Harbour Cottage East, Cove Harbour

Harbour Cottage East and its companion cottage occupy a prominent position at the foot of Cove Harbour pier. The eastern cottage was built around 1835, while the western cottage dates from the second half of the 19th century. The cottages are set at different levels on a sloping site and are linked by a block with a piend roof. They are constructed from sandstone rubble with ashlar dressings and coped skews. The eastern cottage has an arched opening at its base on its east gable. Both cottages feature timber-boarded doors and timber sash and case windows, and have slate roofs.

The harbour and access road were completed in 1831. The eastern cottage likely dates from shortly after this, and was probably constructed as the harbour-master's cottage. An arched entrance in the east gable of the eastern cottage has drawn comparisons to salt pan houses in Prestwick, suggesting a possible earlier use for salt panning, though it’s more likely it served as a store. The western cottage was not shown on the first edition Ordnance Survey map but does appear on the second edition map of around 1908. The cottages are currently undergoing restoration. An entry in “Buildings of Scotland” previously contained inaccuracies based on the previous listing description.