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.
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
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
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.
The volunteers of Kilwinning Heritage apologise for the closure of the Abbey Tower Heritage Centre since February 2025. North Ayrshire Council is planning a programme of repairs. Other KH activities will continue as normal: free public talks, research, community archive project, book sales etc. For up-to-date information, contact us or follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Kilwi...
We're delighted that the long-awaited programme of work on the 210-year-old building has begun. The Tower is owned and maintained by North Ayrshire Council, and is home to our Heritage Centre. Check our Facebook page for updates and photos of the work in progress.
Thursday 12 February The Man Who sold Nelson's Column - Scottish Frauds with Dane Love
Thursday 19 March Historic Buildings of the Irvine Valley with David McMeekin'
Both talks at 7pm in the Congregational Church Hall, Kilwinning
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.