The Stromness Hotel, 15 Victoria Street, Stromness

The Stromness Hotel, located at 15 Victoria Street, Stromness, was built in 1901 to the design of Samuel Baikie. It is a three- and four-storey, three-bay L-shaped hotel constructed on a rising ground slope, displaying a symmetrical Scot's Jacobean style. The hotel is built of polished cream sandstone ashlar with ashlar dressings and features three-storey, four-light canted bays flanking an advanced, canted porch at the centre, alongside pepperpot bartizans and crowstepped gablets. A base course runs along the building, with a string course between floors which continues as a cornice around the canted bays. A cill course sits below the canted windows, and ball finials adorn the angles of the blocking course above the canted bays. Eyebrow hoodmoulds feature over the attic windows. Stone mullions, with transoms at ground level, are present throughout.

The principal, or east, elevation has a three-step stone flight leading to an encaustic tiled porch at ground level, centrally located. The porch is supported by Doric columns raised on plinths, which hold a round-arched pediment and entablature with a wrought-iron balcony behind. The doorpiece is pilastered, roll-moulded and keystoned with an architrave, and contains a two-leaf timber panelled door with a large fanlight, alongside a window at the first and second floors. A date panel sits below the attic window, with a round-arched pediment above it. Four-light canted bays flank the centre, with a bipartite attic window positioned within thistle-finialled gablets. A piended dormer is located behind the gablet to the right. Single-storey, flat-roofed additions with modern doors and windows are present at ground level, flanking the bays to the outer left and right.

The rear, or west, elevation is a two-storey and attic, seven-bay regularly fenestrated elevation with gabletted attic windows. The north, or side, elevation is also a three-storey and attic, eight-bay regularly fenestrated elevation, displaying two-bay gabled blocks to the outer left and right, alongside a single-storey pitched addition at ground level to the left of the centre.

Predominantly two-pane timber sash and case windows are found throughout, with fixed, coloured small-pane upper lights in the canted bays at ground level. The roof is covered in grey slate, with slate also covering the addition. Decorative pierced red clay ridges and red clay ball finials adorn the gablets to the rear and side elevations. Ashlar and replacement cement skews are present on the rear and side gables. Corniced ashlar gablehead and ridge stacks, along with predominantly cast-iron rainwater goods, complete the exterior.

The interior features architraved timber panelled doors, timber skirting boards, and a timber revolving door below etched glass panels in the entrance lobby. A turned timber balustrade and newel posts are present on the central staircase, complemented by decorative carved plaster consoles beneath a plaster panelled ceiling in the lobby. Herring bone timber slats line the stairwell ceiling, with the upper floors having been largely re-fitted.

A rectangular-plan rubble walled garden is located to the west (rear) of the hotel, built on rising ground. Within this garden, a square-plan fountain is positioned to the left (south) side, featuring a carved square plinth supporting an anthemion and palmette carved urn within a square, cement-rendered basin. Cement-rendered and lined bases for lean-to greenhouses are situated at the west end.