Gardener's Cottage, Melsetter House, Hoy

The Gardener's Cottage at Melsetter House, Hoy, dates to the late 18th century and early 19th century, with significant remodelling undertaken between 1898 and 1900 by W R Lethaby. Originally part of the estate’s steading, the cottage is now a long, rectangular building with a two-storey, three-bay section and a single-storey and loft range. Some exposed relieving arches are visible, remnants of the original stead. The walls are harled with sandstone and ashlar dressings, and some ground floor openings have exposed lintels. Vertical margins are visible at the east end.

The north elevation features the two-storey section to the left. A lean-to porch with a plain timber door is centrally placed on the right; flanking returns have windows. The upper floor has irregularly placed windows. To the right is the single-storey and loft range, with two windows to the outer left and three irregularly placed doors, the leftmost being a wider two-leaf door.

The south elevation has the two-storey section to the right, with a replacement part-glazed timber entrance door set between two bays, above which is an exposed relieving arch. There are windows to each of the two bays to the right, and a low, wide window to each bay on the first floor, the rightmost being wider. The single-storey and loft range to the left has eight irregularly disposed windows of varying sizes (grouped 1-2-3-2); one has an original architrave, and two to the right of centre have exposed relieving arches.

The east elevation has a rectangular projection containing steps, leading to the first floor of the gable end. Parapets line the steps, which ascend to the right; a store room entrance is below the steps on their return. A boarded timber door is set to the right of the first floor, with an architraved owl hole above. A window is visible to the left.

The west elevation has stone steps leading to a platform in front of the central loft entrance to the gable end.

The windows are a mix of 4 and 12-pane timber sash and case, along with 4 and 8-pane casements and fixed frames. The roof is covered with stone slates. Stacked chimneys are present on the harled gableheads, with band courses on either side of the two-storey section, a central ridge stack, and round cans.

The interior has been largely modernised.

A short section of irregular stone setts runs alongside the north elevation. A U-shaped rubble wall with rounded coping encloses the garden area to the north of the two-storey section, as far as the setts.