A brief history of the Burgh Hall

The Grade B-listed Burgh Hall was designed in the Scots Baronial style by the Glasgow architect Robert Bryden, and opened in 1874 at a key location in the town. With an initial seating capacity of 500, it was for a time the only theatre in Argyll, and until the 1960s the focus of public life in Dunoon.

Among its key remaining features are the local green schist stone of its facades, the main staircase, plasterwork to the first floor landing, original doors and windows, the stained glass rose window by W&JJ Kier, and the volume of the main hall, regrettably, the decorative ceiling of the hall – one of its most striking single features – was removed in the 1970s.

The Burgh Hall stood between two churches designed by Bryden: St Cuthbert’s (which was lost not long ago in a fire) and St John’s. The latter is Grade A-listed, and has been described as, "an immense achievement of Victorian piety." Strathclyde Building Preservation Trust (SBPT) also notes that the Burgh Hall, "forms a unique element in this group of important commissions executed by this architect ... This promotes [the Hall’s] importance to regional level ... Retention of the Burgh Hall in something approaching its original use is therefore important ... The streetscape and group value of these buildings remaining as a pair is considerable, and their significance is likely to increase."

The Burgh Hall is considered the town’s most important civic building, marking the 19th century transition of the town into an important coastal resort, and as such is worthy of retention.