A BAT walk, goodie bags, musical entertainment and free tours of a historic house are being lined up for a special open evening this weekend.
Kinneil House and its neighbouring Museum in Bo’ness are both staging special events as part of the Scotland-wide Festival of Museums and the UK’s Museums at Night celebrations.
The A-listed Kinneil House – which boasts fine renaissance wall paintings – will be open for free tours from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday (May 16), with a last admission at 6.30 p.m.
The event will be complemented by an evening opening at Kinneil Museum, in the 17th century building next door. Visitors will be able to claim free goodie bags (subject to availability), try some of the hands on-displays, or even dress up in Roman gear. The Museum will be open from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday.
The evening will end with a free nature walk around the surrounding Kinneil Estate, and a hunt for bats! Bat fans should be ready to leave Kinneil Museum for 8.45 p.m. (Children under 16 must be accompanied by adults, and sadly dogs aren’t allowed in case they scare the bats!)
The Friends of Kinneil charity has been helping to organise the event in association with Falkirk Community Trust, Falkirk Council and Historic Scotland.
Said a spokesman: “It’s the third year we’ve worked with the Trust and partners to open Kinneil Museum at night.
“As an added attraction, we’re giving visitors the chance to also see inside the amazing Kinneil House. Since parts of this old building don’t have electric lights, we’re only doing this for the first hour – so if you want to see the House come along early!
“We’ll also be giving away free goodie bags to adults and children – packed with local information and some great treats. Kinneil Youth Band are also expected to entertain people outside Kinneil Museum around 7 p.m.”
“Full details are on our website – http://www.kinneil.org.uk .
“All the events are free, and there’s no need to book, just turn up.”
The evening event at Kinneil will complement further activities at Callendar House and Park in Falkirk over the weekend. Details at http://www.falkirkcommunitytrust.org/heritage/adventure.aspx or from www.festivalofmuseums.com
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BACKGROUND
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. (No. SC038368) To find out more, visit: http://www.kinneil.org.uk
2. Falkirk Community Trust manages Kinneil Museum and the surrounding Kinneil Estate on behalf of Falkirk Council. Find out more: www.falkirkcommunitytrust.org
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: http://www.facebook.com/visithistoricscotland
4. Images of Kinneil House and Estate are available on request. Email: publicity@kinneil.org.uk or download directly (free for editorial use) 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 