Bothy, Scarpigar Farm Buildings, Yinstay, Tankerness is a Grade B listed building in the Orkney Islands local planning authority area, Scotland. First listed on 5 May 1999.

Bothy, Scarpigar Farm Buildings, Yinstay, Tankerness

WRENN ID
far-pavement-nightshade
Grade
B
Local Planning Authority
Orkney Islands
Constituency
Orkney and Shetland MP: Mr Alistair Carmichael (LD)
Country
Scotland
Date first listed
5 May 1999
OS grid reference
HY 507 106
Coordinates
58.98031, -2.8588
Source
Historic Environment Scotland listing

Also on this page: flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

This is a mid-19th century former longhouse with later alterations and additions, situated on a gentle south-facing slope. The complex consists of a roughly rectangular longhouse range to the west, a parallel barn and byre range to the east, separated by a narrow closs running north-south. A single-storey, three-bay bothy is located to the north of the main group, and a later single-storey, symmetrical stable sits to the west. All buildings are constructed of random rubble. A later cottage is situated to the south of the main group.

The former dwellinghouse/longhouse range has an entrance on its east (closs) elevation, positioned to the left of centre, featuring a deep-set boarded door and a stone lintel that breaks the eaves. The end walls are gabled; the north gable has a former doorway, now blocked, set to the left. The interior, inspected in 1998, was in use as a store and features exposed timber rafters and tie beams, along with a flagstone floor.

The barn and byre range comprises a long barn to the south and a smaller byre adjoining it to the north. The west (closs) elevation of the barn features a centrally placed, deep-set boarded door, with another boarded door to its left. The south gable has two leaf boarded doors. The byre roof is covered with turf and straw, with a stone easing course; the straw is currently covered with modern netting secured by individual anchor stones. The barn roof is also flagstone, with cement infill and a stone ridge. The interior, as viewed in 1998, was used as a store and similarly showcases exposed rafters and tie beams, as well as a flagstone floor.

The bothy, oriented south, has a boarded door at its centre on the south (entrance) elevation, flanked by windows, one of which is boarded and the other blocked. The north elevation has a boarded window offset to the left of centre. Gabled end walls are present, along with chimneystacks. The west gable displays a window offset to the right. The roof is covered with turf and straw, featuring a stone easing course and modern netting secured with anchor stones. The interior of the bothy was not inspected in 1998.

The stable is a three-bay, rectangular building. Its south (principal) elevation has a deep-set boarded door at the centre, flanked by windows. A lean-to addition extends from the rear of the stable, with a boarded sliding door in its east elevation. The fixed timber-framed windows have boarded lower sashes and stone lintels. The roof is covered with graded stone slates, a stone ridge, and block finials to the gableheads. Interior inspection was not conducted in 1998.

Local climate

Bothy, Scarpigar Farm Buildings, Yinstay, Tankerness sits in a wetter-than-average part of the UK, with an average of 1,130 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 89% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 97% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 2 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 99% of listed buildings. Of these, 2 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

More on this building

Sign in or create a free account to unlock:

  • No EPC on record for this property
  • No sale records on file
  • No related consent applications matched
  • Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
  • Flood risk assessment
  • Radon risk assessment
  • Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
Create free account

Matched applications, energy data and sale records are assembled automatically and may contain errors. Flag incorrect data.

Nearby listed buildings

  1. Stable, Scarpigar Farm Buildings, Yinstay, Tankerness Grade B 14 m
  2. Former Longhouse, Scarpigar Farm Buildings, Yinstay, Tankerness Grade B 17 m
  3. Barn/Byre Range, Scarpigar Farm Buildings, Yinstay, Tankerness Grade B 19 m
  4. Ancilliary Building, Old St Andrews Manse, Tankerness Grade B 2.1 km
  5. Old St Andrew's Manse, Tankerness Grade B 2.1 km
  6. Tankerness Mill Grade B 2.2 km
  7. Barn And Store, Hall Of Tankerness Grade B 2.4 km
  8. St Andrew's Burial-Ground, Hall Of Tankerness Grade B 2.4 km
  9. Hall Of Tankerness Grade B 2.4 km
  10. Baikie Mausoleum, St Andrew's Burial-Ground, Hall Of Tankerness Grade B 2.4 km