3 Shore, Anstruther Wester

The Merchants House, along with The White House and No. 3, Shore, are a group of adjoining buildings located on the Esplanade promontory in Anstruther Wester, on the southeast coast of Fife. The core of the buildings dates to the mid-18th century, although there is potential for earlier fabric from the 17th century. Originally linked as a single private house, they are now subdivided into three separate dwellings. The properties are prominent in views from both the sea and the market place and shore of Anstruther Easter.

Merchants House is a two-storey and attic corner house constructed in the mid-18th century, featuring crowstepped gables. The north front exhibits a largely symmetrical design, with a timber door and a margined tri-partite window to the left and a single window to the right. Above are four windows, and a curvilinear wallhead chimney with two windows at its centre. The east (sea-facing) gable has no ground floor windows, two windows at the first floor level, and one attic window.

The White House consists of an eight-bay east front, comprised of two adjoining two-storey buildings. The ground floor features an irregular arrangement of door and window openings. The first-floor windows are large and regularly arranged, in keeping with the design of Merchants House. A larger bipartite window is situated to the left, alongside a narrow wallhead chimney stack. The south gable end is distinguished by a tripartite window and a fleur-de-lis finial, while a segmental-arched window is present on the west (rear) side.

No. 3, Shore, which adjoins Merchants House to the west and is now a separate dwelling, is an 18th-century three-bay house with a roof line matching that of Merchants House. It has a central door flanked by windows, and two windows at the first floor level.

Interior features include a timber-panelled drawing room or dining room at first floor level with timber-panelled doors. Four 18th-century timber and gesso fireplace surrounds, exhibiting ornate detailing reminiscent of Robert Adam, are present—three within Merchants House and one in the upper hall or dining room of The White House. Surviving 18th-century brass door furniture, including locks and door handles, is also present. Windows are fitted with timber-boarded recesses; one in Merchants House conceals a hidden cupboard. Ornate cornicing adorns some rooms, while others feature coved ceilings. The staircase has a timber handrail and an ornate newel post – some bannisters were replaced during restoration work in 1965.

The windows are mainly 12-pane timber sash and case windows. The roofs of Merchants House and No. 3 are covered with Scottish slate in diminishing courses. The White House has Spanish Cupa heavy slates, replaced in 2017.