Corstorphine Dovecot
ENTRY
Free
WHERE
Edinburgh
What it’s like
A round stone dovecot you view from the outside, free to see and done in a few minutes.
This is an old stone dovecot, the sort of squat round tower that once housed hundreds of pigeons for the pot rather than for annoying pensioners on park benches. You can't get inside it, so this is very much a look-and-move-on stop rather than somewhere to spend a morning.
It costs nothing to see, which makes it an easy detour on a walk rather than a place you'd plan a day around. There's no café, no play area, nothing to keep a restless kid busy once they've had a good look and asked why anyone kept pigeons on purpose. It's open all year, so there's no season to work around either.
They do say to book in advance to guarantee entry, which is a bit odd for something you can only view from outside, but it's there in their own advice, so if getting right up close matters to you it's worth sorting ahead rather than assuming you can just wander over. Otherwise this is one for the "oh, what's that" moment mid-walk, not the main event.
Because there's no fee and it's open all year, you're not fighting queues or session times. Have a look, take a photo, carry on to wherever you're actually headed.
Need to know
- Booking
- Book in advance to guarantee entry
- It's an exterior view only, so there's nothing to see indoors
- Free entry all year round
- Booking ahead is advised if you want to guarantee getting to it
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
Nothing, it's free to visit.
Do we need to book?
They say to book in advance to guarantee entry, even though it's an outside-only view.
Is it open all year?
Yes, it stays open year round.
Can we go inside?
You view the dovecot from the outside only.
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