What are the opening hours?

Monday 11am - 4pm Tuesday 11am - 4pm Wednesday 11am - 4pm Thursday 11am - 4pm Friday 11am - 4pm Sunday 11am - 4pm

Slate Islands Heritage Trust Museum

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Slate Islands Heritage Trust Museum

The Slate Islands Heritage Trust Museum has many exhibits depicting slate quarrying and life in the 19th century on the islands. Free Entry.

08/04/2026

The museum opened for the new season on April 1st, in time for the Easter holiday, and Tam the red-headed quarrier has been reinstated out front.

We have not been idle over the winter: some of the displays have been slightly changed so as to tell a better story; many of our records have been uploaded to the internet; and we have been exploring ways of providing better access to information for visitors in person, via an onsite database.

Meanwhile, there are some cool things to buy in the museum shop and online, and more to come as the season gets into full swing.

As always, we're struggling to staff the front of house and achieve our ambition of 6-day-a-week opening- so, if you live locally, please volunteer. Please, please. Thank you!

30/10/2025

The Museum and Heritage Centre will be closed for the season at the end of the day tomorrow, 31st October. Don't forget that you can access information and archives online throughout the winter at:

https://slateislands.org.uk

We will be reopening in spring 2026 around about Easter, and at that point, as usual, will be appealing for volunteers to help us run the museum. If you want to join in, keep a lookout for local online posts, and posters at the shop etc.

06/10/2025

On Saturday 20th September the Heritage Centre at Ellenabeich celebrated its 25th anniversary with a lunch at Seil Hall. James Fenton, Chair of the Board of Trustees opened the proceedings and was followed by Mike Shaw, Honorary Chairman, giving a talk on the early history of the Scottish Slate Islands Heritage Trust. At the end of lunch, provided by the Oyster Bar, Isobelle Smith cut the celebration cake which featured a tiny ‘Ginger Tam’, the model slate worker who sits outside the museum. After lunch, a plaque in celebration of the anniversary was unveiled in The Square by Mike and Isobelle.

Commenting, Mike Shaw said ‘An all-volunteer little organisation like ours will always be a bit fragile, but the celebration wasn’t backward looking. It had all the feel of a confident and optimistic team opening itself to the community it serves’.

More on this story was published in last Thursday’s Oban Times.

12/09/2025

Heritage Centre 25th birthday party
(20th September, Seil Island Hall @ 12:30)

Just a quick reminder to let James know by 14th September if you'll be attending, so he knows how much food to order.

[email protected]

01852 300545

20/08/2025

ELLANABEICH MUSEUM AND HERITAGE CENTRE IS 25!

The Scottish Slate Islands Heritage Trust was formed in 1999, leading to the opening of a new museum and heritage centre at Ellenabeich in 2000. Entirely volunteer-run, the centre has survived and thrived throughout numerous economic shocks and the covid pandemic to reach its 25th birthday this year.

The exhibitions were set up to promote the built, natural and cultural heritage of the Slate Islands (Easdale Island, Seil, Luing and Belnahua) and they continue to engage, educate and delight visitors both locally, and UK and worldwide- last week someone wrote 'scrumptious' in the Visitors' Book.

The centre also holds a wealth of historic documents and photos, many of which have been digitised and so are available online. But, don't be a stranger, visit in person if you can- we love having visitors. And if you are local, and able to volunteer, you will be welcomed with open arms!

https://slateislands.org.uk

15/08/2025

YOU ARE INVITED....

to celebrate the 25th birthday of the museum at Ellenabeich.

Seil Island Hall, 20th September (12:30 for buffet lunch starting at 1pm), catering by the Oyster Bar.

ALL WELCOME!

To help with catering numbers, RSVP to [email protected]

The picture shows Mike Shaw with one of his publications 'Seil Stories'. He will be giving a short talk on the history of the Slate Islands Heritage Trust and the museum on that day.

https://oysterbareasdale.com

12/08/2025

Forgotten Armies

As the jubilation of VE day echoes down the years to its eightieth anniversary, we sometimes forget that WW2 was not fully won until over three months later. On the fifteenth of August this year, we should remember surrender in Japan, far away from Europe. Three servicemen with links to the Slate Islands took part in the war in the Far East, and sadly, only two came home. For the full story, follow the link to Trust’s website.

The picture shows Kenneth Bell, who was originally from Leeds. He survived more than three years as a prisoner of war, and eventually came to live on Seil, where he died in 1997, at the ripe old age of 80.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQ3ELw1jpFrBkxtlAOCGkm4QRM8imZa0ELSWt2r2VRRAU8EQn1yEztYuF7dmXLAF98pCenhIqqi3tsI/pub

Address

13A, Ellenabeich, Seil
Oban
PA344RQ

Opening Hours

Monday	11am - 4pm
Tuesday	11am - 4pm
Wednesday	11am - 4pm
Thursday	11am - 4pm
Friday	11am - 4pm
Sunday	11am - 4pm

Telephone

+441852300735

Website

http://www.slateislands.org.uk/

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