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 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.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata IDs Q2218548 Q77771794

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

• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover