Campbeltown Heritage Centre is a museum and heritage centre being the main repository for social history for the Kintyre Peninsula from around 1700 to the present day.

The centre stands on the site of the Gaelic Free Church. Built in 1868, it was believed to have come as a numbered kit by sea from Beauvais in France

Because of the striking alternating colour scheme of its stonework, it became known as the ‘Tartan Kirk’. The Church closed in 1990 when the congregation amalgamated with the Lowland Church, Campbeltown.

In 1995, the Church was transformed into the Heritage Centre, reflecting the wealth of local history and a haven of music and drama. The building retains an attractive ‘rose’ window in the west gable.

The Kintyre Amenity Trust

With the help of grants and contributions from the local community, the trustees established a museum that highlighted the different aspects of Campbeltown’s success

The Kintyre Amenity Trust (KAT) was formed in 1998 to lease the recently redundant Lorne Street Church from the Church of Scotland and open a Heritage Centre to complement the existing Campbeltown Museum whose exhibits focused on archaeology and natural history. The KAT trustees established a museum with the help of grants and contributions from the local community. Many local people have donated valuable exhibits, and the museum now holds one of the finest collections in the West of Scotland.

In 2016 KAT celebrated The Year of Scottish Architecture with a display of pictures of key Campbeltown buildings. Taken by the MacGrory Brothers, pioneer photographers from the early twentieth century, they showed Campbeltown life from around one hundred years ago.

The hall is available for hire for events, functions and exhibitions from £7.00 per hour. Contact us.

The Minenwerfer

In 2016, a very rare Minenwerfer a German mine thrower or mortar, was presented to Campbeltown which had sacrificed so many in that war. It was donated to KAT, conserved and redisplayed outside the Heritage Centre’s main entrance.

The Bunkhouse

The Bunkhouse, opened in April 2012 and is housed in the newly refurbished Old Schoolhouse, a Grade B listed building beside the Heritage Centre. Visit the website for more information and how to book online if you are interested in staying.