Cullaloe Temple and Tower, near Aberdour, Fife

In the 19th century Cullaloe stone was much in demand as a building material: it was widely used in Scotland and England, and exported to Europe and as far as the Caribbean. But in the shadow of the quarries is an abandoned pleasure ground that is home to this beautifully constructed little temple – a perfect demonstration of the colour and quality of the stone. At the other end of the grand terrace on which it stands is a curious rustic tower.

In the early 19th century the ‘Cullelo’ estate in Fife, as it was then known*, was owned by James Stuart of Dunearn (1775-1849). Stuart lived not far away at Hillside, near Aberdour, where he was said to have ‘greatly beautified the grounds’. At ‘Cullelo’ he seems to have created a ferme ornée with walks and rides surrounding a rather grand farm house.

By 1826 the house at ‘Cullelo’ had been updated with a ‘Grecian front’ and was surrounded by ‘beautiful’ evergreen shrubberies. The fields were sheltered by plantations ,which had an ornamental as well as practical purpose: they were cut through with ‘ridings and roads, and gravelled paths and walks’. The temple and tower, which are believed to be contemporary with work on the house, were features in these ornamental grounds, and the terrace on which they stand was said to have one of the finest prospects in Great Britain. All of this landscaping is shown on a map which can be dated to the 1820s, but no further records seem to survive.

The Temple is supported by a central column from which springs a fine vaulted roof. It was probably built as somewhere to shelter and take refreshments when enjoying the pleasure grounds, but when the Folly Flâneuse visited in November 2023 it was home to three roe deer who sadly skittered off before she could grab her camera.

At the other end of the terrace, or avenue, stands a curious structure which provides a complete contrast to the finely worked stone of the temple. A rough stone pyramid stands on four arches and must once have commanded fine views, although they are now blocked by trees.

In the 1850s the compilers of the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map noted the ‘small ornamental building called the Temple’ and ‘a Tower’ at ‘Cullalo’. The surveyors noted that they were unable to find any ‘historical accounts’ of the buildings. Sadly, the Flâneuse has had little more success.

In 1828 Stuart was declared bankrupt and his estates were sequestered. He is largely forgotten today, and if remembered at all it is for the duel he fought in 1822. Having been insulted in print by his political rival Sir Alexander Boswell (son of the biographer), Stuart challenged him to a duel in which Sir Alexander was mortally wounded. Duels were accepted as a gentlemanly way to settle quarrels, so when the case came to trial Stuart was unanimously acquitted by his peers.

In 1828, with Stuart’s finances in disarray, Cullaloe was bought by the Earl of Moray, whose land surrounded the estate. He had been using Cullaoe stone to develop the majestic Moray Estate in Edinburgh to a design by James Gillespie Graham (Stuart himself lived briefly at No. 20 Moray Place before his funds ran out). The stone was noted for its durability, but it was expensive to quarry and difficult to dress and for periods the quarry was abandoned. It was reopened in the 1860s to provide the stone for the building of Fettes College in Edinburgh to the designs of David Bryce, although by 1881 quarrying was once more discontinued.

Quarrying at Cullaoe was resumed early this century: the stone is in demand for repairs to historic buildings. There are also extensive forestry operations in the woodland, with the inevitable churned-up tracks, so one has to use one’s imagination to conjure up the picturesque scene that once could be found here. But the elegant temple and curious tower stand as reminders of the designed landscape, and are listed as Category B in a grouping with the farmhouse and a bridge on the estate.

In the 19th century lists of the eminent buildings constructed of Cullaloe stone appeared in advertisements for the quarry, and a number of town and landscape ornaments were mentioned: Lord Nelson’s Monument, Yarmouth; Lord Melville’s Monument, Edinburgh and the Conservatory at Dalkeith Palace to name but three.

To see the Cullaloe temple and the tower consult an OS map and explore the many possible walks through the woodland.

*There ia a bewildering list of variant spellings of Cullaloe including Calala, Collellow and Killalo, so to avoid confusion the modern spelling of Cullaloe will be used here unless a direct quotation is being made.

Thanks for reading. Please scroll down to the bottom of the page to get in touch – your thoughts and comments are always welcome. If you would like a folly story in your inbox each Saturday morning please click the subscribe tab.