Campbeltown Heritage Centre

About the museum

Campbeltown Heritage Centre is housed in a church that was built in 1868 for the Gaelic Free Church. It is believed to have arrived by sea as a numbered kit of parts from Beauvais in France. Its striking alternating colours of stonework earned it the nickname the Tartan Kirk. The congregation joined another local church, and the building closed as a church in 1990.

In 1995 the church was converted into the Heritage Centre, and the Kintyre Amenity Trust was set up to run it as a museum that complements the older Campbeltown Museum, whose collections focus on archaeology and natural history. With help from grants and the local community, the trust built up a collection of social history for the Kintyre peninsula from around 1700 to the present day.

The displays cover themes such as coal mining, farming, the harbour, fishing, war and whisky. A rare German Minenwerfer, a First World War trench mortar, stands outside the main entrance, and the hall can be hired for events. The centre is supported by donations and a team of volunteers.

Highlights

• Social history of Kintyre from around 1700 to today
• Themed displays on coal mining, farming, harbour, fishing, war and whisky
• Former church known as the Tartan Kirk for its striped stonework
• German First World War Minenwerfer displayed outside
• Café, free entry and free Wi-Fi

Permanent exhibition

• Social history of Kintyre – Collections on coal mining, farming, the harbour, fishing, war and whisky tell more than 300 years of social history from the creation of Campbeltown to the present.

Operated by

Kintyre Amenity Trust

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry is free; the centre is supported by donations and volunteers. Donations can be made at the centre.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The website states that wheelchair access is available.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

By car, Campbeltown is reached by the A83 through Argyll and Kintyre. The centre is on Big Kiln Street.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available
• Wi-Fi

The café sits among the exhibits. Free Wi-Fi is available at the museum.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The hall can be hired for events, functions and exhibitions from £7.00 per hour.

Plan your visit