Yell, West Sandwick, The North Haa
Garden Wall(S) (Period Unassigned), Gate Pier(S) (Period Unassigned), Lairds House (Period Unassigned), Walled Garden (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Yell, West Sandwick, The North Haa
Classification Garden Wall(S) (Period Unassigned), Gate Pier(S) (Period Unassigned), Lairds House (Period Unassigned), Walled Garden (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) West Sandwick House
Canmore ID 1241
Site Number HU48NW 2
NGR HU 44557 87973
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/1241
- Council Shetland Islands
- Parish Yell
- Former Region Shetland Islands Area
- Former District Shetland
- Former County Shetland
HU48NW 2.00 44557 87973
HU48NW 2.01 HU 44615 87876 Pier
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.
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. (Historic Scotland)
