Ervhouse, Huxter

Ervhouse is a two-storey, three-bay Shetland haa (house) of the mid-19th century, located in a prominent position to the west side of Weisdale Voe, around 10 miles west of Lerwick. A two-storey wing was added to the rear (north) in 1878, forming an L-plan. The walls of the house are built of local stone and are harl-pointed with raised margins to the doors and windows. There is a detached steading outbuilding to the north, and a rectangular garden enclosed by rubble walls to the south.

The symmetrical principal (south) elevation of the house has a door at the centre with windows in the flanking bays and windows set close to the eaves at the first floor. The west gable has two windows, to the left and right of the ground and first floor respectively. The rear wing has a symmetrical 3-bay elevation to the west with a vertically-boarded timber door, a narrow window above, and windows in the flanking bays. There is a single-storey, lean-to porch in the re-entrant angle. The windows are timber sash and case, with eight-pane horizontal glazing pattern to the south elevation, and four-pane glazing to the rear wing. The roof is covered with purple-grey slate with droved ashlar copes. The gablehead stacks have stone copes and circular cans.

The interior, seen in 2018, largely retains its 19th century room arrangement. There are 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 gabled former steading and cart-shed outbuilding is rectangular-plan, orientated east to west. To the south elevation are two cart openings with a former hoist opening above, and two further doorways to the right. The west elevation has a pointed-arch opening within the gable.

The walled garden has an elongated rectangular plan, extending to the south of the house. It has coped rubble walls and contains a good number of well-established trees.