Ice House

A fascinating addition to the estate during the 19th Century was the construction of the Ice House.  This is a large underground chamber, 30ft in depth, which was designed to act as a large fridge-freezer for meat and other perishables.  Ice would have been suppied from the lochs on the estate, and even supplemented with ice from Scandinavia.  It was then separated into layers by adding wood chippings and straw which acted as a form of insulation.

Any ice for use in the house, for example iced sherbets, would also be kept in the Ice House, but in a separate hygienic container.

Even without the presence of the ice, it is is still noticeably cooler in the chamber during the summer months.