Steading, Ervhouse

Ervhouse is a two-storey, three-bay Shetland house built in the mid-19th century, situated prominently on the west side of Weisdale Voe, about 10 miles west of Lerwick. In 1878, a two-storey wing was added to the rear, creating an L-shaped layout. The house's walls are constructed from local stone, harl-pointed with raised margins around the doors and windows. To the north, there is a detached steading outbuilding, and to the south, a rectangular garden enclosed by rubble walls.

The main (south) elevation of the house is symmetrical, featuring a central door flanked by windows, with additional windows close to the eaves on the first floor. The west gable includes two windows, one on the ground floor and one on the first floor. The rear wing has a symmetrical three-bay elevation with a vertically-boarded timber door, a narrow window above it, and windows in the flanking bays. There is also a single-storey, lean-to porch at the re-entrant angle. The windows are timber sash and case, with an eight-pane horizontal glazing pattern on the south elevation and four-pane glazing on the rear wing. The roof is covered with purple-grey slate and features droved ashlar copes, while the gablehead stacks have stone copes and circular cans.

The interior, as seen in 2018, largely maintains its 19th-century layout, including two timber staircases, timber-lined rooms, working timber shutters, and partially flag-stoned floors. A ladder stair leads to two attic rooms with combed ceilings.

The former steading and cart-shed outbuilding has a rectangular plan oriented east to west. The south elevation features two cart openings with a former hoist opening above, along with two additional doorways to the right. The west elevation includes a pointed-arch opening within the gable.

The walled garden, which extends south of the house, has an elongated rectangular shape, coped rubble walls, and is home to a number of well-established trees.