HISTORIC Kinneil House in Bo’ness is opening its doors for free tours this Saturday, March 16.
The A-listed mansion, in Kinneil Estate, will be open from 10 a.m. until noon (with the last admission at 11.30 a.m.)
The open morning has been organised by the charity The Friends of Kinneil, in conjunction with Historic Scotland. Volunteers will be on hand to show people around a suite of rooms – said to boast some of the best Renaissance wall paintings in Scotland, and talk about the historical characters associated with the building.
The House dates back to the 15th century and was home to the powerful Dukes of Hamilton.
Saturday’s event is the first of six open days at Kinneil House in 2013. Others take place on April 20, 21, June 22, August 25 and October 27, 2013.
Full details are available online at www.kinneil.org.uk/2013opendays . Leaflets are also available at local libraries and other local outlets.
Saturday’s open morning has been organised to tie in with a Silent Film Festival, taking place at the nearby Hippodrome Cinema in Bo’ness. A cinema exhibition is also taking place at Kinneil Museum until March 19.
A spokesman for The Friends of Kinneil said: “Open days at Kinneil are always busy and we’d encourage people to come along early to ensure they get plenty of time to look around the impressive Kinneil House. You can also visit the nearby Kinneil Museum and tour the wonderful Kinneil Estate, which is packed with attractions, including a Roman fortlet and the ruins of a medieval church.
“Our first event, on Saturday March 16, ties in with the Silent Film Festival, being held at the nearby Hippodrome Cinema in Bo’ness. We’ve organised a special morning opening at Kinneil House – allowing visitors to tour the House and surrounding parkland and then go to the wonderful Hippodrome later in the day to see fantastic silent movies.
We hope the combination will pull lots of people to the local area.”
He added: “Kinneil House is a just short drive from the cinema. You can also enjoy a fantastic coastal walk between the venues. It takes around 30 to 40 minutes to walk – and you’re rewarded with fantastic scenery on the way.”
To find out more, and get updates, please visit www.kinneil.org.uk – or stay in touch using social media: www.facebook.com/kinneil or www.twitter.com/kinneil
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The Friends of Kinneil was set up in 2006 to promote Kinneil Estate and Foreshore in Bo’ness. The charity organises Kinneil House open days and other events for members and visitors. To find out more, visit http://www.kinneil.org.uk/friends.
2. Falkirk Community Trust manages Kinneil Museum and the surrounding Kinneil Estate on behalf of Falkirk Council. It also operates the Hippodrome Cinema in Bo’ness town centre and runs the Hippodrome Festival of Silent Cinema (running this year from Wednesday, March 13 to Sunday, March 17, 2013). Find out more www.falkirkcommunitytrust.org – or go direct to the Festival page:
3.Historic Scotland, which cares for Kinneil House, is an executive agency of the Scottish Government charged with safeguarding the nation’s historic environment. The agency is fully accountable to Scottish Ministers and through them to the Scottish Parliament. For more information visit http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk. Follow Historic Scotland on Twitter: @welovehistory and Facebook:
www.facebook.com/visithistoricscotland
4. Images of Kinneil House and Estate are available on request. Email:
publicity@kinneil.org.uk or download directly from http://bit.ly/kinneilpics
5. Kinneil Estate is on the western edge of Bo’ness in central Scotland, just off the A904 and A993 and is part of the Frontiers of The Roman Empire World Heritage Site. For satellite navigation devices, use the postcode EH51 0PR.
Kinneil 