At the heart of Greenock – on the west coast of Scotland – is a complex which celebrates James Watt, learning and local heritage.
This is the Watt Institution – a series of buildings housing the Watt Library, the Watt Hall and McLean Museum and Art Gallery.
The buildings cover part of Union Street and Kelly Street in the town.
The Library was established first – to house a memorial statue of the great Greenock-born inventor James Watt and provide a new home for Greenock Library.
The campus was then extended with the help of another architect to create the adjoining Hall and Museum. The final section was opened in 1876.
In recent years the complex has undergone a £2 million refurbishment programme. It reopened to the public in November 2019.
We spoke to Lorraine Murray, the archivist at Inverclyde Archives – part of Inverclyde Council – about the complex.
