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Summary

Description

Probably mid to later 19th century. Small picturesque single storey, pyramidally-roofed, rectangular-plan fishing hut with rustic detailing to oversized projecting gabled porch incorporating monumental carved lintel, gabletted windowheads breaking eaves and original interior. Sited immediately to NE of separately listed earlier fountain on raised ground overlooking River Tay in parkland of Murthly Castle. Coursed squared and snecked rubble with stugged dressings. 2-leaf door of chevron-patterned rustic half-round timber

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: entrance elevation to NW with projecting lintel over doorway leading to timber-lined porch with flanking benches leading to 2-leaf door. SW and NE elevations each with small gabletted window, and blank SE elevation with tall stack straddling centre gablehead.

Plate glass glazing in replacement windows. Grey slates to steeply pitched ball and spike-finialled roof. Replacement brick stack. Deeply overhanging swept eaves with exposed rafters.

INTERIOR: good interior retained including honeycomb pattern stone flag floor. Monumental stone fireplace of pink sandstone with bowed supports and huge stone mantel, inner (possibly later?) stonework corbelled, also with bowed supports. Walls and roof lined with decoratively set rustic half-round timber incorporating built-in wall recesses and benches.

Statement of Special Interest

This finely detailed fishing hut is situated close to the eastern entrance to Murthly Castle. Built to provide shelter and warmth for fishing parties in an area long popular as a fishing spot, the hut is sited close to an earlier drinking fountain (see separate listing) on raised ground overlooking the River Tay at a turning point for formal parkland walks. The popular rustic style, employed so effectively for the timber interior of the fishing hut, was used during the 19th and 20th centuries when the estate employed two Clerks of Works by the name of Duncan. Stylistically suited to simple structures, it can also be seen in the Buffalo Hut and Cistern (both separately listed) on the Rohallion Estate. The interior of the fishing hut is very similar to that of the Buffalo Hut. The Inventory entry for Murthly Castle says it is 'An outstanding landscape which makes a major contribution to the surrounding Tay Valley scenery and provides an attractive setting for several category A listed buildings'. The Parkland, laid out in the 17th and 18th centuries was enlarged and completely remodelled by John Wallace in 1830. His massive scheme created parkland throughout the policies. Groome says of Murthly Castle that "The grounds are of singular beauty, both natural and artificial, with the 'Dead Walk' or ancient yew-tree avenue, the Douglasii Avenue, the Lime Avenue (1711), the Deodara or Sunk Terrace, and every variety of hill and dell, wood and stream, carriage-drive and sequestered walk".

References

Bibliography

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