The present clock tower was built in 1816 on the
foundations of the original medieval abbey tower. It was designed by
David Hamilton and contains the original clock mechanism, built by James
Blair,
also 1816. It is run
as a small
museum of local history and heritage. Most of the exhibits are on the
ground floor which is the only part of the building accessible to
wheelchair users.
Volunteer guides will accompany you up the winding stone staircase to see the exhibits on the first floor, the original clock mechanism on the second, and the bells on the third. Your reward for climbing the 143 steps in total is to reach the roof, for stunning views of the town and surroundings, the immediate Ayrshire coastline and the islands of Arran and Ailsa Craig.
A wide variety of items is on display; descriptions of the origins of the Abbey; medieval carved stonework; photographs of old Kilwinning; a model of Eglinton Castle in its heyday; an illustration of the Kilwinning connection with Robert Burns; information about ‘The Bard of the Yukon’, poet Robert Service who spent some of his youth in the town, and much more.
A display of items relating to the Papingo Shoot, held annually by the Ancient Society of Kilwinning Archers, the oldest archery organisation in the world dating back to 1483, includes antique Papingo targets, arrows and bows, one of which is unique in the world. Papingo is the same word as popinjay or pigeon. In this case, and in common with most other European countries, target practice meant using a live bird attached to the end of a pole. Later the live bird was replaced with a wooden model, or ‘papingo’ with detachable wings. On display are antique wooden birds, dated to the late 1800s.
Three shoots are held at the Tower each year, with the Papingo placed at the top of the Tower, and archers shooting at it from below. The overall winner is the first archer to “ding doon the doo”, or knock the pigeon off its perch! It is the only competition of its type in the world. The magnificent Silver Arrow Trophy, dating from 1724, is on permanent display in Kilwinning Library.
Click here for a video guided tour of the Abbey Tower featuring some of our volunteers. (21mins,) For a video guide to "A Few of Our Favourite Things" click here. (7mins) For "An Introduction to Kilwinning Abbey" click here (25 mins)
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...
For the fifth year, we're delighted to announce that the Abbey Tower and precincts will be lit up red to commemorate Remembrance Day on Tuesday 11 November 7-8pm. The Tower will be open for visitors to climb 143 steps for an unforgettable view of the town at night. Free entry. Dress warmly!
The Abbey Tower Heritage Centre is now unlikely to re-open before Spring 2026. 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.
Please keep an eye on social media posts by Kilwinning Heritage where we will keep you up to date with the progress.
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.