Description

Earlier 19th century. 2-storey, 3-bay rectangular-plan symmetrical fishing station with lean-to shed to rear (now roofless) and forestair to W gable. Random rubble.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: boarded door at ground in bay to centre; window (blocked) at 1st floor above. Window at ground in bay to left; window (blocked) at 1st floor above. Window (blocked) at each floor in bay to right.

N (REAR) ELEVATION: single storey, 4-bay former shed wall spanning rear elevation. Former window in each bay to left; former doorway in bay to outer right; bottle-shaped fireplace to interior W wall; remnants of rubble stack above. Centred blocked window at each floor to rear elevation of fishing station behind; small ventilation holes along entire elevation beneath eaves.

W (SIDE) ELEVATION: rubble screen wall to forestair to boarded door, set to right of gable at 1st floor; gablehead stack above. Blank former shed wall to outer left.

E (SIDE) ELEVATION: window (blocked) at 1st floor set to right of gable; gablehead stack above. Former shed wall to outer right.

Single remaining fixed timber-framed window; remainder blocked. Grey slate roof; coped skews; rubble, corniced stacks.

INTERIOR: exposed tiebeams and boards to floor division. Now used as hay store.

Statement of Interest

The 19th century saw a boom in herring fishing with many similar buildings being erected around Orkney to land the vast catches. Herring fishing in Deerness supported 50-60 boats in the mid 19th century. The name Mirkady probably derives from the Old Norse word, myrkr, meaning dark or dusky. It has been suggested that the word might refer to the long, dark ridge of seaweed which lines the shoreline at low tide and is clearly visible from the fishing station. The lean-to was probably added in the 1880s boom to accomodate extra fish-gutters.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17828696

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

• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)