Sheltered and exposed treated differently
A village property around the bay and a farmhouse out on the island need different specifications. We price for the position the building is actually in.
St Margaret's Hope, Orkney
Roof Cleaning & Maintenancein St Margaret's Hopeand South Ronaldsay
A sheltered village on an exposed island. We clean roofs, walls and gutters in St Margaret's Hope and handle the joinery and roofing work behind them.
17 years' property experience · Lerwick-based team · Free, no-obligation estimate
17 years' experience
In Shetland property
Orkney coverage
Lerwick-based team
Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm
Local office hours
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Local Relevance
Working in St Margaret's Hope
St Margaret's Hope sits on South Ronaldsay, at the southern end of the Orkney mainland chain linked by the Churchill Barriers, and it is the ferry point for the crossing to the Scottish mainland at Gills Bay.
The village itself is comparatively sheltered around its bay, with older stone and harled housing tight around the shore and later housing on the slopes behind. Step outside the village and South Ronaldsay is open, agricultural and very exposed, which is why two properties a mile apart can be in visibly different condition.
That contrast shapes the work. In the village we are often dealing with older buildings that need careful, low-pressure cleaning and joinery repairs. Out on the island we are dealing with exposed farmhouses, steadings and outbuildings where wind, driven rain and salt have been working on roofs, rainwater goods and timber for decades.
We plan Orkney visits in advance, agree the scope before travelling and bring what the job needs. Where several properties in the village or across South Ronaldsay want work at a similar time, it is worth telling us: combining visits keeps the travel element of the cost sensible for everyone.
Getting to St Margaret's Hope
We are based at 68 Commercial Street in Lerwick and cover Orkney as well as Shetland. South Ronaldsay is linked to the Orkney mainland by the Churchill Barriers, so we combine work here with other Orkney jobs where the timing allows. Orkney work is planned in advance rather than treated as a same-day call-out, and we agree the scope with you before we travel so the team arrives with what the job needs.
We do not publish a guaranteed response time for St Margaret's Hope, because travel between the island groups and the weather both have a say. Call 01595 747045 during office hours and we will give you a realistic date and tell you what we can complete in one visit.
Property types we work on in St Margaret's Hope
- Older stone and harled houses around the bay
- Later housing on the slopes behind the village
- Exposed farmhouses and steadings across South Ronaldsay
- Agricultural outbuildings and stores
- Holiday lets and second homes
- Ferry-related and small commercial premises
What we are usually called for here
- Moss and lichen cleared from sheltered, shaded roof slopes
- Exposed roofs checked and repaired after winter
- Gutters, outlets and downpipes cleared and refixed
- Harl, render and painted walls softwashed
- Joinery repairs to doors, frames and outbuilding timber
- Woodworm treatment in older island timber
Services Here
Services available in St Margaret's Hope
Every service below is carried out by our own team. Follow any of them for the full detail on methods, process and cost.
Roof Cleaning in St Margaret's Hope
Moss and lichen removed from sheltered village roofs, which green up quickly.
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Roof Coating in St Margaret's Hope
Protective coating after cleaning, where the covering is sound enough to justify it.
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Gutter Cleaning in St Margaret's Hope
Gutters and downpipes cleared and refixed where wind has worked them loose.
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Softwashing in St Margaret's Hope
Low-pressure cleaning for harl, render and painted walls around the bay.
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Driveway Cleaning in St Margaret's Hope
Drives, paths, steps and yards cleaned back to a safe, even surface.
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Joinery in St Margaret's Hope
Repairs to doors, frames, facings and steading timber by our own team.
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Insulation in St Margaret's Hope
Insulation work in older island housing, once damp and ventilation are dealt with.
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Roofing in St Margaret's Hope
Roofing repairs on exposed South Ronaldsay properties and outbuildings.
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Woodworm Treatment in St Margaret's Hope
Treatment of affected timber in older farmhouses and village properties.
View serviceWhy Us
Why property owners in St Margaret's Hope call us
Planned visits, finished work
We agree the scope before travelling so a visit to South Ronaldsay is a working visit, not a survey followed by another trip.
Farm buildings as well as houses
Steadings, stores and outbuildings are proper work for our maintenance team, and they are usually the buildings where early repair saves the most.
17 years in property, free estimates
We came at this from managing property, so the advice is about what the building needs. We look, we price, and it costs nothing to ask.
We do not publish job counts, response-time guarantees, accreditations or warranty claims for St Margaret's Hope, because we have not been given verified figures to publish and will not invent them. What we can tell you is documented above: where we are based, how long David Arthur has worked in Shetland property, that the work is done by our own team, and that the estimate is free.
Local Conditions
The problems St Margaret's Hope property actually has
Shelter that encourages growth
The sheltered side of the bay is pleasant to live on and excellent for moss. Less wind means surfaces dry more slowly, and slow drying is what lichen and algae need to establish on a roof or a wall.
So the village's advantage in comfort is a disadvantage in maintenance intervals. Sheltered, shaded roof slopes here often need attention sooner than the exposed ones a mile away.
Open, agricultural South Ronaldsay
Away from the village the island is open farmland with very little shelter. Wind reaches ridges, verges, flashings and rainwater goods from every direction, and fixings work loose over time rather than failing in one event.
That is why we check fixings and falls when we clear gutters on exposed properties here. A clear gutter hanging off its brackets still delivers water to the wall.
Older stone houses around the shore
The older housing around the bay is traditional construction, and it needs traditional care: low-pressure cleaning, breathable finishes, and repair rather than concealment.
Sealing or blasting those walls creates damp problems inside the building, and on a property close to the shore, where salt is already holding moisture in the fabric, the effect is worse and faster.
Steadings and stores that get left
Farm buildings are used daily and looked at rarely. Roof coverings slip, sarking softens, doors and frames rot at the bottom, and none of it is urgent until the day the roof comes off in a gale.
These are cheap buildings to keep and expensive ones to replace. A planned day of roofing and joinery work on outbuildings is one of the better-value jobs we do on South Ronaldsay.
Our Process
How a St Margaret's Hope job runs from first call to finished work
Step 01
Tell us about the property
Call or send the form with the property type, its location and what needs doing. It takes a couple of minutes and costs nothing.
Step 02
We assess and price it
We look at the roof, walls, gutters or grounds, work out the right method for that building, and give you a clear price for the work.
Step 03
The work gets done
Our own team carries out the cleaning or maintenance work, tidies up, and tells you plainly about anything else we found while we were there.
Coverage
St Margaret's Hope and the areas around it
We cover the Shetland Islands and Orkney from our office at 68 Commercial Street, Lerwick. If you are near St Margaret's Hope, we almost certainly cover you too, ask.
Full service detail is on our cleaning & property maintenance services pages, and you can reach us any time through the estimate form below.
Questions
St Margaret's Hope: the things people ask first
Do you serve St Margaret's Hope?
Yes. St Margaret's Hope and South Ronaldsay are within our Orkney coverage, worked from our Lerwick base with visits planned in advance.
How quickly can you reach St Margaret's Hope?
Orkney work is scheduled rather than same-day, and we do not publish a guaranteed response time. Call 01595 747045 during office hours and we will give you a realistic date.
What does roof cleaning cost in St Margaret's Hope?
There is no fixed price; it depends on the roof, its condition, access and the travel involved. We give you one clear figure before any work starts, and the estimate is free.
Do you offer emergency call-outs on South Ronaldsay?
No. We work Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, and travelling from Shetland makes an out-of-hours service unrealistic. Call during office hours and we will tell you honestly what we can do.
Do you work on farms and outbuildings?
Yes. Steadings, stores and agricultural buildings get the same cleaning, joinery and roofing services as houses, and they are often where repair work pays back fastest.
My house is sheltered: why is the roof so mossy?
Shelter is the reason. Sheltered, shaded surfaces dry slowly and stay damp, which is exactly what moss and lichen need. Exposed roofs often stay cleaner and suffer different problems instead.
Can you clean an old harled or stone house?
Yes, at low pressure and with breathable finishes. We will not jet wash traditional walls or seal one that needs to breathe.
Can several properties share a visit?
Yes, and it is worth organising. If neighbours in the village or across South Ronaldsay need work at a similar time, combining the visits keeps travel costs down for everyone.
Do you do the repairs as well as the cleaning?
Yes: joinery, roofing, insulation and woodworm treatment are all carried out by our own maintenance team.
Free Estimate
Get a free estimate for your South Ronaldsay property
Tell us about the property and everything that needs doing. We will plan the visit around the full list and come back with a clear, no-obligation price.
property@arthurandsimpson.com
68 Commercial Street, Lerwick, Shetland ZE2 9EZ
Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm · Closed Sat & Sun
17 years' property experience · Lerwick-based team · Free, no-obligation estimates