There are two rough designs for a Gothic cottage which Botlon states is inscribed ‘Stuckeraduff’ however, this cataloguer reads it as ‘Stucknaduff’. There does not appear to be an existing place with either of those names, however, an eighteenth-century land tax roll for the county of Dunbartonshire does refer to a ‘Stucknaduff’ in the historic parish of Row (sometimes Rowe or Rhu). Historic maps show a ‘Stuckenduff’ in this area, in between Shandon and Blarevadoch facing onto the Gare Loch, which could possibly be the same place. However, there is no known evidence of this cottage being executed.

These two designs are very similar to two designs for Andrew Fletcher, attributed to an unexecuted cottage on site of Saltoun Hall, East Lothian (SM Adam 30/83-84) which Bolton suggests are in the hand of James Adam. Andrew Fletcher (1722-79) was the son of Andrew Fletcher, Lord Milton, from whom he inherited Saltoun Hall, East Lothian in 1766. He served as MP for Haddington Burghs in 1747-61 and Haddingtonshire in 1761-68, and was secretary to the Duke of Argyll in 1748-61.

Literature: A.T. Bolton, The architecture of Robert and James Adam, 1922, Volume II, Index, pp. 29, 71; D. King, The complete works of Robert & James Adam and unbuilt Adam, 2001, Volume II, p. 246; ‘Fletcher, Andrew (1722-79), of Saltoun, Haddington’, History of Parliament, online [accessed 9 October 2023]

Louisa Catt, 2023