Museums & Galleries · Portrush
The Museum of Islay Life
📍 PA48 7UG
Photo: J M Briscoe (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
- Large collection of objects, books and photographs on Islay's history
- Housed in the former Kilchoman Free Church building
- Displays covering 12,000 years of life on Islay
- Gordon Booth Library of Islay books, papers and records
- Museum shop selling publications, postcards, gifts and toys
You'll find the Museum of Islay Life in Port Charlotte, housed in the former Kilchoman Free Church, with a large and fascinating collection of objects, books, photographs and stories illustrative of life in Islay from prehistoric to recent times. Inside, you can browse the Gordon Booth Library, which holds books, papers and records of Islay, and explore a museum shop that also stocks a selection of books, postcards, gifts and toys. The museum opened in 1977 with the aim of conserving and displaying items from the past 12,000 years, and you can visit on weekdays from 10.30am to 4.30pm from April to September. For a longer stay, there are 9 bookable places to stay within 5 miles on BritStays.
Practical details
- Open
- Weekdays 10.30am–4.30pm, April to September
- Booking
- Membership available, giving free entry
From the attraction's own website on 10 Oct 2026 — check before you travel.
Facilities
- ✓ Gift Shop
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Make a proper break of it — these stays are all within 25 miles.
0.2 mi
0.7 mi
1.7 mi
1.8 mi
3.7 mi
3.7 mi
🗓️ Make a break of it
Turn a visit to The Museum of Islay Life into a proper getaway — ready-made plans, and the drive worked out with fuel, EV charging and the best stops.