An early Bo’ness Fair from the 1890s, outside Kinneil House in Bo’ness. Picture Courtesy of Falkirk Museums. The House will be open to visitors again on June 27.
KINNEIL House – one of the first locations for the Bo’ness Children’s Fair Festival – is opening its doors to visitors . . . . the day after this year’s Fair.
Free guided tours of the Bo’ness mansion will be available on Saturday, June 27, from noon to 4 p.m. (last admission 3.30 p.m.) Neighbouring Kinneil Museum will also be open.
A spokesperson for The Friends of Kinneil charity, which is opening the House in conjunction with Historic Scotland, said: “The House is normally closed to the public for most of the year. However, we’ve been working with Historic Scotland to run a number of free open days each year to improve public access.
"As Kinneil was an early backdrop for the Children’s Fairs in Bo’ness, we always try to make it part of the annual celebrations – and are staging the summer open day at Kinneil the day after this year’s Fair.
"Kinneil House is a fantastic building and we hope lots of people will take advantage of the free tours during the Saturday opening."
Kinneil House, which dominates Kinneil Estate, dates back to the 15th century and was once a popular home for the Dukes of Hamilton. The building was re-modelled in the 1540s and transformed into a stately home in the 1660s. The Friends of Kinneil has been working closely with Historic Scotland to improve access to the building, which boasts some of the best renaissance wall paintings in Scotland.
Find out more at www.kinneil.org.uk/2009opendays
NOTES TO EDITORS
Kinneil House and Museum is just off the A993 – the main road through Bo’ness. For location information visit www.kinneil.org.uk/map or call Kinneil Museum on 01506 778530 .
Bo’ness Children’s Fair is thought to be the biggest event of its type in Scotland. Modelled on Lanark’s Lanimer Day, it was launched in 1897 – and involves the coronation of a Fair Queen. The Children’s Fair grew out of earlier Miners’ celebrations in Bo’ness, which included visits to Kinneil House for whisky toddies, provided by the Duke of Hamilton’s Factor.
Kinneil House is one of around 350 outstanding historic properties and sites in the care of Historic Scotland. These include some of the leading tourism attractions in the country, including Stirling, Edinburgh and Urquhart Castles, Fort George, Linlithgow Palace, the Border Abbeys, and Skara Brae. Find out more by visiting www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
Kinneil 