Lamlash is the seat of Arran's local government offices, and is also the location of the island's police station, secondary school and hospital.

The village has several buildings of historical interest, including Hamilton Terrace, which consists of two rows of single storey-and-attic cottages on the Lamlash seafront, arranged in pairs.

[6] The name Lamlash dates back to the 6th Century hermitage of Saint Molaise, a Celtic monk born in Ireland but raised in Scotland, who, circa 590, spent some time in a cave on the neighbouring Holy Isle.

[8] When Mary, Queen of Scots was at Dumbarton Castle in February 1548 during the war of the Rough Wooing, the English commander Grey of Wilton proposed basing some warships at "Lammelashe" to watch for French ships.

Her ship was at first forced by adverse winds to return towards the Firth of Clyde, and anchored at the "roadstead of the isle of Lamlash" or "Lamelesche" on August 6.

Hamilton Terrace consists of two rows of single storey-and-attic cottages of which numbers 1–27 are on the Lamlash seafront, arranged in pairs.

The terrace is a major architectural feature of the village, designed by Sir John James Burnet and constructed in the late 19th century.

The Clearances (Scottish Gaelic: Fuadach nan Gàidheal, the expulsion of the Gael) is a period in the 18th and 19th centuries where large forced displacements of the rural population in Scotland took place as part of a process of agricultural change.

In general the Clearances on Arran seem to have been less brutal than in many other places in Scotland, but when the crofters in Glen Sannox had to make way for large-scale sheep farming, many of them saw no other option than to emigrate, and they departed from Lamlash.

Here at Lamlash on April 25, 1829 part of the clearance (86 souls) when embarking on the brig Caledonia (196 ton) the Rev.A.Mackay preached from The Mound (opposite) formed by the departing his text "Casting all your care upon him: for he careth for you" 1st Peter ch.5 v.7.

The largest group, more than 400, had as their destination the seaport town of Dalhousie, New Brunswick to be pioneer settlers of the Restigouche-Bay Chaleur District.

A chlann eilean mo ghaoil bithibh dileas d'a cheile.The monument was erected at the initiative of the Canadian descendants of the Arran emigrants.

St George's United Free Church stands on the northern end of Lamlash, on Bungalow Road in the Margnaheglish neighbourhood.

As part of that objective, the Trust ran many events and brought touring companies to Arran, but because of "wider political issues" the plan never materialised.

In February 2007, the North Ayrshire Council commissioned ARP Lorimer and Associates (ARPL) to carry out a townscape audit for the Lamlash seafront with the specific assignment (i.a.)

ARPL suggested to convert the church into three apartments and to build some new development to the rear to make it financially viable (just as CRGP Architects had requested 3 years earlier), and advised the Council to encourage the owner to progress the development to ensure the building did not decline to the point where demolition is required.

Minutes from the Arran Community Council show that the future of the church is a regular topic of debate, but difficulty in contacting the private owner or convincing him to cooperate seem to be (part of) the reason that there has been no progress to date.

It is a T-plan, aisleless, Gothic-style church built in 1886 by architect Hugh Barclay in red sandstone with a campanile-like tower.

[22] The Lookout was an early to mid-19th-century classical villa with prominent corner pilasters and Tudor Jacobean details, located on the main road close to the shore.

In October 2002, the North Ayrshire Council turned down an application by John Thomson Construction Limited (from Lamlash) to have the building demolished.

It was argued that demolition would be contrary to national policy and to the Isle of Arran Local Plan as it would have an adverse impact on the Lamlash Conservation Area.

[16] Then, in February 2007 the North Ayrshire Council commissioned ARP Lorimer and Associates (ARPL) to carry out a townscape audit for the Lamlash seafront with the specific assignment (i.a.)

It is hoped this NTZ will benefit the Lamlash economy by attracting scuba divers and by providing bigger and better catches for fishermen in the neighbouring overspill area.

It is also the first time that statutory protection has been given to a marine area as a result of proposals being developed at a grassroots level; in this case after a long campaign by the Community of Arran Seabed Trust (C.O.A.S.T.

The sea surrounding the south of Arran, including Lamlash, is now recognised as one of 31 Mature Conservation Marine Protected Areas in Scotland.