Lerwick Sheriff Court

David Rhind of Edinburgh, 1874-5. Irregular complex of single and 2-storey, crow stepped, Scots Baronial buildings consisting of county buildings to the south with taller court at rear to north and with police station and former prison extending north. The 2-storey concrete rendered extension to north is not considered of special architectural interest in listing terms at the time of review.

The building is set within its own grounds in a prominent position in Lerwick. Stugged, squared and snecked sandstone ashlar walls with contrasting droved ashlar dressings and details. Main buildings with base courses, curved corners, chamfered arrises and shallow pointed-arched lintels to windows. There are some bipartite window openings.

Asymmetrical 4-bay entrance elevation to south with advanced central bays and 6-panel 2-leaf timber entrance door with datestone set in stepped hoodmould above.

Predominantly 4-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows. Small cell windows to former prison. Grey slates. Decorative brattishing to court house and cast iron rainwater goods, some hoppers dated 1875. Apex and wallhead coped chimney stacks. Skewputts.

The interior of the court house was seen in 2014 and the interior of the police station was seen in 1996. There is a marble slab chimneypiece, 4-panel doors, panelled shutters and a coved plaster ceiling in county hall. Boarded ceiling in county clerk's office. Stone stair with cast iron balusters and timber handrail. Many original fittings surviving in courtroom, including curved bench, witness box, jury box, dock with metal railings, public bench and press bench, all in panelled pine. Vertically-boarded timber wainscoting, panelled shutters, architraved doors, coved and coffered ceiling. Stone prison stair with plain balusters and timber handrail.

Low, saddleback coped and stepped boundary walls to south and east with iron railings. Square gatepiers with pyramidal caps. Iron lamp bracket oversailing south gate. High random rubble wall to surrounding former prison yard to north and east.