Correcting inaccuracies in opinion piece on Kilmartin

The Trustees of Kilmartin Museum, Dunadd Community Council and Dunadd Community Enterprise write to correct some inaccuracies in Iain Thornber’s article in The Oban Times titled ‘A visit to historic Kilmartin Glen’.

Kilmartin Museum is a local charity focusing on the prehistoric and early historic archaeology rather than on 19th century, ecclesiastical history. It acts as the repository for over 22,000 archaeological artefacts and must raise the funds annually to care for these as well as run an education service that reaches thousands of people. Museum facilities are no longer adequate, hence the need for a major expansion.

The church could not easily be converted for this use. Moreover, the project is already well under way, and every penny of the funding raised is ring-fenced, so changes proposed cannot now be made. It is a great pity that Mr Thornber did not bother to contact the museum to discuss the matter. Since learning of the decision to sell a number of local churches, the museum has worked closely with church representatives, Dunadd Community Council, and Dunadd Community Enterprise, the group aspiring to find a sustainable use for the building. Any one of these groups would have told him this, and that a very generous supporter of the museum has, in fact, already purchased the building as a holding measure, allowing the museum to use it – depending on planning consents – while building works are taking place, giving Dunadd Community Enterprise the time needed to develop the business case required to bring the building into community ownership.

Kilmartin Museum Trustees, Dunadd Community Council and Dunadd Community Enterprise.