Description

17th century, with addition of circa 1770, both remodelled circa 1830. Laird's house comprising symmetrical 2-storey 3-bay remodelling of 17th century house, connected by central 2-storey link to 2-storey and attic 3-bay classical remodelling of later 18th century house to S; latter flanked to E and W by walls connecting to single storey single bay pedimented pavilions. Harled and lined rubble walls with droved sandstone ashlar margins and details. Projecting cills to windows.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: symmetrical, droved ashlar single storey pedimented porch projecting at centre comprising vertically-boarded timber door with plate glass fanlight, channelled ashlar surround, flanked by pilasters with rosettes, urn finial to pediment; windows flanking outer bays at ground; round-arched window centred at 1st floor, tripartite windows in outer bays; principal block flanked by single storey single bay walls with glazed doors; single storey single bay pavilions advanced and flanking to outer right and left, each with Venetian windows and pediments with blind oculi and ball finials.

E ELEVATION: 4-pane timber sash and case window to link recessed between blank gables of N and S blocks; gable of N block advanced at right and blank E wall of E pavilion advanced at left.

N ELEVATION: symmetrical, timber fixed-light with triangulated glazing pattern to upper part of infilled door centred at ground; windows in flanking bays, regular fenestration at 1st floor; 2-leaf latticed gate in single storey courtyard wall extending to left; blank rear elevation of S block recessed at right.

W ELEVATION: 2-bay gable of S block advanced at right, ground floor obscured by lean-to addition, regular fenestration at 1st floor, attic window to right in gablehead; 4-pane timber sash and case window to link recessed at left, blank gable of N block to outer left.

Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows, with 4-pane pattern to link block and lower right window of N elevation. Grey slate roofs to N and S blocks, droved ashlar skew-copes, bracketted skewputts to S block; modern metal roofs to pavilions. Harled gablehead stacks, heightened at N block, all with concrete copes and circular cans; octagonal single-flue wallhead stacks with circular cans to outer walls of pavilions.

GARDEN WALLS, GATES, AND GATEPIERS: harl-pointed rubble walls enclosing roughly square formal garden to S of principal elevation adjoining pavilions at E and W; gates adjacent to pavilions comprising square droved ashlar gatepiers with bases and corniced pyramidal caps, flanked by dwarf walls with fleur-de-lys finialled railings surviving to W; railings removed from ashlar-coped dwarf wall bounding S side, cast-iron stanchions surviving to gate at centre. Basket-arched openings in walls linking N elevations of pavilions to large walled garden enclosing N side of house; garden extends to E and W, with basket-arched openings in S walls and centred in N wall, rounded corners to NE and NW. Harl-pointed rubble ashlar-coped dwarf wall forming semicircular plan enclosure within walled garden adjoining N elevation of N block, gate at N point comprising square droved ashlar gatepiers with bases and corniced pyramidal caps; rubble and concrete steps to E. Additional wall extending E from E pavilion and enclosing yard open to E.

PIER: coursed stugged sandstone sides with slabbed carriageway; steps set into W side at S end.

INTERIOR: late 18th century timber staircase with simple balustrade to S block; partly panelled SW attic room with dentilled cornice.

Statement of Interest

The present house was created by John Ogilvy of Quarff soon after his marriage in 1829 to Barbara Grace Robertson who was heiress to the estate. He embarked on a remodelling of what was probably a 17th century house with a grander front block added around 1770. Ogilvy rebuilt the older house, and added the classical details and pavilions to the front block which is likely to have been a standard large Shetland haa of 3 bays with high wallhead concealing a garret. The formal arrangement of garden seems to also date from the remodelling, with the design centring on the S block. This includes the semicircular enclosure to the N which adjoins, but otherwise ignores, the N block. The pier is perhaps Shetland's finest example of a domestic pier. Viewed from the main road, North Haa provides a spectacular focus to this part of western Yell, and indicates the impact the tall lowland design of the haas once had throughout Shetland.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q15122999

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

• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)