History in Structure

Ayre Hotel, Ayre Road, Kirkwall

A Category B Listed Building in Kirkwall, Orkney Islands

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Coordinates

Latitude: 58.9844 / 58°59'4"N

Longitude: -2.9629 / 2°57'46"W

OS Eastings: 344753

OS Northings: 1011210

OS Grid: HY447112

Mapcode National: GBR M41Z.PFD

Mapcode Global: WH7C4.GFBS

Plus Code: 9CCVX2MP+QR

Entry Name: Ayre Hotel, Ayre Road, Kirkwall

Listing Name: Harbour Street, the Ayre Hotel

Listing Date: 8 December 1971

Category: B

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 381605

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB36754

Building Class: Cultural

Also known as: Kirkwall, Ayre Road, Ayre Hotel

ID on this website: 200381605

Location: Kirkwall

County: Orkney Islands

Town: Kirkwall

Electoral Ward: Kirkwall West and Orphir

Traditional County: Orkney

Tagged with: Hotel

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Description

Circa 1791 with later alterations and additions. 2-storey and attics, 13-bay hotel comprising former pair of 3-bay crowstepped gabled houses to left, with (later) gabled dormers, breaking eaves, (2 dormers to right finialled), further box dormers to left block, and 2 flat-roofed single storey entrance porches; 2-storey 4-bay addition slightly recessed to right; flat-roofed single storey addition to outer right; modern 2-storey projection at right angles to rear, (S). Harled. Ashlar dressings to entrance porches.

N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: bays grouped, 3-3-3-3. 3-bay group to left of centre: window in entrance porch at ground in bay to centre; Doric pilasters flanking modern, part-glazed door with letterbox fanlight in left return; window in right return; window at 1st floor above. Window at each floor in bays flanking. 3-bay block to outer left: window in entrance porch at ground in bay to centre; part-glazed modern door with letterbox fanlight in left return; window in right return; window at each floor above; window at each floor with 2, evenly disposed box dormers above in each bay flanking. Recessed 4-bay block to right of centre: window at each floor in 2 bays to centre. Part-glazed modern door at ground in bay to outer right; windows at 1st floor above. 2-leaf boarded doors to round-arched doorway in single storey, rectangular-plan porch with cast-iron balcony to internal angle to outer left; window at 1st floor above to main block. Window in each bay to 3-bay block to outer right.

S (REAR) ELEVATION: irregularly fenestrated with additions spanning bays at ground, 4, evenly disposed gabletted attic window breaking eaves and 7-bay piended projection at right angles to outer left.

Predominantly 4-pane timber-framed windows with top-hung upper lights. Grey slate roof; stone ridge; stone skews; predominantly cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: converted as hotel; not fully seen, 1998.

Statement of Interest

Originally 2 adjoining houses which have subsequently been converted and extended to a hotel. They are sited on reclaimed land at the inner end of the 'ayre', the natural spit which separates the 'Peedie Sea' from the Bay. The eastern house was the home of James Erskine, merchant, who built them both, while the western one was the last town house of the Stewarts of Brough, Westray and later of the Traills of Holland in Papa Westray.

External Links

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