Hillhouse, Skelwick, Westray

Hillhouse is a single-storey, three-bay cottage dating from the mid to late 19th century, located in Skelwick, Westray. The building features a linear range and includes a threshing barn with early 20th-century wind-engine piers and byres. The walls are constructed of flagstone rubble, with some remnants of harling on the cottage.

On the south elevation, there is an L-plan byre attached to the rear of the cottage on the west side, featuring two central doors and an additional door to the right, positioned directly behind the cottage. A later lean-to shed is located at the far west, with double doors. The cottage has a window to the left and a 20th-century concrete porch with a door on the right return. There are two windows to the right of the porch, and a stone base for a metal sheet water tank is situated between these windows. The threshing barn is on the east side, with a door to the left and wind-engine piers extending to the right of the door, attached to the barn wall. A middle flagstone bridging piece remains between the piers, along with shaft support and lower bevel gears. There is a shed or byre at the far east with a door to the left.

The east elevation features a central window to the byre or shed. The north elevation is partially visible and includes a window at the rear of the threshing barn and the remains of a lean-to to the right. The cottage is located to the west with a lean-to on the right, and the west byre has a plain elevation.

On the west elevation, there is a window to the left in the cottage, while the byre and lean-to shed have a plain gable wall. The cottage exhibits varied fenestration, including a 4-pane timber sash and case window, with replacement timber boarded doors throughout. The roofs are pitched, featuring crude crowsteps on the west gable of the byre. The roofs are covered with underseamed flagstone, with aisins on all except for the corrugated iron sheeting on the east byre or shed. The glazing panes are set within large roof flags across all roofs. The cottage has two coped gable end stacks and one central ridge stack, with one circular clay can remaining.

The interiors were not seen in 2000.