St George's United Free Church (Former), Lamlash

Erected by the Duke of Hamilton to replace the original 1774 church, this building is erected in the Early English style from pale brown sandstone with polished ashlar dressings of cream sandstone. A 2-stage buttressed spire rises in the south east, featuring a single lancet window at ground level and a tall Y-traceried window at the first floor. The tower is topped by a frieze of inset panels, a square pyramidal spire with lucarnes and an iron weathervane. An arched and gabletted central porch with a trefoil head, gabletted buttresses and a plain tympanum projects from the east elevation. 3-light lancet windows with hoodmoulds sit above, with a small cinquefoil window in the gablehead. The main body is composed of 5 bays separated by prominent gabletted buttresses , each of which contains a lancet window.

December 1993: Although permission has been granted to convert the church to an arts centre, work seems not to have commenced and the building remains empty. There is some resulting vegetation growth on the tops of the buttresses. October 1995: An application for European Regional Development funds is submitted. July 1995: Press reports indicate that the National Lottery has awarded Arran Festival Theatre £609,000 to refurbish the church into a theatre. November 1996: ERD funds are secured, although SCT receives information that the arts centre project may not now go ahead. A site for a larger development is now being sought. February 1998: The Festival Theatre Trust is seeking a buyer to convert and rehabilitate the building, possibly for residential use. Summer 1998: The church is sold to a private restorer with Outline Planning Permission to convert the building into dwellings. July 2000: Permissions are granted for conversion into 6 flats. January 2003: Local planners report no change. October 2004: Permissions are sought for conversion into 8 flats. SCT welcomes the application. 12 February 2005: The Arran Banner reports that permissions have been granted for conversion into 8 flats with a further 6 flats in a new extension to the rear.

September 2009: External inspection reveals that the church remains vacant. The masonry appears damp in places where the rainwater goods have failed and an array of vegetation including large tree saplings are growing from the masonry joints.

12 July 2012: External inspection finds the church is undergoing conversion to flats with an estimated completion date of 2014/15. Work is at an early stage. The steeple and walls remain home to some large bushes. Moved to Restoration in Progress.

8 October 2014: External inspection finds restoration works continue. The roof has been stripped in anticipation of re-slating and extensive scaffolding has allowed the steeple and front elevation to be repointed, clearned and vegetation removed.

5 November 2019: External inspection finds restoration works to be well advanced. Most of scaffolding is now removed and new roof and windows installed. All vegetation growths removed. Site secured by heras fencing.

20 April 2021: The partly-completed residential development is being marketed for sale through McEwan Fraser Legal at Offers Over £1,250,000.

18 January 2024: McEwan Fraser Legal website note the partly-completed residential development has been sold.

24 January 2024: McEwan Fraser Legal website note the partly-completed residential development has been sold.