Burgh Hall

Dunoon Burgh Hall stands in Argyll Street, Dunoon, a municipal building designed for events. It was built in 1874 in the Scottish baronial style by Robert Alexander Bryden, using schist stone. The hall was commissioned after Dunoon became a police burgh in 1868, following population growth linked to the fishing industry. The building once accommodated 700 people in its main assembly hall. During the Second World War, it served as a centre for allocating homes to 1,000 evacuee children from Glasgow. After falling into disrepair, it was restored by the John McAslan Family Trust and reopened in 2017 as an arts and culture hub. Visitors find a refurbished hall with a main assembly space and upper floors now used for arts activities. The stained glass rose window, designed by Ballantine and Allan, depicts a Viking. The building’s Hanover Street elevation features a stone carving with the initials of Robert Leslie Smith, a former provost.