Lorne Street Church, Campbeltown

Lorne Street Church, Campbeltown
Lorne Street Church, Campbeltown
Lorne Street Church, Campbeltown
55°25′29.3″N5°36′27″W / 55.424806°N 5.60750°W / 55.424806; -5.60750
Location	Campbeltown, Argyll and Bute
Country	Scotland
Denomination	Church of Scotland
Previous denomination	Gaelic Free Church
History
Status	Parish church
Architecture
Functional status	Closed
Heritage designation	Category C listed building
Designated	28 March 1996
Architect	James Boucher
Style	Polychromatic gothic
Completed	30 August 1868
Closed	30 December 1990 [1]
Specifications
Capacity	1,000 persons

Lorne Street Church is a Category C listed building ^[2] in Campbeltown, Argyll and Bute.

History

The foundation stone for the new church was laid on 27 November 1867 by Revd. Dr. Thomas McLachlan of St Columba's Edinburgh and Provost Beith. ^[3]

It was opened for worship on 30 August 1868 ^[4] having been designed by Glasgow architect James Boucher ^[5] and bears a striking resemblance to the Church and Friary of St Francis, Gorton, Manchester by Edward Pugin which was built between 1866 and 1872. The layers of alternate red and white sandstone led to the building becoming known as the "Tartan Kirk".

Church halls were added in 1889.

Organ

The church originally had an organ by Hamlin and Mason which was installed at a cost of £120 (equivalent to £16,000in 2023) ^[6] shortly after the appointment of Revd. J.M. Macnaughton in 1907. This was replaced in 1920 by a 2 manual and pedal pipe organ by Lewis & Co which was given by Councillor D. Smith and C.C. Maxtone, the organist. ^[7] It was moved from Landsdowne Church, Glasgow.

Closure

In 1989 the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland ruled that Campbeltown should reduce the number of ministers in the town from three to two. The presbytery of South Argyll was left to make the necessary changes. Lorne Street Church merged with Lowland Church and the decision taken to close Lorne Street. ^[1]

It is now Campbeltown Heritage Centre.

References

1. "Closure of Lorne Street Church a bitter pill" . Campbeltown Courier. Scotland. 14 December 1990. Retrieved 23 November 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
2. Historic Environment Scotland. "Big Kiln Street Heritage Centre (formerly Lorne Street Free Gaelic Church), with hall boundary walls, railings, gates, and gatepiers (LB43054)" . Retrieved 23 November 2025.
3. "New Gaelic Free Church at Campbeltown" . Glasgow Morning Journal. Scotland. 30 November 1867. Retrieved 23 November 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
4. "Campbeltown New Free Churches" . Glasgow Evening Post. Scotland. 1 September 1868. Retrieved 23 November 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
5. Walker, Frank Arneil (2000). Argyll and Bute (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Scotland). Yale University Press. p. 156. ISBN   0300096704.
6. UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth . Retrieved 7 May 2024.
7. "Strathclyde, Campbeltown, Lorne Street Church [N00572]". National Pipe Organ Register . British Institute of Organ Studies . Retrieved 23 November 2025.