CAMPBELTOWN War Memorial will undergo refurbishment work in time for this year’s Remembrance Day ceremony.  

Argyll and Bute Council has commissioned MBM Masonry to carry out work on the cenotaph, including repointing, waterproofing and removal of vegetation.  

Work will be carried out in two phases. The first stage, which will be completed before the Remembrance Parade, will involve repointing of the lower portion of the monument and thorough cleaning of the stone. Contractors have been asked to ensure that the war memorial is in a suitable condition for the Remembrance Day ceremony.  

The second stage will follow in spring, when the remainder of the pointing and waterproofing work will be completed before final cleaning.  

The council had hoped to complete the whole refurbishment before the beginning of November, but first had to identify funding for the project within its budgets and also carry out a tender process.  

Chairman of the War Memorial Restoration Committee and South Kintyre councillor, Donald Kelly, said: "I am pleased that we now have a clear way forward for this project, although I am extremely disappointed that, despite assurances, the work will carry over into the next financial year. 

"The Campbeltown War Memorial project is a very significant one, and we will continue to work with our partners in an effort to complete all aspects of the work in the forthcoming year." 

Additional information: 

Campbeltown War Memorial, located on the Esplanade, is a C-listed structure created by Alexander Nisbet Paterson. Commissioned in 1922, it was completed in 1923 and its striking appearance is reminiscent of Stirling’s Wallace Monument, designed in 1862 by J T Rochead.