Ice House

When the nearby house Hermitage of Braid was built in 1785 by Gordon of Cluny, one important feature which might have figured high on an 18th century estate agent's schedule was an Ice House.

The Ice House was built into a nearby rock face. During the winter, ice and snow would be taken into the ice house and packed with insulation, often straw or sawdust. It would remain frozen for many months, often until the following winter, and could be used as a source of ice during summer months. The main application of the ice was the storage of perishable foods, but it could also be used simply to cool drinks, or allow ice-cream and sorbet desserts to be prepared.

This is only one minute's walk from the front door - still, a long way to go for a couple of ice cubes for your G+T.