Boswell's Summerhouse, Auchinleck House

A summerhouse dating to circa 1760, it is a picturesque manmade grotto, likely expanding a natural cave, carved from the red sandstone east bank of the Dippol Gorge, to the east of Auchinleck House. The roughly constructed doorway features chamfered pointed arches, and the sides have similarly treated windows. Inside, the grotto is approximately 15 feet 7 inches wide and 11 feet high, with a moulded cornice at a height of 7 feet 6 inches and a coffered ceiling.

It is reputed that Samuel Johnson visited the summerhouse on 4 November 1773. Lord Auchinleck, the host, reportedly told him that the grotto cost less to construct than an ordinary room of comparable size. Johnson's visit occurred during his tour of Scotland, in the company of Lord Auchinleck’s eldest son, James Boswell, who was Johnson’s travelling companion.