Patrick Traill's House (Former), 43, Albert Street, Kirkwall

2-storey and attic, 5-bay, near symmetrical, rectangular-plan crowstepped gabled house, abutting further house (also Number 43, listed separately) forming L-plan on NW and SW sides of courtyard respectively, opening onto Albert Street. Roughly squared, harl-pointed rubble with painted sandstone dressings. Plain margins to openings.

Formerly home to Patrick Traill. With its gabled end facing the street, the principal elevation forms an attractive courtyard opening off the main thoroughfare; the courtyard retains its traditional Caithness flagstones. The house remains intact in form and its plain symmetrical frontage of 5-bays renders it a substantial town house. 43 Albert Street (II) is the older of the two properties. (Historic Scotland)

March 1998: The house is reported as empty and in need of restoration, with evidence of some subsidence to the front and cracks in the walls. The property is being marketed by Drever and Heddle, Kirkwall. October 1998: SCT understands the property has been sold, although no planning applications have as yet been submitted. November 2001: Local planners report that some repair work may soon be carried out, after a structural survey by M.T. Austin Engineers, Kirkwall, was instigated by the Council. July 2004: Local planners report that the property is now occupied, though the external appearance is still causing concern. September 2005: Orkney Today reports that the building has suffered fire damage. October 2007: A member of the public contacts SCT to advise that following the small fire, the property appears to be vacant and deteriorating rapidly.

August 2009: External inspection suggests that the house is vacant. There are deep open joints visible in the rubble walls and sections of the cement banding around the openings has fallen away. The guttering is blocked and much of the courtyard elevation of the building is obscured by ivy. This is likely to be accelerating the decay of the stonework.

May 2011: Local planners report restoration has commenced.

2 July 2012: The property is currently being marketed for sale through agents Drever Heddle at offers over £145,000.

2 July 2013: Orkney Council confirm remedial repairs have been completed at the site. The building however remains disused and under marketing for sale through agents Drever & Heddle at offers over £145,000. Moved back to At Risk as full restoration not currently underway.

9 September 2013: External inspection finds the building has been re-roofed, repointed and the gutters have been cleared. Ivy has been cleared to an extent. The building remains disused however and further repair works are required. The property remains under marketing for sale through agent Drever & Heddle at offers over £145,000.

30 December 2013: Orkney Council has secured £1.2 million of funding from Historic Scotland for a Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) in Kirkwall. A further £1.625 million has been earmarked by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) towards the regeneration of Kirkwall’s historic town centre through a Townscape Heritage Initiative Scheme (THI). More detailed plans for the THI funding will be submitted to the HLF in early 2014 and, if successful, the combined scheme would start in the summer of 2014 and run for 5 years until 2019. Orkney Islands Council would be contibuting £600,000 towards the combined scheme, bringing the entire fund to £3.425 million.

2 March 2018: The property is no longer under marketing for sale.

25 July 2019: Consent for alterations to the boundary wall (19/261/LB) is currently being sought - papers submitted within the application note the property is being restored and being brought back into use as a dwelling. Moved to Restoration in Progress.

12 January 2024: Previoulsy noted Listed Building consents (19/261/LB) were conditionally granted 04/10/19.