Crofthouse, Crow's Nest, Rackwick

Crow's Nest, also known locally as Craa Nest or Craa's Nest, is an 18th century croft located on the lower slopes of Moor Fea at Rackwick on the island of Hoy. This site includes a crofthouse, an adjoining barn, and a circular kiln to the west, along with a detached net store or bothy to the south. The buildings were restored in 1991 and 1992 as part of a local museum.

The layout reflects traditional Orcadian architecture, featuring a narrow closs (passage) between two linear ranges. The walls and floors are made of local flagstone, and the roofs were reinstated during the restoration with hand sawn and pegged larch cabers covered with straw and turf. Over-seamed flagstones extend between the wallhead and the roof. The crofthouse has a ridge chimneystack and a small chimneystack on the west gable. The detached net store or bothy includes a timber door and two windows.

The interiors were observed in 2019. On the north side of the closs, the two-roomed crofthouse features a recessed fireplace in the west wall with a stone lintel and a sae bink (circular recess for a water barrel) near the entrance. Stone steps beside the fireplace lead through a passage to a bedroom located on higher ground to the west. The barn, adjoining the west gable, has a separate entrance and a winnowing door. The east end of the barn contains a circular drying kiln with storage for grain offset to the left.