Description

Mid-19th century possibly incorporating earlier fabric. 3-storey and attic single bay rectangular-plan, crowstepped gabled house, converted to restaurant at ground with gable end to street; segmental arch to pend to right. Painted cement rendered and lined at ground; harled above. Corniced shop fascia over ground floor with gableted bracket terminals; block cills to window above. Enlarged segmental-arched windows at 1st and 2nd floors to east (street) elevation and to some openings to north and south elevations. East (Principal) Elevation: deep-set, part-glazed door at ground in bay to centre; enlarged window in each bay flanking. Bipartite window at each floor above; smaller attic window to gablehead; gablehead stack above. South (Side) Elevation: 2-bay, with slightly advanced, full-height crowstepped gabled bay to centre. Segmental-arched doorway with modern door at ground; window at each floor above; small attic window to gablehead; gablehead stack above. Blocked window at ground in bay to left; window at each floor above. North (Side) Elevation: irregularly fenestrated. West (Rear) Elevation: Window at each floor in bay to left; small attic window set to left of gable; gablehead stack above. 4-pane timber sash and case bipartite windows; predominantly 2-pane timber sash and case windows elsewhere. Graded traditional grey stone tiled roof; red clay ridge; rubble and harled corniced stack to west; harled coped stack (not used) to east; uPVC and cast-iron rainwater goods. Interior: converted as modern restaurant at ground; not seen above, 1998.

Statement of Interest

Situated relatively near the original shore of the Oyce at the north end of Bridge Street, the buildings in this area remain some of the oldest in Kirkwall. Bridge Street provided initial access to the town from the harbour, the east pier at the end of the street having been completed in 1811. This building became The Ship Inn in the 19th century and Sir Walter Scott dined here on 12th August, 1814. Hossack suggests that it was the lack of a formal welcome by the inhabitants, such as he received in Shetland, that caused him to write a derogatory poem about Kirkwall, calling it 'a base little burgh'. Features to note here include the stone tiled roof and the intact crowstepped gables. The arched openings suggest a warehouse use at some stage.

5 Bridge Street is a separate lower, two-storey house abutting the rear elevation of 7 Bridge Street. 5 Bridge Street is not part of the listing.

Listed building record updated in 1999 as part of the resurvey of Kirkwall Burgh. Listed building record updated in 2021.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17827541

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.

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