Visit to Kilmartin Museum to unlock the secrets of prehistoric Kilmartin Glen 

Set deep within the fascinating landscape of Kilmartin Glen, Argyll, Kilmartin Museum is the best place to learn about the area’s incredible prehistoric monuments and archaeology. Here are 10 ways the museum tells the story of Scotland’s prehistory and reveals the secret of Scotland’s birth.

1. Learn about the changes that were afoot in the British Isles of the 4th and 5th centuries as people crossed the short expanse of sea between modern day Ulster and Argyll, to successfully expand their territory.

2. See ancient artefacts that point to a rich indigenous culture long before the Romans – or the Irish! – began taking an interest in this part of northern Britain.

3. Discover how a man, digging in his garden in Argyll in the 1990s, unearthed one of Scotland’s most fascinating artefacts.

4. Understand how that object, the Benderloch Urn, contributed to the modern understanding of ancient burial rituals and what it told us about two people who lived in Argyll around 3000 years ago.

5. Learn about how the ancient peoples of modern day Scotland left their mark – literally – on the landscape, through rock carvings which continue to be discovered to this day.

6. See the efforts being made to preserve and, in some cases, resurrect Argyll’s prehistoric standing stones and find out about why our ancestors put so much time and energy into moving, aligning and shaping such immense slabs of rock.

7. Understand why abandoned settlements are found all around Argyll, the cause and effect that has seen entire communities disappear, some of which would have existed for many centuries.

8. Get to know how Kilmartin Museum actively participates in uncovering Argyll’s hidden past through archaeological excavations like the one that took place at the Morlaggan Rural Settlement near Arrochar.

9. Grab a slice of cake and a coffee and chill out in our wonderful, well-stocked café. Okay, it may not, in itself, help you understand Scotland’s history, but it will fortify you before you head out to discover the surrounding area!

10. Finally, use your visit to Kilmartin Museum as a gateway introduction to the whole of Kilmartin Glen then pick and choose the locations that most interest you before embarking on further exploration. Armed with a better understanding of the landscape, you will come to appreciate the area for what it is – one of the jewels in Scotland’s prehistoric crown.

Why not combine your trip to Kilmartin with visits to some of the other fascinating places in the Heart of Argyll? The beautiful Crinan Canal is just a short drive away. Find out more about Inveraray, Kilmartin & Crinan.