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Lerwick Town hall, Hillhead and Charlotte Street, Including Lamp Standards, Gatepiers, Boundary Walls and Railings, LerwickLerwick Town hall, Hillhead and Charlotte Street, Including Lamp Standards, Gatepiers, Boundary Walls and Railings, Lerwick · Photo: lost penguin · CC BY-SA 2.0
–Not graded
History of Lerwick · Historic Environment Scotland

101 listed buildings, 2 of them in the top category

On the Historic Environment Scotland list, all of them stand inside Lerwick’s locality, 150 for every 10,000 residents. It also has 5 scheduled monuments. We have photos of 23 of its listed buildings.

2Category A52Category B5scheduled monuments10on Commercial Street
Listed buildings
101
150 per 10,000 residents
Category A
2
national importance
Category B
52
regional importance
Scheduled monuments
5
nationally important sites
In pictures

Lerwick in 26 photos

Tap a photo to step through them full screen.

Clickimin Broch,broch and settlementClickimin Broch,broch and settlementScheduled monument24-30 (Even Nos) Commercial Street, Queen's Hotel, And 2 Church Lane, Lifeboat Station, Including Sea Walls24-30 (Even Nos) Commercial Street, Queen's Hotel, And 2 Church Lane, Lifeboat Station, Including Sea WallsCategory B listedTwageos Road, Anderson High School (Formerly Anderson Institute), Including Wings, Boundary Walls, Railing, And GatepiersTwageos Road, Anderson High School (Formerly Anderson Institute), Including Wings, Boundary Walls, Railing, And GatepiersCategory B listedHillhead and Church Road, St Olaf's Hall (Formerly St Olaf's Church)Hillhead and Church Road, St Olaf's Hall (Formerly St Olaf's Church)Category C listedMarket Street, Garrison TheatreMarket Street, Garrison TheatreCategory C listed+21See all photos

Photos from Wikimedia Commons and Geograph, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its licence; names open the building’s page or its official list entry.

The map

Where Lerwick’s history is

Every Category A and B building, monument and historic park.

Clickimin Broch,broch and settlement, scheduled monumentFort Charlotte,Lerwick, scheduled monumentNess of Sound, coastal battery 470m SE of, scheduled monumentThe Knab, coastal battery, 150m S of War Memorial, scheduled monumentThe Knab, fixed torpedo platform 130m NE of, scheduled monumentBurgh Road, Gilbertson Park Boundary Wall, Gates, And Gatepiers, Category BCommercial Street, Telephone Kiosk, Category BCounty Buildings including Lerwick Sheriff Court House and Police Station, boundary walls, gatepiers and railings and excluding 2-storey concrete rendered block to north, Hillhead, Lerwick, Category BEsplanade, Albert Building, Category BFreefield Road, The Store, Category BGrantfield, Former Ice Factory, Category BGremista Road, The Bod of Gremista, Category BGressy Loan, Janet Courtney Hostel, Including Terrace, Category BHayfield Lane and Gilbertson Road, Hayfield House, Category BHillhead and King Erik Street, Lerwick War Memorial, Category BHillhead and Knab Road, Annsbrae House and 1 and 2 Annsbrae Place, Including Outbuildings, Gates, Gatepiers, Boundary Walls and Railings, Category BHillhead, Wesley (Methodist) Manse, Including Outbuilding, Boundary Walls, Railings and Gatepiers, Category BKantersted Road, Seafield, Including Steading, Boundary Walls, Gatepiers, Railings, And Gates, Category BKing Harald Street and Union Street, Islesburgh Community Centre (Formerly Lerwick Central Public School), Including Playshelters, Boundary Walls, Railings, Gates, And Gatepiers, Category BKing Harald Street, Islesburgh House, Including Boundary Walls, Gatepiers and Steps, Category BLower Hillhead and Union Street, St Ringan's Church (United Free Church of Scotland), Including Church Hall, Boundary Walls, And Gatepiers, Category BNorth Ness, Gutters' Hut, Category BNorth Ness, North Ness House, Including Boundary Walls and Gatepiers, Category BTwageos Road and Midgarth Crescent, Bruce Hostel, With Terraces, Boundary Walls, Entrance Arch, Gates, And Gatepiers, Category BTwageos Road, Anderson High School (Formerly Anderson Institute), Including Wings, Boundary Walls, Railing, And Gatepiers, Category B1 Greenfield Place, St Columba's Church (Church of Scotland), Including Gates, Retaining and Boundary Walls, Category B1-7 (Odd Nos) Harbour Street, And 1-3 (Odd Nos) Commercial Road, Brentham Place, Category B10 Commercial Street, Including Torrie's Lodberry and Boundary Wall, Category B101 Commercial Street, And 1 and 2 Gardie Lane, Category B103 and 105 Commercial Street, Including Heddle's Court, Category B115-117 (Odd Nos) Commercial Street, Bank of Scotland, Including Railings and Piers, Category B116-126 (Even Nos) Commercial Street, Charlotte Place, Category B12 Hillhead, Including Boundary Walls, Railings and Gatepiers, Category B12-14 (Even Nos) Greenfield Place, St Magnus' Episcopal Church and Rectory, Including Boundary Walls, Category B14 Law Lane, Windhouse, Including Retaining Wall, Boundary Walls, And Outbuildings, Category B143-151 (Odd Nos) Commercial Street, Grand Hotel, Category B2 Hillhead, Gordon Cottage, Including Boundary Walls and Railings, Category B2-4 (Even Nos) Greenfield Place, Category B2-8 (Even Nos) Commercial Street, Including Sea Wall, Copeland's and Stout's Lodberries and Piers, Category B24-30 (Even Nos) Commercial Street, Queen's Hotel, And 2 Church Lane, Lifeboat Station, Including Sea Walls, Category B26 Church Road, Including Boundary Walls, Category B31 Commercial Street, Quendale House, Including Retaining, Steps, Boundary Wall, Railing, Gatepiers and Gate, Category B32 Commercial Street, Old Tolbooth, Category B38-42 (Even Nos) Commercial Street, Category B4-8 (Even Nos) Law Lane, Category B41-43 (Odd Nos) Commercial Street, Lochend House, Including Courtyard, Doorpiece, Retaining and Boundary Walls, Category B44-50 (Even Nos) Commercial Street, Lerwick Post Office, With Yard Wall and Gatepiers, Category B45 Commercial Street, Sea Winds, Category B49 Commercial Street, Seafield House, And 1-3 (Odd Nos) Chromate Lane, Category B67 Commercial Street and 1 Church Lane (Formerly South Kirk Closs), Category B80-82 (Even Nos) Commercial Street, Category B81-87 (Odd Nos) Commercial Street and 2 Queen's Lane, Royal Bank of Scotland, With Boundary Wall and Gatepiers, Category B84 Commercial Street, Category B86 Commercial Street, Category B9 Commercial Street, The Old Manse, Including Boundary Walls and Wash-House, Category B97 Commercial Street, Category B99 Commercial Street, Category BFort Charlotte, excluding scheduled monument SM90145, Commercial Street and Harbour Street, Lerwick, Category ALerwick Town hall, Hillhead and Charlotte Street, Including Lamp Standards, Gatepiers, Boundary Walls and Railings, Lerwick, Category A
Category ACategory BScheduled monument

Hover a dot for its name; tap one with a photo to open it.

101 listed buildings by grade
2 Category A52 Category B47 Category C

Historic Environment Scotland lists buildings in three categories: Category A for buildings of national or international importance (about 7.5% of listed buildings), Category B for buildings of regional importance (about 50%), and Category C for buildings of local importance (about 43%). Listing protects the whole building, inside and out.

Every entry on Historic Environment Scotland’s designations whose point lies inside the NRS 2022 locality boundary. One list entry can cover a terrace or a group of buildings.

Category A

The 2 Category A listed buildings in Lerwick

Buildings of national or international importance, about 7.5% of all listed buildings. Every one is photographed. Each opens its own page, with the official list entry.

Category B

The 52 Category B listed buildings in Lerwick

Buildings of regional importance. 19 are photographed.

Show the other 40
What’s protected

Most of Lerwick’s listed buildings are homes

Every listed building sorted by what its list name says it is.

Houses, terraces & villas72
Walls, gates & bridges21
Memorials, crosses & tombs3
Public & civic buildings3
Street furniture1
Inns, shops & warehouses1

72 entries (71%) are houses, terraces and villas.

Buildings are sorted by words in each entry’s name (church, gate, inn, memorial…): the list’s open data has no building type. An entry named only by its address counts as a house.

Category C

47 Category C listed buildings

This category covers buildings of local importance. Open any building to read its official list entry.

All 47 Category C listed buildings, A to Z
Bell's Road and Gilbertson Road, Inches, Including Boundary Walls, Gatepiers and PumpCommercial Street, 1 Hayfield Court, Including Garden Walls and RailingEsplanade and Irvine Place, Harbour Master's Office, Including Yard WallEsplanade, Between Grieg's Closs and Campbell's Close, The Peerie ShopEsplanade, Ellesmere BuildingsEsplanade, Leask'sHillhead and Church Road, St Olaf's Hall (Formerly St Olaf's Church)Knab Road, Breiwick Road, And Lover's Loan, Lerwick Old Cemetery, Including Boundary Wall and Entrance GateLower Hillhead and Prince Alfred Street, 3-6 (Inclusive Nos) Carlton PlaceMarket CrossMarket Street, Garrison TheatreMemorial Drinking Fountain to the ‘Diana’ whaling vessel and its crew, Victoria Pier, LerwickNorth Ness, Jahara, Including Boundary Walls and GatepiersPrince Alfred Street, 1 and 2 Carlton Place, Including Boundary Wall and GateSea Road, Westhall, Including Boundary and Terrace WallsSt Olaf Street and Harbour Street, Parish Church of St Margaret (Roman Catholic), Including 87 St Olaf Street, Boundary Walls, Gate and GatepiersSt Olaf Street, St Clement's Hall, Including Steps, Pedestals, Boundary Walls and Gatepiers1 and 2 Aitken's Place1-12 (Even Nos) Twageos Road, Anderson Homes106 Commercial Street, Clydesdale Bank107 Commercial Street and 1 Mounthooly Street109 Commercial Street and 2-4 (Even Nos) Mounthooly Street11 Greenfield Place, Including Boundary Walls and Gatepiers113 Commercial Street12 Charlotte Street, Lystina House, Including Boundary Walls, Gates and Gatepiers12 Commercial Street and Scarfataing, Including Sea Wall165 Commercial Street167 Commercial Street169-171 (Odd Nos) Commercial Street, Including Gate and Gatepiers173 Commercial Street175 Commercial Street, Including Steps and Handrail2 Leog Lane, Leog House, Including Boundary Walls and Gatepiers25 Burgh Road, Including Boundary Walls, Railings and Gate25-29 (Odd Nos) Commercial Street32-36 (Even Nos) King Harald Street, Summerside, Solheim and Carradale, Including Boundary Walls, Railings, Gates, And Gatepiers4 Hillhead, Including Boundary Walls and Railings4-8 (Even Nos) Queen's Lane and 1 Queen's Place52 Commercial Street, With Gatepiers57-63 (Odd Nos) Commercial Street60-62 (Even Nos) Commercial Street, Anderson & Co64 Commercial Street66 Commercial Street69-73 (Odd Nos) Commercial Street78 St Olaf Street, Vogalee, With Boundary Walls, Railings and Gate90-92 (Even Nos) Commercial Street93-95 (Odd Nos) Commercial Street96 Commercial Street, Medical Hall
Conservation areas

2 conservation areas cover 5.9% of Lerwick

Areas the council protects as a whole: demolition and changes to how buildings look need consent, and trees are protected.

Lerwick - Central Area/Lanes 197021 ha
Lerwick - New Town 197011 ha
32 hain conservation areas, of 534 ha inside the locality.

The first, Lerwick - Central Area/Lanes and Lerwick - New Town, were designated in 1970; the newest, Lerwick - New Town, in 1970. 86 of the 101 listed buildings stand in one.

Historic Environment Scotland’s conservation areas layer, supplied by councils (incomplete in places, so a page fact, never graded). Hectares are the part of each area inside the locality.

How the list grew

More than half of Lerwick’s listed buildings were added in one year, 1996

The year each building now on the list was first listed.

1996 · 621971 · 181977 · 9
19501960197019801990200020102020

The first 18 entries were listed in 1971, 1 of the 2 Category A buildings among them. 62 came in 1996. Only 1 has been added in the last 15 years.

Monuments & landscapes

Monuments, parks and gardens

Designations that overlap the town by a tenth of their area or half a hectare.

5 scheduled monuments

Nationally important archaeological sites and monuments, protected by law; work on them needs consent from Historic Environment Scotland.

Clickimin Broch,broch and settlement
Clickimin Broch,broch and settlementPrehistoric domestic and defensive: broch
Fort Charlotte,Lerwick
Fort Charlotte,Lerwick20th Century Military and Related: Fort; Secular: fort (non-prehistoric)
Ness of Sound, coastal battery 470m SE of20th Century Military and Related: Battery
The Knab, coastal battery, 150m S of War Memorial20th Century Military and Related: Battery
The Knab, fixed torpedo platform 130m NE of
The Knab, fixed torpedo platform 130m NE of20th Century Military and Related: Battery
Born here

12 notable people born in Lerwick before 1900

Their lives on one timeline, earliest first.

Arthur Edmondston
Arthur Anderson
Dorothea Primrose Campbell
John Henry
Robert Cowie
Robert Stout
Isaac Cowie
Philadelphus Bain Fraser
James Teit
Herbert John Clifford Grierson
Jock Tait
Peter MacDougall
175017751800182518501875190019251950
Robert Stout
Robert Stout1844–1930 · New Zealand politician and surveyor (1844-1930)
Arthur Anderson
Arthur Anderson1792–1868 · Businessman (1792-1868)
HG
Herbert John Clifford Grierson1866–1960 · British scholar (1866–1960)
Isaac Cowie
Isaac Cowie1848–1917 · Canadian politician (1848-1917)
RC
Robert Cowie1842–1874 · Scottish physician and author
James Teit
James Teit1864–1922 · Canadian anthropologist and photographer (1864-1922)
DC
Dorothea Primrose Campbell1792–1863 · Scottish poet, novelist, teacher (1793-1863)
John Henry
John Henry1834–1912 · Tasmanian House of Assembly member and Treasurer of Tasmania

Everyone born in Lerwick → Birthplaces from Wikidata; portraits from Wikimedia Commons.

Towns its size

Lerwick has the 49th most Category A buildings of 242 towns its size

Scottish towns of 3,000–17,000 people, by Category A listed buildings.

Lanark25
St Andrews20
Helensburgh13
Montrose11
Banff11
Kelso10
Haddington9
Linlithgow9
Dalkeith8
Jedburgh8
Rothesay7
Lerwick2
#35 of 242for listed buildings per resident (150 per 10,000). Kirkcudbright, Banff and Anstruther lead.

48 have more. The typical town its size has 0.

In brief

Lerwick in brief

The official list counts 101 listed buildings in Lerwick, 2 of them in the top category, including Lerwick Town hall, Hillhead and Charlotte Street, Including Lamp Standards, Gatepiers, Boundary Walls and Railings, Lerwick. Only 48 of the 242 towns nearest its size have more Category A buildings. On Commercial Street alone there are 10 listed buildings. Its older streets lie in 2 conservation areas, the first designated in 1970.

Of the whole list, 71% are houses, terraces and villas. Robert Stout (1844), Arthur Anderson (1792) and Herbert John Clifford Grierson (1866) are among the 12 people born here before 1900. It also has 5 scheduled monuments, the archaeology and ruins the law protects.

Questions about Lerwick’s history

How many listed buildings are there in Lerwick?

Historic Environment Scotland lists 101 buildings inside Lerwick’s locality: 2 Category A, 52 Category B and 47 Category C.

What are the Category A listed buildings in Lerwick?

2, including Fort Charlotte, excluding scheduled monument SM90145, Commercial Street and Harbour Street, Lerwick and Lerwick Town hall, Hillhead and Charlotte Street, Including Lamp Standards, Gatepiers, Boundary Walls and Railings, Lerwick.

Are there scheduled monuments in Lerwick?

Yes, 5 scheduled monuments, including Clickimin Broch,broch and settlement, Fort Charlotte,Lerwick, Ness of Sound, coastal battery 470m SE of and The Knab, coastal battery, 150m S of War Memorial.

How many conservation areas are there in Lerwick?

2, covering about 32 hectares of the town. The largest are Lerwick - Central Area/Lanes and Lerwick - New Town.

When were Lerwick’s buildings listed?

The first in 1971; the most, 62, in 1996.

Who was born in Lerwick?

Among people born before 1900: Robert Stout (1844), Arthur Anderson (1792), Herbert John Clifford Grierson (1866), Isaac Cowie (1848) and Robert Cowie (1842).

Lerwick has no History Grade.

Listed buildings, scheduled monuments, gardens and designed landscapes, battlefields, conservation areas and World Heritage Sites: Historic Environment Scotland, Open Government Licence v3.0. Check an entry on Historic Environment Scotland’s portal before relying on it.

Sources: Historic Environment Scotland designations (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, gardens and designed landscapes, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the NRS 2022 locality boundary · Historic Environment Scotland conservation areas (compiled from councils; October 2026). All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.