Description

Circa 1615 with later alterations and additions. 1 1/2 storey, irregular, 5-bay crowstepped-gabled, rectangular-plan house with crowstepped dormers and entrance porch; detached, 1 1/2 storey, rectangular-plan, crowstepped gabled annex forming L-plan complex to E; single storey ancillary buildings to E and S. Main house harled; harl-pointed, random rubble annex; drystone and harl-pointed random rubble ancillary buildings.

MAIN HOUSE: S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: window at each floor in bay to centre. Entrance porch with window to S in bay to right of centre; boarded door with small-pane fanlight in left return. Window at each floor in bay to outer right. Deep-set door at ground in bay to left of centre. Window at each floor in bay to outer left. N (REAR) ELEVATION: irregular 3-bay. Window, set low, in bays to centre and to right. Small window in bay to left. W (SIDE) ELEVATION: blank; gablehead stack above. E (SIDE) ELEVATION: window at each floor in bay to right; forestair to annex flanking bay to left at ground; gablehead stack above.

INTERIOR: not seen, 1998.

Replacement 4-pane timber sash and case windows; small rooflights to N pitch. Traditional graded stone tiled roof; stone ridge; cavetto-moulded skewputts; SW skewputt with initials 'HH'; harled, corniced gablehead and ridge stacks; predominantly uPVC rainwater goods.

BOUNDARY WALLS: drystone walls with stone cope enclosing garden around house; square-plan piers to N with stepped caps.

ANNEX: E (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: central boarded door at ground. W (REAR) ELEVATION: central buttress; attic window, breaking eaves, offset to left of centre; window at ground in bay to outer left; lean-to additions with window to W spanning bays to right. N (SIDE) ELEVATION: central door at 1st floor; gablehead stack above. S (SIDE) ELEVATION: lean-to at ground; blank above; gablehead stack.

ANCILLARY BUILDINGS: irregularly fenestrated, later, parallel, 1 1/2 storey ranges disposed E/W, built on ground falling to E; harl-pointed random rubble; corrugated-asbestos and -iron roof; stone ridge; stone skews; gablehead stack to each W gable; centred, pitch-roofed porch to S range. Single storey, 3-bay range to W between; central door with windows flanking to E elevation; traditional stone tiled roof; stone ridge; stone skew; stone slab livestock compartments; central muck trough.

Statement of Interest

A significant survival of early 17th century domestic architecture in Orkney, this house was originally built for Hugh Halcro of Halcro (South Ronaldsay), the SW skewputt bearing his initials. He acquired the estate in 1614 and made the Bu his principal seat. The property subsequently passed to his son-in-law, Alexander Mowa of Swinzie (Caithness).

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17827099

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)