Josh Banks

A block of freestone, called a skewputt, moulded cyma recta, built upside down and side on into a dyke.

The Chanonry's west dyke, at the site of the pre-Reformation Oneil manse.

Text from William Orem, 1725: Alexander Kininmonth, first of that name (of whom before) added to the aforesaid number the parson of Kincardine-Oneil, which was formerly an hospital for sick people; founded by Allan Durward, anno 1330. His manse, yard, and gleib, lie on the West side of the chanry, having Methlick's Manse on the South, and the parson of Deer's on the North. A son of the laird of Durris, surnamed Fraser, built a part of Kincardine-Oneil's lodging; for his name and armorial-coat were upon one of the peat-stones.

#OldAberdeen Spotted a skewputt set in the Chanonry's west dyke, near the site of the former Oneil manse. Orem (1725) says: "A son of the laird of Durris, surnamed Fraser, built a part of Kincardine-Oneil's lodging; for his name and armorial-coat were upon one of the peat-stones." The same stone?

Cavetto skewputt bearing "1569"

Cavetto skewputt bearing "I ((on a chief 3 cinquefoils)) S"

Cavetto skewputt bearing "1588 / ((2 cinquefoils))"

Claypotts from the eastish

#Dundee The carved skewputts at Claypotts Castle today against the middest of skies. <IS> was John Strachan of Claypotts, his armorial as depicted here being "on a chief 3 cinquefoils". 9/10, needs a harl.

correction: 57 Castle Street, 59-60 was the Bursar's House

Granite slab inscribed "THE REVD / ROBERT FORBES / DIED HERE / 21ST OCT. 1859."

The slab as built into the wall at 324 Clifton Road.

Evening Express, 3 March 1894

#Woodside A curious stone, by 324 Clifton Road, marking the death place of the Rev. Robert Forbes of Woodside Free Church (died 21 October 1859, erected February 1894).

maps.app.goo.gl/wgSZ4nGvWCxP... seems to match up with the pic.

The tablet is built into No. 38/40 Emma Street, obscured on Streetview by a blurry patch www.vhscot.org.uk/applicants/p...

Aye, comes across as a slightly spiffy bollard.

Provost Mitchell's Drinking Fountain,... &copy; Adrian Diack This photo shows a drinking fountain which is situated near to the Old Church on the High Street in the town centre of Montrose. The granite fountain is inscribed with the words "The gift of Provost M...

"The gift of Provost Mitchell 1869" www.geograph.org.uk/photo/7571433

The OS 1:1250 marks it as a drinking fountain (D Fn).

*While I've only seen relict used in the sense of a widow or widower, I quite like it in an architectural context to mean a vestige or vestigial.

Cyma recta skewputt inscribed: "J766 / ID" for James Dyce

Inscription on upper left half of a chest tomb slab. The entire left half reads: "[...] Deposited / The Remains of / [CH]RISTIAN CHASSER. / Spouse to JAMES DYCE / Late Farmer in the Parish of Bourtie / Who died the 10th April 1765 / Aged 63 Years / ALSO HER SONS / ALEXANDER DYCE / Merchant in Aberdeen, Who died / April 25th 1790, aged 52 Years / JAMES DYCE, Who died December 24th 1791, aged 57 Years / AND / ROBERT DYCE of Cuttlehill / Merchant in Aberdeen Who departed / this Life Novr 20th 1796, aged 6[.] / With him died the affectionate / Husband, indulgent Parent / And Poor Man’s Friend / ALSO / MAY DYCE, spouse to / the said ROBERT DYCE / Who departed this Life 26th February 1803, aged 70 Years / ALSO / WILLIAM DYCE of Cuttlehill / Physician in Aberdeen & / Son of the Above / ROBERT & MAY DYCE / Who died 10th March 1835 / Aged 65 Years. / ALSO THEIR DAUGHTERS / MAY DYCE / Who died Decr 20th 1850 / Aged 87 Years. / MARY DYCE / Spouse to JAMES GORDON / Merchant in Aberdeen, / Who died 11th February 1855 / Aged 89 Years."

(2017) No. 55-57 Castle Street pending Victoria Court (formerly Allardyce's Court), No. 54; the relict gable of No. 59-60 - which pended Commercial Court, No. 58 - is at the rhs. Sometime after the house's demolition (unknown date), the gable was built out to make it less unsightly, at which time the skewputt may have come down and been reerected.

#Aberdeen A skewputt for James Dyce (of Badentoy), wigmaker, in the relict* gable of 59-60 Castle Street. In 1770 he wed Jean, daughter of Baillie William Fordyce of Achorthies of kidnapping infamy. He died Christmas Eve 1791, and is interred with his mother and brothers in St Nicholas kirkyard.

Malcolm Miller [Cyprus] at 1748

BAP Union [Peru] at 1945, sailing to anchorage

Corsaro II [Italy] at 2008

Fryderyk Chopin [Poland] at 2030

Weel-riggit ships #Aberdeen #TallShips

Malcolm Miller [Cyprus] at 1748

BAP Union [Peru] at 1945, sailing to anchorage

Corsaro II [Italy] at 2008

Fryderyk Chopin [Poland] at 2030

Weel-riggit ships #Aberdeen #TallShips

#Edinburgh Cavetto skewputts marking property limits at Gledstane's Land, Lawnmarket. "TG / BC" for proprietors Thomas Gledstane & Bessie Cunningham. The "trade mark" is described by John Geddie as "key and crescent" and HES as "saltire on vertical stem". I think the bowed part might be a staple.

© Licensed by Aberdeen City Council Art Galleries and Museums (project 602) (Records of the Scottish Cultural Resources Access Network (SCRAN), Edinburgh, Scotland)

Not sure what it stands for yet, but found another in the wall at Walker Park near the lighthouse.

Whereabouts?

#Aberdeen Some Gallowgate sketches from the Bon-Accord magazine. #1, a corbelled wing in Plasterer's Court, No. 70; #2, an anonymous tenement; #3, Mar's Castle pending Reid's Place, No. 144 digital.nls.uk/scotlands-ne...

I'm planning to spend a day in Inverness next week. I've never been there before. What shouldn't I miss?

62/64 Shiprow. The panel is visible above left of the larger door. Note also the tusks to the right which may have been a vestige of the Shiprow Port. Source: https://canmore.org.uk/collection/2777484

The second, in the vestigial wing of Viewbank House at the International School, is from 62/64 Shiprow, cleared 1876 for Trinity Congregational Church. It may betoken John Stewart & Christen Erskine in 1692, but the 1633 sill of the houssing beckons back further (as may the tusks of the port, r.)

A sketch of Shepherd's Court, 21 Guestrow, from Edward Meldrum's "Aberdeen of Old". Note the pend surmounted by the panel, which faced Guestrow.

The first is on Flourmill Lane, hailing from atop the pend/yett to Galen's, later Shepherd's Court, 18, renumbered 21 Guestrow, the home of advocate Androw Thomsone & Agnes Divie in 1673. This house and its drum tower were swept up in the clearances of 1930, pend and panel alone surviving.

Cartouche panel from Guestrow, Aberdeen inscribed "A+T / A+D / J673"

Cartouche panel from Shiprow, Aberdeen inscribed "I+S / C+E / J692". It is set within a moulded houssing, the sill of which is inscribed "J633". Source: https://canmore.org.uk/collection/1074381

#Aberdeen Two unhoused cartouche panels, as far as I know the last of their kind in the city. Auld vanity never looked so good.

The Beaker People are a warning from history that in thousands of years’ time we’ll be known as The Plastic Bottle People

That's an amazing haul!

Found it! i.rcahms.gov.uk/canmore-pdf/...

Skewputt inscribed "J770"

#OldAberdeen This neat wee fella has kept watch over College Bounds for 255 years. (№ 2, the vestigial gable)

The only example that comes to mind in Aberdeen is Holburn Mansions, four tenements at 17/39 Holburn Street. The name persists on the transom of the corner building.

Built into a wall, a lintel inscribed "D F ⚓ E I" surmounting three smaller stones, likely skewputts, respectively inscribed "1764 / W·L", "[?] M / J67[8 or 9]" & "1777 / A·M / H·F"

#Aberdeen Stones in Seamount Place from the east side of the Gallowgate between Littlejohn Street & Porthill Close. The topmost seems to betoken Skipper Daniel Farquharson & his wife Elisabeth Innes, wed 1714, who got sasine of William Souper's tenement in "vici furcarum", the Gallowgate, in 1716.

Back right gable of 34 Marywell Street from Oldmill Road

Skewputt of sandstone inscribed "CONVENER / AA / 1828"

Spotted today round back, this skewputt betokens Andrew Affleck, namesake of nearby Affleck Street, sometime convener of the trades & another deacon of the Shoemakers.

Early plans don't show a house here so I'm keeping an open mind on the stones' provenance.

34 Marywell Street, Aberdeen

Cyma recta skewputt inscribed "J755 / W S"

#Aberdeen At first glance 34 Marywell Street seems like just another late C20 build, but the dormers, lum & 1755 skewputt suggest otherwise.

"W S" may be William Shepherd, deacon of the Shoemakers trade in the 1750s, which laid out the street on the Marywell Croft c.1809.

Delighted to be commissioned by Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museums to transcribe its treasured archival diaries of great Scottish artist-adventurer James McBey, who recorded his exploits across the globe, beginning in Scotland's north-east in 1909 & ending in Tangier, Morocco 50 years later.