The former slaughterhouse at Cotbrae is located in the centre of Shapinsay, standing to the south of the B9058, on the west side of Chapel Brae (NGR HY 50330 17522). The earliest known depiction of the building is on the Second Edition 25-inch Ordnance Survey map of 1902.
The site was visited as part of the project launch in Shapinsay in March 2024 and was recorded by ORCA and local volunteers in May 2024.
The slaughterhouse is a rectangular, stone rubble-built structure, measuring approximately 7m by 4.5m, with a double-pitched roof of flagstone tiles. There is a large external doorway in the north-facing wall, which has been partially blocked by timber slats.
Low-set, small apertures are visible on three sides of the building, some of which have internal iron frames with vertical iron bars. The south-facing wall has a centrally-placed stone drain head with iron cover and the west gable of the building has an L-shaped skim of cement mortar which may indicate the former presence of a lean-to structure.
On its east gable, there is an external doorway and a centrally-placed chimney stack.
Inside the building, all the walls have been lime rendered to a height of c. 1.5m. A timber beam runs the full length of the west wall at about this height, each end of which is inserted into the stonework of the adjacent walls.
All three of the apertures seen from outside were visible in the internal walls and they were likely for ventilation.
A surface drain was present at the base of the south wall, aligned with the drain head outside. The interior fixture and fittings forming the roof are clearly visible, with the fretwork of the wooden roof trusses all exposed.
Unusually, there is no evidence for a fireplace, lumb or any other feature which could be related to the chimney.
Sources
- Second Edition 25-inch Ordnance Survey map (Orkney CIII.1 1902)