Picture House

Tower Street,
Tain, IV19

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Caledonian Associated Cinemas Ltd.

Firms: Andrew Maitland & Sons

Styles: Renaissance Revival

Previous Names: Town Hall Cinema, Picture Palace

Nearby Theaters

Picture House

Built as a Town Hall in 1874-76,in a Renaissance style. The architect was Andrew Maitland and Sons.

It became the Town Hall Cinema in the 1920’s and the proscenium was 17 feet wide. This name continued until by 1937, when it was re-named Picture Palace, with films booked by A.B. King. In 1939 it was the Picture House, bookings still by A.B. King. In 1954 it was being operated by Caledonian Associated Cinemas Ltd. and CinemaScope was installed, the proscenium was now 21 feet wide, perhaps brought forward of the original one.

The Picture House had gone from listings in the late-1960’s. There were efforts in recent years by the Tain Picture House Restoration Trust to restore the building, but these seem to have stalled.

On 29th October 1982, Historic Scotland designated the Picture House a Grade B Listed building.

Contributed by Ken Roe

Recent comments (view all 3 comments)

garypainter
garypainter on April 4, 2008 at 7:08 pm

Exterior photograph here:

View link

CSWalczak
CSWalczak on August 14, 2012 at 11:43 am

This YouTube video includes footage taken inside of what the Picture House.

Ron Knee
Ron Knee on March 10, 2020 at 5:50 am

The Tain Picture house closed in 1970. My photo here of a poster for February 1969 that films during the year were now only shown on Saturday evenings.

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