Museum of Islay Life
Museum of Islay life
A former church was purchased in 1976 and the Museum opened the following year. The bulk of the exhibits are in the main body of the building while the former vestry houses an extensive library. A gallery was constructed at one end in 1998 to act as an office and store. A small shop area sells books and pamphlets about Islay as well as a range of gifts.
The Museum regrets that it cannot assist with genealogical enquiries from people researching their family histories. Visitors to the Museum are welcome to research in our library and use our other archives, for which we will normally make a small charge.
There are over 1600 items in the main Museum collection, covering all ages from the Mesolithic, c.8000 BC, to the 1950s. The Victorian and Edwardian ages are especially well represented, with exhibits showing what it was like to live in a simple house as well as how the laird lived at the same time.