’ and the Lion Chambers) to masterplan the new elegant suburb of Dennistoun. Terraces of fine villas sprang up and as the city grew, both red and blond sandstone tenements were constructed from the 1870s onward. These fine red sandstone tenements date from the turn of the century, approx. 1906 and though no original windows remain, they are still very, very lovely! Though plain to the eye, there are wonderful hood mould window details and stunning ashlar facades.

(#WhatsOotMaWindae research provided by the lovely Jamie McNamara, our My Place Mentoring Senior Project Officer)