Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Description

1707, remodelled circa 1885. Former laird's house, original L-plan house at centre comprising symmetrical dormered single storey and attic 3-bay principal block with projecting crenellated porch, single storey 2-bay wing to rear (forming L-plan), square-plan single storey single bay crenellated wings flanking principal block, lean-to additions in-filling re-entrant angles flanking rear wing. Harled walls with droved sandstone ashlar and concrete dressings and details.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: symmetrical, single storey rendered brick porch projecting at centre with 4-panel flush-beaded timber entrance door and armorial panel centred in crenellated wallhead above; bipartite windows at ground and 1st floor in outer bays, latter breaking eaves in substantial dormers with crowstepped concrete dormerheads. Margined round-arched doorways and crenellated wallheads to wings.

W ELEVATION: asymmetrical, square window centred in crenellated W wing advanced at right with small single storey mono-pitch outbuilding adjoining to W; 2 closely-spaced windows and corner wallhead stack to substantial lean-to addition in-filling re-entrant angle with rear wing to left.

N (REAR) ELEVATION: crowstepped gable of rear wing advanced to right of centre; substantial lean-to addition in-filling re-entrant angle with W wing to right; small single storey lean-to addition in re-entrant angle to left, with narrow window immediately to left in rear wall of E wing.

E ELEVATION: window off-set to right in crenellated E wall of E wing, rear wing recessed at right with single storey lean-to addition in re-entrant angle.

Purple-grey slate roof with surviving to principal block and porch; cast-iron gutters and downpipes; piend-roofed timber dormer centring S pitch. Concrete crowstepped skews to principal gables, harled gablehead stacks with stone copes and octagonal cans.

INTERIOR: mostly ruinous (1997), late 19th century vertically-boarded timber lining to hall, with timber staircase to rear, and stop-chamfered chimneypiece in W wall.

TERRACE WALLS: formal arrangement centred on S elevation of house comprising roughly square raised terrace accessed by stone and concrete steps (formerly flanked by obelisks) rising to remains of gate-house (formerly with crowstepped gable), raised path leading to entrance, terrace bounded to S by droved ashlar slab cope (formerly with gothic cast-iron railing), L-plan walls to left and right enclosing E and W ends.

GARDEN WALLS: random rubble walls forming roughly square enclosure adjoining house to W, and enclosing house to N and E.

HA-HA: random rubble retaining wall curving with hillside to S of house.

Statement of Special Interest

18th century haas are rare survivors in Shetland, and although Windhouse has been substantially extended and is in a ruinous state, it still retains much evidence of the early house. It was probably a single storey and attic 3-bay haa with a concealed attic similar to Swinister Old Haa in Delting. Late 19th century alterations included adding the entrance porch and crowsteps, inserting bipartite windows and dormers, and adding the E and W wings. These sort of light-hearted alterations in rendered brick and concrete are quite common in Shetland during the end of the 19th century. Lunna House, Nesting, and St Olaf's, Yell, are examples of this, but alterations at Windhouse are more radical than most. The 1880's castellated-gothic rebuilding is of historic interest, but its main contribution is to the dramatic silhouette of the house when viewed from the surrounding area.

References

Bibliography

About Listed Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

Find out more about listing and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.