Esk Cottage, Melville Castle

The complex comprises a late 18th to early 19th century sawmill, associated cottages, and later alterations and additions set within a courtyard. The main components are Esk Cottage, a detached sawmill range, and a smaller cottage closing the third side of the courtyard.

Esk Cottage is a two-storey, three-bay rectangular cottage with an attic, and a single-storey wing extending to the southeast. It is constructed of cream sandstone rubble, with stugged sandstone surrounding the door and window openings. The rear of the single-storey wing is harled, and there are long and short quoins throughout. The southwest-facing entrance elevation, which faces into the courtyard, features a replaced timber panelled door with a geometric fanlight above, positioned centrally. A window is located above the door at the first floor, with a dormer window above that. There are windows at each floor in the bays flanking the entrance. The single-storey wing has windows at each floor, a small dormer window above, and a modern glazed door on the return side. The northeast-facing rear elevation contains a window at each floor in each bay of the main block, and a large bowed dormer window in the attic. The northwest elevation is a two-storey gable with a modern glazed door at ground level and an oculus window in the gablehead above. 12-pane timber sash and case windows are a feature, and the roof is grey slate with piended dormers. The Esk Cottage has harled stacks with brick copes and dentilled cornices, whilst ashlar skews and cast-iron rainwater goods are also present.

The detached sawmill range is a single-storey structure with a basement, extending at right angles to the rear of Esk Cottage. It consists of six bays with lower, lean-to additions at each end. The courtyard-facing side features four boarded doors with strip fanlights and two large windows. A window and a boarded door are present in the lean-to additions. The out-facing range includes blinded windows and basement doors. Gablehead stacks are located on each end. The sawmill basement is partially exposed over two floors, with a brick vault supporting a ground-floor platform at the northeast end. Fixed 16-pane windows are present on the sawmill.

The third cottage is a single-storey, three-bay structure, set back to the left, which closes the courtyard. It has a timber panelled door with a strip fanlight and windows in each bay. The southwest-facing rear elevation of this cottage, which faces the courtyard, has unevenly disposed windows, a part-glazed door to the addition, and three windows to the right return. The roofs of the cottages are grey slate, while the sawmill has a corrugated asbestos roof with modern coverings to the lean-to additions.