Mayshiel Farmhouse, Mayshiel, Duns

Mayshiel Farmhouse likely originated in the mid-17th century, with alterations and additions made in the late 19th or early 20th century, and further interior changes around 1973. It is a rendered, two-storey, three-bay former L-plan farmhouse, featuring a stair tower at the southeast corner and a 20th-century wing extending to the northwest side. The original section of the building has thick walls, rounded corners, and prominent exposed rock foundations. It is situated in a rural location, now within a more recent country house estate and its associated buildings.

The south-facing entrance elevation has a round-arched doorway set within the re-entrant angle, featuring a semi-circular glazed fanlight and a sandstone surround. To the right of the door is an advanced, round-cornered stair tower that includes a gunloop. A later tripartite window is positioned to the left of the doorway. The east elevation has a small ground floor window that has been filled in with stone on the interior.

The pitched roof is slated, incorporating a piended detail over the stair tower. Lead-capped skews are present on the older section of the house, with their curves echoing the rounded shape of the walls at the eaves. Square chimney stacks are visible on both the east and west gables. The later north gable lacks skews, and the roof slates extend over the wallhead.

Red sandstone margins frame the single windows of the original part of the house. The tripartite and other later windows within the older section have concrete margins. The east gable windows are deeply set within the thick walls. The 20th-century addition features windows with projecting concrete cills and no margins.

An inspection in 2017 revealed a turnpike stair in the earliest part of the building. This stair has uneven steps and a low ceiling with plain cornicing towards the upper section, along with some timber boarding at the base. The main ground floor area is now a single living space. The remaining interior detailing is believed to be contemporary with the mid to later 20th-century addition on the northwest side.