Red Herring House, Former Fish Curing Yard, Shore Street, Helmsdale

Red Herring House, located on Shore Street in Helmsdale, was built in 1817 as a fish curing yard. It consists of three ranges in a long flat-fronted block, with the central range currently in neglected condition and a rear courtyard. Originally, the building served as offices, a cooperage, and a red-herring house, constructed near the harbour by the Marquess of Stafford. The name suggests it later functioned as a customs house and warehouses. As of 1991, it has been converted into a house and stores, with one store recently restored.

The customs house, which is the left-hand range, was originally used for offices, a kitchen, and accommodation. This two-storey, three-bay house features dry-dash with ashlar margins and a panel above. It has enlarged windows flanking the ground floor and three plate glass sash windows on the first floor. The roof is covered with purple slates and includes three skylights in the attic, with coped skews and corniced stacks. A low dry-dashed front garden wall is present, with a pair of panelled ashlar gatepiers. The rear includes a stair window, a large lean-to on the right, and a former cellar and store. There is also a later lean-to adjoining a rubble wall of a former outbuilding, along with a modern harled wall that subdivides the former courtyard, providing vehicle access to the rear.

The central range contains a large, rendered two-storey store, formerly a cooperage, which is now flat-roofed with corrugated sheet metal. Originally seven bays, some openings have been altered or blocked; it features a door and three windows at the ground floor, with an original vehicle pend to the outer left. The rear is five bays, with most openings now blocked, although there are two boarded windows in use on the first floor.

The range to the right, which was the former red-herring house, has recently been restored as a dwelling. It is three storeys high and three bays wide, built of rubble with four-pane sash and case windows, and grey slates. The front has no openings at the ground floor but features three windows on the upper floors. The rear includes three doors at the ground floor and three windows on each floor above. Rubble walls enclose a large cobbled rear courtyard, which was originally lined by open curing sheds.