halligarth the home of a naturalist

halligarth: the home of a naturalist

Project progress

SEPTEMBER 2013
Options Appraisal (click to download)

OCTOBER 2013
Community feedback and consultation

2014
Business Plan
Community Update/Presentation

MARCH 2015
Community consultation showing aspirational Site Plans

MAY 2015
Public meeting on Unst to discuss phase 1 of the project - the woodland shelter and garden area.

OCTOBER 2015
Funding application submission

JUNE 2020 Annual grass-cutting and ground supervision contract set up by NTS and managed by Unst Partnership.

APRIL 2021
NTS outline their Vision and Masterplan to create a "Citizen Science" site in the Halligarth grounds. Click HERE to view.

APRIL 2023 Project development officer for NTS property in Unst appointed (Stewart Douglas)

AUGUST 2023 Area around Halligarth house cleared. Graveyard repaired & restored by Shetland Memorials.

SEPTEMBER 2024 Roselea, cottage north of Halligarth, sold.

OCTOBER 2024 Houlland, Steading and Laggans cottage above Loch of Cliff all put up for sale by NTS.

OCTOBER 2025 Houlland and the Laggans both sold privately.

MARCH 2026 Structural survey of Halligarth house by Karl Bolt. Copy HERE

September 2026
From the text below, you will see that bold plans have been made in the past for the Halligarth site, at least since 2013. It was donated to the NTS in 1998 by Miss Joy Sandison, along with a sizeable sum of money (about £200,000 then, probably worth £500,000 now with interest) to develop this site and the other property and land in her estate. This is mostly in Unst, but there was also land in Yell.
Over the years, some of the other property has been sold off (Wulvershoul, Roselea, Houlland and the Laggans cottage). There is some interpretation/information on boards beside the woods, but the Halligarth house and grounds have deteriorated over the years. (See Structural Survey by Karl Bolt, March 2026 below)

The building is B listed because of the historical connection to the Edmondston and Saxby families which puts a lot of restrictions on what can be done with it.
NTS pay for a grass-cutting/ground maintence contract each year, administered by Unst Partnership, but the house is not part of that arrangement.

The house has been badly neglected over the years and it is to be hoped that the National Trust for Scotland will eventually make the buiding safe/presentable in some way.
Gordon Thomson, Chair, Unst Partnership Ltd.

Project Partners: National Trust for Scotland, Unst Partnership Ltd, Shetland Amenity Trust, the donor and the local Unst community.

The proposed £1.2m project will renovate and restore Halligarth house to the highest of standards. Using a contemporary interpretation interior, the renovation will provide the UK's most northerly islands with a visitor centre, resource library/learning centre, cafe, office space and outdoor picnic area. Accessibility to the house and woodland area is also going to be improved, with conservation at the forefront of planning.

Why Restore? Halligarth was established in 1832 by Dr Laurence Edmondston, a medical practicitioner and renowned ornithologist. Dr Edmondston compiled the first comprehensive list of bird species on Shetland and assisted in the observation of birds using the surrounding woodland to Halligarth. Laurence's son, Thomas, was a botanical prodigy by the age of 16 whilst his daughter Jessie helped publish her father's work to the world. Jessie became an avid writer, publishing nearly 150 works. The project takes its name from one of her books, "The Home of a Naturalist", which speaks of her unique life spent at Halligarth. Having been unoccupied for a number of years, the house has remained a beacon to birdwatchers who currently visit the site in an informal manner. This project aims to take advantage of a space where Unst heritage is overwhelmingly present, and develop a place for both the locals and visitors which epitomises the meaning behind Halligarth.

A public consultation (May 2015) was held between the Unst community and NTS where proposed floor plan and design were provided for local knowledge. Plans are currently classed as "aspirational" whilst the project awaits funding confirmation. With positive feedback and a detailed submission, this project has encouraging potential to gain traction moving into 2016.

No funding for the House renovation came through in 2016 but there is now a path around the Woods and some information about the Edmodston and Saxby families on information boards.

In 2017, the Shetland Amenity Trust put a Halligarth Project Team together, involving two Unst representatives. They were still hopeful of obtaining funding for the Project (March 2017).

Unfortunately, SAT and NTS were unable to agree on a long term management plan for the Halligarth Project. Neither was willing to take on the running costs of the completed project and so the funding to fully renovate Halligarth was not followed up. Halligarth was boarded up and a padlock put on the door to prevent entrance. Signage was posted up around the site to inform visitors to the woods about the history of the Edmondston and Saxby families and their interest in nature and the environment.

From 2018 -21 discussion took place between the NTS and UP directors on minor maintenance to the properties in the bequest. Grass cutting and wall maintenance contracts were agreed and undertaken by local contractors. A Thistle Camps group, led by Jon Downie, NTS, came up for a week in the summer of 2019 to tidy up paths and dykes around the site.

In April 2021, NTS produced a new tender document with a Vision and Masterplan to be examined by consultants. The intention is to create a "Citizen Science" site around the woods and the grassland immediately outside.

In June 2023 NTS appointed Stewart Douglas as Project Development manager for their properties in Unst, on an 18 month contract. The area around Halligarth House was cleared, Roselea was sold and artefacts fronm the house at Houlland and the Steading next door were cleared in preparation for going on the market.

Houlland, the Steading and the nearby Laggans cottage were put up for sale in October 2024. The asking price was £150,000 for all three properties. These have now been sold privately (2025).

In February 2026, a very detailed structural survey of Halligarth house was completed by Karl Bolt, Structural Engineer. A copy of the Report is here

The Conclusion on Page 45 states: "The structural assessment of Halligarth House confirms a building of significant heritage value in a state of advanced deterioration. The primary driver of the current decay is the failure of the building's envelope—specifically the roof coverings and the absence of rainwater goods— which has allowed unhindered water ingress into the core of the structure."

"Substantial works are required to make the building safe in the short-term including replacing most of the structural timbers to the 1836 and 1860 structures. Following this the envelope of the building needs to be made watertight to protect the timber structure of the building from further deterioration."