Kirkwall Sheriff Court and Former Police Station, Watergate

David Bryce, 1873; completed 1877 by John Bryce. 2-storey and attic, crowstep gabled court house in asymmetrical, plain Scots Baronial style with former prison, warden's house and police station wing adjoining to rear. The flat-roofed garage extension to south is not considered of special interest in listing terms at time of review.

Principal elevation to north is of stugged and coursed sandstone ashlar with polished dressings. Advanced entrance bay offset to left of centre with steps to moulded doorpiece with carved panel (dated 1877). Corbelled out above with gable head stack. Gabletted windows with rose-finials breaking eaves to right. Three salvaged 16th century tablets, two with the arms of Bishop Robert Reid and one with the arms of Bishop Edward Stewart, are set in the east and west gable heads.

Former prison/police office adjoins to west with a conical-roofed stair tower in the re-entrant angle. 2-storey, 5-bay block of squared and snecked sandstone rubble with chamfered reveals, long and short quoins, and corniced eaves course. Stone steps to entrance. Gabletted first floor windows with rose and thistle finial. 6-bay elevation to south with horizontal windows (former cells). Walled former exercise courtyard adjoins to east elevation.

The interior of the court house, seen 2014, has plain cornicing to hall and a plastered barrel vaulted ceiling to courtroom.

4-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows to court house. Predominantly 12-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows to former prison/police offices. Grey slate roofs with stone ridges and stone skews. Predominantly cast iron rainwater goods.

Low rubble boundary walls with ridged ashlar cope along Palace Road and Watergate Street. Square-plan ashlar gatepiers with pyramidal caps to Palace Road entrance with spear-headed cast iron railings.