Down the Rabbit Hole . . .
Join us for our next talk: Jeni Park, Kilwinning Archivist, delves into newly discovered legal documents from Kilwinning Community Archive, disappearing down some interesting research rabbit holes on the way!
Welcome to Kilwinning Heritage
We are a local history group in Kilwinning, Ayrshire in Scotland. This website is intended to give members and visitors information about KH and its activities, and also about Kilwinning’s rich history, which stretches back to prehistory. Please check back regularly, as we will add news and information from time to time.
Heritage Centre
The Heritage Centre is located in the clock tower
which dates from 1816 and lies in the grounds of the 12th century
Tironensian
Benedictine Abbey. The Tower is owned and maintained by North Ayrshire
Council, and
staffed by volunteer members of Kilwinning Heritage. We welcome around
1200 visitors from all over the world each year and our volunteers lead
guided tours of the Tower.
Find out more about the Heritage Centre
More About Us
Our Tower Team welcome visitors to the Abbey Tower Heritage Centre located in the heart of the town alongside the Abbey Church. We also have an Archive Team working on a project to discover and protect documents from Kilwinning's past. Others are working on individual research projects, and we occasionally present special exhibitions of local interest. We provide other activities such as summer visits to places of historic interest and a programme of guest speakers in the winter months.
We are always keen to hear from local people interested in history who may be willing to become a volunteer guide or to take part in our other activities. For more information, contact us.
Read more about the Abbey’s History
Community Archive Project
We have been given a unique opportunity to discover stories from Kilwinning's past through a collection of historical legal documents. A team of volunteers are working to clean, conserve and digitally preserve an estimated 20,000 documents from the 18th, 19th and early 20th century. We hope that with appropriate funding, we will be able to open opportunities for the community to get actively involved in this exciting opportunity to get immersed in local history and share stories which help to build community pride.
New pop-up exhibition
Eglinton Country Park
From Cloisters to Courtyard
The story of Kilwinning Abbey Tower and Eglinton Castle. Knights, jousting, papingos, local history and more.
FREE entry. Come and find out more about Kilwinning Heritage and our Abbey Tower Heritage Centre.
Open from Easter - Saturdays and Sundays 1-3pm in the courtyard.
Latest News
Work on Abbey Tower due to start
North Ayrshire Council, who owns the Tower, has confirmed it will use almost £200,000 of funding to help restore one of the region’s most beautiful and iconic landmarks. The works - required to ensure its long-term conservation - include building fabric repairs and improvements that will ensure water ingress is prevented. Lost features will also be reinstated, and a range of other improvements will be carried out to preserve the asset and enhance the visitor experience throughout the building.
The works at Kilwinning Abbey Tower are being funded by a range of sources including internal Council budgets, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the Scottish Government’s Place Based Investment Programme. The allocation of Crown Estates funding will maximise the level of external investment in the project and provide additional contingency funding due to the nature of the works
Statement from Craig McLellan, Chairperson of Kilwinning Heritage:
“We are absolutely delighted that Kilwinning Abbey Tower is receiving this significant investment. This project will ensure the long-term preservation of one of our town’s most iconic landmarks, with restoration work aimed at bringing it as close to its original condition as possible. Kilwinning Abbey is a key part of our heritage, and this investment reinforces North Ayrshire Council’s commitment to protecting and celebrating our history. We look forward to seeing the transformation and welcoming visitors to enjoy this treasured site for many years to come.”
Please keep an eye on social media posts by Kilwinning Heritage where we will keep you up to date with the progress.
Donate to Kilwinning Heritage
We are always happy to receive donations. These can be made via PayPal as a one-off or recurring payment, for a value of your choosing.