Standing 126 feet (38 m) high[2] on the shores of Loch Fyne, it is a landmark for miles and amongst the most notable bell towers in the United Kingdom.

[1] A popular tourist attraction, the tower is open to visitors during the summer months who come to admire the views or watch the famous bells being rung by the many change ringers who come from across the country to ring them.

[2][3][4][7] Inveraray is one of the wettest places in the United Kingdom, receiving over 70 inches (180 cm)[9] of rain each year and due to the remoteness of the location, the tower was not well maintained.

Rainwater flooded in through the huge louvres, further exacerbated by a lightning strike on November 28, 1944, which left damaged stone work and a hole in the roof.

The restoration included: Elsie Chaddock passed away in the late 1970s[4] and her husband, Norman, moved back to Yorkshire, passing control of the tower over to the Scottish Association of Change Ringers, who have carried out additional tasks, such as: These jobs continue to the present day, undertaken by volunteer ringers from Glasgow and Edinburgh, as the climate of Inveraray makes constant maintenance a necessity.

[1][3][4][5][7] The second stage of the tower contains the ringing chamber, lit on three sides by two-light windows, the north face is again blank due to the presence of the stair turret.

In more recent times, shutters have been fitted to the interior faces of these openings to protect against weather and to reduce the sound of the bells outside.

Whilst the tower was in the planning stages, John Taylor & Co of Loughborough, Leicestershire, were invited to cast a peal of bells suitable for the memorial.

The casting and manufacturing were completed by autumn 1921, and the first of several lorry loads from Loughborough to Inveraray, a journey of more than 350 miles,[15] left on 1 November 1921.

No further issues were encountered until 24 November when in the mountainous terrain of Glen Croe, a lorry carrying the lightest bells and framework was unable to make it up the Rest and Be Thankful pass, forcing the driver to stop passing motorists and ask for help unloading the treble bell so it could continue.

Whilst not ideal, it did have the effect that those living in the vicinity got used to the sound of the bells, albeit in a quieter timbre than full circle ringing.

The first full peal on the bells was the following year, being 5000 changes of Kent Treble Bob Royal, taking 4 hours and 3 minutes to complete.

[19] The bells of Inveraray are a diatonic ring of ten, hung in a massive cast iron frame made by Taylor's between 1920 and 1921.