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Glamis Icehouse

East Plantation, Glamis Castle, Forfarshire.

Icehouse (17th Century).

Original ice-house for Glamis Castle, built c. 1669. Located c. 500m SE of castle in steep high west bank of the Glamis Burn. Abandoned as unsafe c. 1810, replaced by another W of castle at 'Home Farm' [presumed Bridgend].

"The 17th century icehouse is still visible as a large, earthen mound, c. 2.0m high, its successor is built into a natural bank, at NO 3782 4798." [Canmore]

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"Remains of an icehouse in the policies to the south of Glamis Castle. It was originally built in circa 1669, and was rebuilt in 1866, incorporating the fabric of the earlier icehouse. There is tunnel access to the domed underground chamber, which is possibly late-18th century. It is shown on the 1st and 2nd edition OS maps as an ovate-plan icehouse. It is constructed from brick and ashlar, with a rubble-built passage.

There is a pointed-arch doorway that is 5 feet high and 3 feet wide (1.5 metres by 0.9 metres), with heavy masonry voussoirs and a dressed keystone. The entrance passage is 14 feet long, 5 feet 9 inches wide and 7 feet 4 inches high (4.3 metres long, 1.8 metres high and 2.3 metres wide). It has rubble walls and a stone slab roof, with the first slab incised with the letter 'P'. The ovate chamber is 18 feet in diameter at its widest, and 23 feet deep from the centre of the brick dome (5.5 metres diameter, 7 metres high). There is an ashlar floor level springing. It is now unsafe and abandoned." [Angus HER]

Alternative Names: Glamis Castle Icehouse, Glamis Ice House

Notes: It is unclear whether the detailed description given by Angus HER relates to a rebuild at this (Glamis Burn) site, or the replacement at Bridgend.

Surplus brick was re-used from Huntly Castle icehouse.