Rysa Lodge

An Arts and Crafts house designed by W R Lethaby in 1902, consisting of a substantial extension to and remodelling of a former croft. The building comprises a 2-storey L-plan main block with a smaller single-storey original range incorporated at the south end of the south wing.

The house is constructed in harled stonework with stone dressings and a Caithness slate roof. It is characterized by crowstepped gables, wide low first-floor windows set at eaves level, and distinctive chimney stacks with deep coping slightly tapered above a band course to the main block. The main block features overhanging eaves, and stone cills are extended slightly to either side of the windows. The earlier single-storey block has a coped gable.

The north (entrance) elevation is of 4 bays. The entrance comprises a gabled rectangular-plan porch to the left of centre, with a diamond-shaped carved plaque bearing the date 1902 and initial M. The entrance door is set back, with panelled part-glazed timber. Small flanking windows flank the entrance, with a wide low window above. Windows to each floor occupy the flanking bays, with those to the first floor being particularly low and wide. A window to ground-floor level appears in the outer right bay.

The south elevation is of 9 bays. The gable end of the south wing projects at the outer left. A narrow window appears to the left of the single-storey original range, with four windows (grouped 1-3) to the right return. The gable end of the south wing of the main block is set back, with a 2-bay right return; two small windows appear to the left of ground-floor level, one to the right, and a low wide window to each bay at first-floor level. An 8-bay section is set back to the right, with a gabled bay at the centre. An entrance with a glazed 2-leaf timber door to ground-floor level is present, with a breaking eaves dormer above and a carved rectangular plaque to the gable. Windows to each floor occupy the flanking bays—four to the left (grouped 2-2) and three to the right (grouped 2-1). Those to the first floor are low and wide, except for two narrower examples to the central bays to the left.

The east elevation is marked by a central window to each floor of the gable end.

The west elevation has a gable end projecting slightly to the outer right, with a window to each floor. Three service entrances are set back slightly to the right of the south wing of the main block: two to the left have boarded timber doors, while two to the right feature 4-light rectangular fanlights. A low wide window sits above that to the centre, with a stair window to the left. The single-storey original range adjoins to the right. A projecting gabled bay or porch to the left of centre contains a central window and an entrance with a boarded timber door to the right of the right return. A narrow window is set back to the right.

The windows are predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows and 8-pane casements. The roof is of Caithness slate. Three ridge stacks and one gablehead stack serve the main block; all feature deep coping slightly tapered towards the apex above a band course and round cans.

The interior contains good quality plasterwork, including chimney-pieces. The plasterwork was cast from moulds used at Melsetter House, although executed with less elaboration.

A coursed rubble garden wall with rubble coping encloses a garden area to the south-east of the house. A pair of square-plan gatepiers with slab coping stands immediately to the east.

To the south-west stand outbuildings. A small single-storey rectangular-plan outhouse, formerly containing store rooms, stands immediately to the west of the 2-storey rear wing. It is constructed of coursed rubble with a stone slate roof, with entrances to the north and south gable ends and one to the right of the east elevation, all with boarded timber doors. A window appears to the right of the east elevation, with three windows to the west elevation.

A larger outbuilding with loft to the south-west is rectangular in plan with a small outshot with catslide roof to the outer left of the east elevation. Formerly a stable and coach house, it is of coursed rubble with a stone slate roof. A large entrance with a plain 2-leaf timber door is positioned to the right of the east elevation, with a window to the left. An entrance to the right return of the outshot is positioned to the left. An entrance to the right of the west elevation has a timber door with a glazed diamond-shaped panel, with flanking windows (that to the right being small). A large entrance with a sliding timber door appears to the left. A loft door occupies the north gable end, and an entrance to the outshot is positioned to the right of the south gable end.