Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Description

Later 18th century, with later alteration. Picturesquely grouped house and stores built on lodberry, comprising single storey over concealed basement 3-bay range (former shop) to commercial street with 2-storey 3-bay house connected at right-angle to rear (N); 2-storey range (former sail loft and dry goods store at upper floor) with store and workshop at basement bounding W extent of complex, small flagged courtyard centred at N end of lodberry, 2-storey store (former wet fish store with meat and fishcuring "skeo" at upper floor) to NE corner. Harl-pointed random rubble walls.

FORMER SHOP: rebuilt circa 1950. Single storey, 3-bay concrete-block elevation to Commercial Street, door at centre with narrow window adjacent to left and wide window at right. W gable; single window to left at upper floor, stone steps with rubble wall at foot accessing Bain?s Beach and W sea door in wall extending to left from gable. E gable; single window centred at upper floor, adjoining timber gate (incorporating ship?s wheel) accessing stone steps from Commercial Street to basement entrance at right with vertically-boarded timber door.

HOUSE: 2-storey, 3-bay E elevation with entrance door offset to left of centre, windows in outer bays at ground and 1st floors; high random rubble wall fronting basement bay at right and enclosing flagged yard, segmental-arched E sea door in wall at outer right with timber hoist projecting above. N gable; door at basement and window at upper floor in bay to right, small louvered opening in gablehead; slated rubble lean-to at basement to left with door in E wall, W wall open at ground with flying buttress above supporting roof, and connecting fishcuring shed to house.

FORMER SAIL LOFT AND STORE: W elevation; single small basement (workshop) window to right. Blank N wall, timber-boarded gablehead with 3-pane fixed-light, main sea door with timber infill adjacent to left.

CURING SHED AND STORE: 3-bay N (seaward) elevation, single window centred at basement, rubble-infilled openings in bays at upper floor. W elevation; 4-panel door to right. Tall openings flanking centre of gables at upper floor, timber louvres; apex stack to W gable.

Variety of plate glass and 2 and 3-pane timber windows, latter with hoppers. Purple-grey slate roof with cast-iron gutters and downpipes. Stugged sandstone stacks to house, coped with circular cans. Concrete skew copes to house and range to Commercial Street.

SEA WALL AND NOOST: random rubble wall with stugged sandstone cope flanking house to E and W (Craigie Stane and Bain?s Beach). Partially flagged noost to Craigie Stane with concrete-coped rubble wall to N.

INTERIOR: basket-arched buffet recess in parlour with flanking fielded-panel doors. Flagged floors to basement.

Statement of Special Interest

Formerly known as Robertson?s Lodberry, it was named after Bailie John Robertson who was joint agent with Charles Merrylees for the North of Scotland and Orkney and Shetland Steam Navigation Company, who owned the neighbouring "steamer" storehouse at 18 Commercial Street (see separate listing). Although the (then ruinous) former shop to Commercial Street was rebuilt circa 1950 and there have been some minor changes to the fenestration, this complex remains a remarkably intact example of the commercial and domestic development of a lodberry. It is, however, most famous for the picturesque quality of the grouping, and as such is the most photographed building in Shetland.

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.