Community Council
of the Royal Burgh of Peebles & District
Community Council
of the Royal Burgh of Peebles & District
Drop in to see what's going on – or volunteer and get involved.
Archaeologists from AOC Scotland will be arriving in Peebles on Thursday 13th August to conduct a hi-tech digital survey of the Hay Lodge icehouse. Do you fancy giving them a hand?
Survey volunteers
The team is looking for four volunteers to help with the actual survey using photogrammetry and laser scanning techniques to produce for the first time high-resolution 3D images of the icehouse. If you’re interested in photography or new technology, this is a great opportunity to learn something new.
Volunteer explainers
Alternatively, you could volunteer to be one of our explainers and come along for all or part of the event to explain to curious passersby (dog walkers and rugby club members!) what's going on and allow the survey team to work undisturbed.
No experience is needed for either volunteer role and the survey team will provide full instructions and supervision.
Background
This project emerged from proposals made by the Peeblesshire Archaeological Society and the Peebles Common Good Forum to encourage a greater focus of attention on this easily overlooked heritage asset in the corner of Hay Lodge Park. Very little is recorded about the icehouse particularly its interior.
With support from Scottish Borders Council and the Peebles Common Good Sub-Committee, a bat survey was conducted late last year as a necessary preliminary. No bats were detected enabling the project to move forward. AOC was approached and agreed to undertake this survey funded under the Uncovering the Tweed project.
Uncovering the Tweed, led by the Tweed Forum and AOC, is one of several themes being covered under the £25m Destination Tweed project. Work is already underway in Peebles on the section of the 113-mile River Tweed Trail that will run from Moffat to Berwick and the route through Hay Lodge will pass below the icehouse, where a new interpretative panel, using results from this survey, will be installed.
Hay Lodge House was built in 1771 as the elegant new home of Captain Adam Hay of Soonhope, MP for Perthshire. Before the days of refrigerators, preservation of perishable food was a constant challenge, and icehouses were the fashionable ‘must have’ item for all wealthy household. During the winter, ice was cut from rivers and lochs and packed into the subterranean icehouse chamber insulated with straw to keep food preserved for much of the year.
Peeblesshire Archaeological Society have published an online booklet Hay Lodge – A Walk in the Park that tells the full story.
Volunteer now
Date Tue 13 Aug 2026Time 9:30am – 3:30pm- Click here to volunteer as a surveyor or explainer.
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