The Ardnamurchan History & Heritage Association was set up in early 2016, growing out of a more informal group, Ardnamurchan Community Archaeology.  In 2025 it became a charity registered in Scotland under the Charity and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act SC054560

The organisation’s purpose is to increase awareness and engagement with the archaeology, history and heritage on the peninsula of Ardnamurchan through the following:

  • The organisation’s purpose is to increase awareness and engagement with the archaeology, history and heritage on the peninsula of Ardnamurchan through the following:
  • Promoting research and exploration
  • Advancing education through online & printed resources, exhibitions, presentations, events, workshops and any other means
  • Preserving memories through oral or recorded history projects
  • Preserving and maintaining selected archaeological sites
  • Promoting engagement with and support of visiting archaeologists
Cladh Chiarain clearing
Clearing Cladh Chiarain, an 18th century Campbell graveyard with, at the far end, a Bronze Age standing stone

Achievements:

AHHA trustees are a small group of enthusiasts who enjoy exploring Ardnamurchan’s past and working to discover, record and preserve its heritage. Some of our achievements to date include

  • Under an Archaeology Scotland scheme, AHHA adopted and worked on two Scheduled Monuments, at Camas nan Geall and St Comghan’s church in Kilchoan
  • Funded by a £4,000 grant from Historic Environment Scotland, AHHA worked with architect Francis Shaw and builder Ashley Thompson to repair the doorway and arches on the south facade of St Comghan’s, a 12th century church in Kilchoan
  • By extensive field walking, AHHA members have identified and described over a hundred archaeological sites on Ardnamurchan, many hitherto unknown, and have uploaded the descriptions to national websites
  • A national lottery grant of £9,300 in 2016 enabled the setting up of this website, exhibitions and talks, installing information boards and signs and publishing booklets.
  • In 2021- 2023 AHHA worked with Archaeology Scotland, local landowners and crofters and indeed the whole community to deliver an Adopt a Monument project funded by Historic Environment Scotland, NatureScot, and the European Regional Development Fund. This specifically involved the adoption of 10 sites with different development and activity at each. It included archaeology training digs, discovery days, rural skills training, field survey training and creative workshops. It delivered a dedicated website Wander West Ardnamurchan , an interpretation board at each site plus at 3 hubs and a new booklet.
  • As a requirement from the funders for this project, AHHA resurveyed the scheduled monuments of Ardnamurchan to assess any changes since the earlier surveys, sometimes 50 years ago.
  • Since gaining our charity status, AHHA has bought the iconic phone box at Kilmory and developed a new exhibition of the photographs of MEM Donaldson (currently showing at the Natural History Visitor Centre at Glenmore) with many more projects in the pipeline.

Kilmory Phone Box