Building record MHG10152 - Icehouse, Helmsdale

Probably early 19th century. A vaulted stone building set into the banking just at S end of the old Helmsdale bridge. It was used for storing ice and fish. <1>

The ice house was scheduled in 1977.

(Location cited as ND 025 154). Ice-house, early 19th century. A very large vaulted ice-house with wing-walls, supporting the front <2>.

The building was listed at Category B in 1984.

The site lies immediately to the SW of the minor road leading S out of Helmsdale. The icehouse is seperated from the road by a wall and metal gate with a small cobbled area where there is a stone dedicated to Dennis Martin in 1996. The ice house is built into the hillside with the gable end visible from the road. The E gable is c.6m high and c.8m wide, it has a wooden door and shuttered window. At the W side of the icehouse there is another, smaller, gable and what appears to be a slope for the ice to be run into the ice house. There is a double door into the icehouse and inside is made up of 2 rooms. The outer is c. 4m by c. 5m and has a small drain in the concrete floor. The inner room has no door at present, is slightly larger, c.51/2m by 5m and has a flagged floor. There is a small hole in the wall near the roof. <3>

Built into side of hill, Large, with doors to E. <4>

The ice house was descheduled by Historic Scotland in 2015 as part of the Dual Designations Project. <5>