PRESS RELEASE

St.Conan’s Kirk’s £1.5m fusion of heritage and community action backed by £1m lottery award

A truly unique historic Highland church created from a son’s love for his mother and his love of architecture, has been awarded £1million to secure its future as a community hub and visitor attraction.

Nestled on the banks of Loch Awe, St Conan’s Kirk brings together ecclesiastical architectural styles from across centuries. It should not work but it does, and spectacularly well.

Like all old church buildings, St Conan’s Kirk is in need of some restoration and investment.

Now St Conan’s Heritage Trust has been awarded £1,039,773 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

St Conan’s already welcomes some 50,000 visitors a year, and plays host to a packed community programme, plus concerts, exhibitions and events.

The Heritage Trust has bold plans for the future of St Conan’s.

Plans that will protect the unique character of the building while equipping it for modern times. The National Lottery Heritage Fund support takes them well on the way to a £1.5million fundraising target to enable a major programme of conservation, accessibility improvements, and community engagement.

Joint Vice-Chair of the Heritage Trust, Peter Hennessy, said: “We get visitors from all over the world who are mesmerised by the unique character of St Conan’s. We know it has even more potential as a visitor attraction and we want to release that for the benefit of the community, but to do so sensitively to ensure we don’t lose the character of our hidden gem.”

Rosalyn Keppie, who is the second Vice Chair and who led the original Kirk Trust said, “Our work with the National Lottery Heritage Fund brought us to the decision to combine all our efforts, close the original Kirk Trust and transfer the building into the new Heritage Trust.  Despite its unorthodox design St Conan’s takes a very traditional place at the heart of our village life. While we love to share it with visitors this project is just as much about making it work as a community hub.”

The origins of the Kirk are far more recent than some of the medieval architectural features suggest. Walter Douglas Campbell, 8th child of Archibald Campbell of Blythswood began work on it in the 1880s. Initially building a small traditional Scottish kirk to save his mother Caroline a long carriage drive to church.

Walter had a keen interest, and was not without some skill, in architecture and over the years the simple and traditional kirk was transformed into something quite unique.

Following his death in1914, Walter’s sister Helen continued construction as laid out in his plans. And with Helen’s will passing care of the kirk to a community trust, they finally completed the project in 1929.

Caroline Clark, The National Lottery Heritage Fund Director for Scotland said; “This funding, made possible thanks to National Lottery players, will allow the Trust to carry out urgent repairs and unlock new spaces for public use, ensuring this wonderful landmark church continues to inspire and serve both locals and visitors for generations to come. 

“St Conan’s Kirk is a unique and much-loved part of Scotland’s heritage. We’re delighted to support this ambitious project that will conserve the building, expand its community role, and enhance the visitor experience.” 

The project will renew the roofs of three of the Kirk’s towers, repair leaking gutters and damaged masonry, and complete the ground floor lighting scheme with new LED lighting in the East End. These works will address long-standing water ingress issues and improve the overall visitor experience.

A key part of the project is the creation of visitor toilets, including an accessible facility — a much-needed addition in a rural area where no public toilets exist within 10 miles.

Accessibility will also be improved through new level access points, hearing loops, and interpretation for areas not physically accessible, such as the stunning terraces overlooking Loch Awe.

The Crypt will be opened to the public for the first time and will feature an interactive children’s exhibition and a small performance space for storytelling, music, and theatre.

Beneath the Bruce Chapel, an unused double-height space will be converted into a two-level area for schools and community groups, creating a warm, flexible venue for learning and events.

Andrew Thompson, Marketing & Communications Manager for St Conan’s Heritage

Work is set to begin later this year, with completion expected in 2027.

Notes to Editors

About St.Conan’s Kirk and St.Conan’s Heritage Trust (Lochawe PA33 1AH)

Architectural highlights of Kirk include the Norman doorway, the Gothic flying buttresses, a Celtic cross, the Arts and Crafts carvings, the Saxon tower and even a Stone circle. In addition, Walter Douglas Campbell commissioned some of the finest craftsmen to help decorate the interior. The lochside gardens offer stunning views over the Loch. 

The St Conan’s Heritage Trust (SC053721) was set up in October 2024 with the following goals:

• to make this unique Kirk fit for purpose for the 21^st century
• to restore this unique Kirk and its artefacts
• to make it a hub for the local community
• to develop the visitor experience and heritage facilities
• to make it accessible to a wide range of communities & audiences

For interviews: To interview the St.Conan’s Heritage Trust Vice-Chair and spokesperson, Peter Hennessy, contact Takki Sulaiman (Trust Secretary) on 07778 419218 or takki1@btinternet.com. 

Images of the Kirk are also available upon request.

THANKS TO THE NATIONAL LOTTERY PLAYERS!