Quay With Crane, Alfred Street, Stromness

The property comprises two former cottages, 38 and 40 Alfred Street, dating to the later 18th century and subsequently altered. They have been combined into a single residence with a garage at the west end, and a smaller store, 46 Alfred Street, situated to the rear (south). The cottages are irregular in shape with a six-bay layout, while the store is a near square two-bay design. A walled quay extends around the gabled east end of the cottages and the store.

The north (principal) elevation is characterised by a grouping of five bays. On the left side, there are deep-set modern boarded door recesses flanked by windows in alternating bays. Above, a window is located in the centre bay and the outer right bay. A wide modern garage door is situated at ground level in the single bay furthest to the right, with an offset window above on the first floor. The south (rear) elevation has regularly spaced windows. The east (seaward) elevation features a single gabled wall with windows on each floor to the right of centre, and a gablehead stack above.

The cottages feature replacement timber-framed windows. The roof is covered with Caithness slate to the east end and purple Welsh slate to the west end, with a stone ridge. Rooflights are present on the south pitch. The construction incorporates re-pointed random rubble at the east end and roughly coursed rubble to the west. Some ashlar lintels are also present.

The interior of the main cottages was not inspected in 1997.

A low rubble wall surrounds a quay paved with Caithness slabs to the east. A non-operational iron boat derrick is located at the north-east angle, alongside a small slipway along the north border of the quay.

The store at 46 Alfred Street is contemporary with the cottages, being a single storey and attic, crowstepped gabled building. The store’s rear walls are closely set to the cottages. A quay extends around its east end, along with a slipway and a boat derrick. It is constructed from roughly coursed rubble, with remnants of harling on the east and west gable ends. The store's south (entrance) elevation has a boarded door on the left and blocked windows on both ground and upper floors. A blocked opening is visible on the west (side) elevation at ground level, while a small window is set high on the gable. The east (seaward) elevation features a wide window at ground level and another to the left of the crowstepped gable above, with a corniced rubble stack.

The store has 12-pane timber sash and case windows to the west, while other windows are blocked. It has a Caithness slate roof, a stone ridge, and cement skews to the west. The interior of the store was not inspected in 1997. There is a rectangular-plan Caithness-slabbed quay to the east, a rubble slipway along the south border, and a seemingly operational boat derrick at the south-east angle.