• New series of open days gets underway on March 24
• Longer opening hours to meet growing demand for access
• New-style timed tours, leaving from neighbouring Kinneil Museum

It boasts some of the best renaissance wall paintings in Scotland. It was home to one of the most noble families in the country, the Hamiltons. And it’s opening its doors again in 2018.

Historic Kinneil House in Bo’ness – which dates back the late 15th century – is staging a series of free open days this year, starting on Saturday, March 24.

The events will include appearances from costumed interpreters and entertainers – from Romans to Renaissance singers (and even modern-day Rangers). There will also be extended opening hours to deal with growing visitor numbers.

The tours have been organised by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) in conjunction with volunteers from the award-winning Friends of Kinneil charity.

Maria Ford from The Friends said: “Kinneil is a wonderful old building with an amazing history. Our open days aim to bring the site alive with a range of themed experiences, tying into local and national festivals such as Festival of Museums and Doors Open Days.

“All of the tours are free of charge – and there’s no need to book in advance. We’ll allocate places on the day. So, come along on the open days and we’ll show you inside!”

This year, the Friends will run timed tours leaving from Kinneil Museum (in front of the House). These will leave every 15 minutes – up until the last tour, which will be 30 minutes before closing time.

The open days will take place on:

• Saturday, March 24, 2018;
• Sunday, April 22, 2018;
• Friday, May 18, 2018 (evening event);
• Sunday, May 20, 2018;
• Sunday, June 24, 2018;
• Sunday, August 26, 2018;
• Saturday, September 15, 2018; and
• Sunday, October 28, 2018.

(Click on hyperlinks above for more info.)

Tours will start at noon each day – and run until 4 p.m. (last admission 3.30 p.m.) – with the exception of the evening opening on May 18, when the House will be open from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. (with the last admission at 7 p.m.)

Please note that, for safety reasons, numbers on tours are restricted.

Maria said: “Last year, thanks to an investment by Historic Environment Scotland, new areas of the House were opened to the public: extra rooms within the ‘Palace’ section and a viewing platform within the oldest area, the original Tower House.

“Interest in the building grew substantially, with 2,498 people visiting in just eight days in 2017. By comparison, the same number of events in 2016 attracted 1,763 people.”

The first event on March 24 has been organised to tie with the Hippodrome Silent Film Festival – http://www.hippfest.co.uk – running at the nearby Bo’ness Hippodrome, Scotland’s first purpose-built cinema.

“With lots of visitors coming to the town for the Festival, we thought it was a good idea to open Kinneil House at the same time,” said Maria. “The March 24 afternoon opening will allow Festival-goers the chance to have a quick tour of this wonderful building and then go to the movies later in the day. Like the Hippodrome, the House is an A-listed building and a magnificent place to visit.”

Kinneil House is on the John Muir Way – one of Scotland’s Great Trails.

As part of a series of events to tie in with John Muir’s birthday, the House will be open on Sunday, April 22. A costumed interpreter will also be on hand to entertain visitors.

For the Scottish Festival of Museums and the UK’s Museums at Night celebrations in May, Kinneil House will be opening at night – on Friday, May 18. There will also be events and free goodie bags at Kinneil Museum next door – and a bat hunt in the grounds of the big house.

A second Festival of Museums event will be held on Sunday, May 20, with Historic Environment Scotland’s Rangers taking visitors around the surrounding Kinneil Estate, which includes ponds, woodland and a cottage used by inventor James Watt.

June will see Bo’ness get dressed up for its annual Children’s Fair Festival. Kinneil House – an early location for the festival – will open the Sunday before the Fair, on June 24. There are also plans to bring another costumed interpreter to the site.

There will also be an open event on Sunday, August 26, with performances from renaissance singers The Gargoyles of Gargunnock. The HES Rangers will also be back to do Estate tours.

In September, the House – and its wider estate – will be the focus for Big Roman Week, a festival celebrating Falkirk district’s Roman roots. A full programme of events will be revealed later this year – but The Big Roman Day, with appearances by the Antonine Guard re-enactment group, will be at Kinneil on September 15.

The 2018 programme will end with a Hallowe’en themed opening at Kinneil House on Sunday, October 28. The House is reputed to be haunted by the ghost of a white lady.

Malcolm Brown, the District Visitor Operations Manager at Historic Environment Scotland’s Linlithgow Hub, said: “We’re looking forward to the new season at Kinneil.

“We had a great response to opening new sections of the House last year, and also improved the visitor experience with the addition of new lighting and interpretation within the building.

“This year, the Friends will take tours from Kinneil Museum. So, if you do have to wait for access, you’ll be able to enjoy the other attractions in the museum itself. Hopefully, there will be no more queuing outside!

“As ever, the House tours are free of charge and will offer a variety of experiences throughout the year. Look out for costumed interpreters, themed events and walks in the grounds.”

He added: “Although you can tour the grounds of Kinneil House throughout the year, you can only see inside the building on these special open days. We hope that families from across Scotland – and further afield – will pay a visit to Kinneil this year.”

Falkirk Community Trust is opening Kinneil Museum at additional times to tie in with Kinneil House open events.

For more information on open days click http://www.kinneil.org.uk or pick up a leaflet from libraries and local tourist attractions in the Falkirk Council area.

History fans can also keep in touch with updates through social media at www.facebook.com/kinneil and www.twitter.com/kinneil

NOTES TO EDITORS:

The Friends of Kinneil was set up in 2006 to promote Kinneil Estate and Nature Reserve in Bo’ness. The charity organises Kinneil House open days and other events for members and visitors. (No. SC038368). The group won a Scottish Heritage Angel Award in 2016. To find out more, visit http://www.kinneil.org.uk

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 Silent Film Festival (running this year from Wednesday, March 21 to Sunday, March 25, 2018). Find out more at falkirkcommunitytrust.org – or go directly to the Festival page: http://www.hippfest.co.uk

Historic Scotland and RCAHMS came together in 2015 to form a new lead public body charged with caring for, protecting and promoting the historic environment. The new body, Historic Environment Scotland (HES), leads on delivering Scotland’s first strategy for the historic environment, Our Place in Time. The body cares for Kinneil House using the existing Historic Scotland brand. Historic Environment Scotland is a registered Scottish Charity. Scottish Charity No. SC045925. You can keep up to date with news from Historic Environment Scotland and register for media release email alerts at https://www.historicenvironment.scot/about-us/news/

More on the history of Kinneil House on the HES website – http://j.mp/2GxRqmY

Images of Kinneil House and Estate are available on request. Email: info@kinneil.org.uk

Media organisations can also download images (free for editorial use) from
http://bit.ly/kinneil-pics

Kinneil House and Estate are on the western edge of Bo’ness in central Scotland, just off the A904 and A993, and are part of the Frontiers of The Roman Empire World Heritage Site. The John Muir Way also runs through the site. For satellite navigation devices, use the postcode EH51 0PR.

Media enquiries: tel. 01506 823714 or 01506 510629; email: info@kinneil.org.uk . More contact details at kinneil.org.uk/friends

The Friends of Kinneil is a registered charity
Charity Registration Number : SC038368
Email us: info@kinneil.org.uk

The Friends of Kinneil and Historic Environment Scotland have finalised the dates for the 2018 open events at Kinneil House, Bo’ness.

The historic mansion will stage eight free events during the year.

Leaflets, giving more information, are available from venues around the Bo’ness area, including Kinneil Museum and Bo’ness Library.

The first event will take place on Saturday, March 24, from noon to 4 p.m. (last admission 3.30 p.m.)

Please note that House tours will take place every 15 minutes, leaving from the museum. You’ll get tickets and more information from volunteers within the museum.

The event has been organised to support the Hippodrome Silent Film Festival, taking place in Bo’ness that weekend. Silent movies will also be on show inside Kinneil Museum on March 24.

Read our press release on the 2018 season.

Keep visiting this site and the Friends of Kinneil on social media for updates.

The Friends of Kinneil charity is running its James Watt Supper in St. Mary’s Church Hall off Linlithgow Road, Bo’ness, this Friday, January 19.

The event celebrates the birthday of James Watt – the Scots inventor who did some of his early work to develop the steam engine at Kinneil. The event kicks off at 7 p.m.

Tickets cost £10 for members and £15 for non-members. Anyone interested in attending should email: info@kinneil.org.uk or call 01506 510629.

The Friends will provide food and some non-alcoholic drinks. If you’d like an alcoholic drink, please bring it with you.

There will also be speeches and entertainment.

The menu for the event is printed below:

Starter:
Scotch broth
Lentil Soup [vegetarian]
Crusty Bread / Butter

Mains – Salmagundi:
Steamed Salmon
Roast Rib of Beef
Honey & Clove Ham
Roast Chicken
Vintage Cheese Quiche
Prawns – Mussels – Crabsticks
Vegetable Stuffed Peppers
Cheese Slices
Variety of Potato Salads [Cheese – Coconut – Spring Onion]
Shredded Coleslaw
Vegetables in Mayonnaise
Dried Fruits – Dates – Walnuts – Sultanas
Shredded carrot
Lettuce – Tomato – Celery
Peaches
Vegetable Pickles – Onions – Beetroot
Stuffed Eggs

Sweet:
James Watt birthday cake
Apple Pie
Steaming Clootie Dumpling
Cream – Custard

Tea/Coffee

Shortbread and Homemade Tablet

Barbara McConnell (second from right) is the Step Forth co-ordinator for Falkirk Community Trust. The charity co-ordinates volunteer-led health walks at Kinneil Estate, three times a week.

Barbara says: “I love Kinneil Estate. It’s where I started my first walks as Step Forth walking co-ordinator.

“If ever I feel a little down or stressed I go down to Kinneil and have a lovely walk with my walk leaders.

“Kinneil is beautiful. There is always something to see.

“I was there with my Nordic walking group yesterday.

“The woods had a blanket of golden leaves and the colours on the trees were just beautiful.

“The pond was glittering in the sun (oh yes, there was sun!)

“It’s such a calm place and full of history. The (Kinneil) House is just stunning when you walk up the drive.

“Our group walked around the Estate then back to have a look in the museum.  There was so much to read and see it was very interesting. Go and have a look. It’s amazing.

” . . . And if you want a wee bit company, join our (Kinneil) walking groups, Mondays 10.30 a.m., Thursdays 10.30 a.m. and Tuesdays at 2 p.m. all from the front of the museum.”

Find out more about Kinneil health walks here.

Barbara’s Nordic walking group explore Kinneil Woods.

Archaeologists and historians have been working together, delving into documents and surveying Kinneil House. They presented their findings at a special Experts’ Day in Bo’ness on November 19.

You can listen to audio from the event by clicking the player links below.

The audio is also available on Soundcloud.

The speakers were:

• Arkady Hodge, on documentary history;
• Tom Addyman, discussing the building’s archaeology;
• Michael Pearce, on inventories/reconstructing the interior;
• Adrian Maldonado, talking about the Kinneil Cross; and
• Geoff Bailey, discussing the designed landscape and setting.

Arkady Hodge

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Arkady is an independent historian with a wide knowledge of medieval and later Scottish History.  He has undertaken many research projects on Historic Environment Scotland properties including Edinburgh Castle, Inchcolm Abbey and of course Kinneil House.  For this project, he trawled through archival material uncovering some previously overlooked documents which shed new light on how the 16^th century Hamilton family saw themselves and how they furnished their house.

Tom Addyman

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Tom is an archaeologist with particular skills in interpreting standing buildings.  He established Addyman Archaeology,  a division of Simpson and Brown Architects, which is now one of the leading archaeological companies in the north of Britain concerned with historic building, recording and analysis. He has undertaken building analysis for English Heritage at Bolsover Castle, and National Trust for Scotland at Culzean Castle and Historic Scotland at Queensberry House, part of the Scottish Parliament site.  His close examination of Kinneil House has helped revise the generally accepted story of its development.

Michael Pearce

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Michael is an independent historian and expert in medieval and renaissance interiors, including painted decoration.  He has undertaken many research projects for Historic Environment Scotland including recent work on Craignethan Castle, which like Kinneil was built for a branch of the Hamilton family.  Michael’s particular expertise enables him to assess the painted decoration within the house and also share some fascinating details of how the family used the house, down to what was on their table for dinner!

Adrian Maldonado

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Adrian is an archaeologist and Research Associate with the Glasgow Iona Research Group, University of Glasgow. He specialises in archaeology of the late Iron Age, early monasticism and medieval Christianity and has most recently been involved with a major project on the early monastic site at Iona Abbey. Adrian will talk about the unique Kinneil Cross, giving us some context and background for this very remarkable piece of sculpture.

Geoff Bailey

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Geoff is Archaeologist & Keeper of Local History for Falkirk Community Trust.  He has an unparalleled knowledge of the Bo’ness area, and of Kinneil House in its wider context, including its relationship to the Antonine Wall and later settlements.  He has published widely on the history and archaeology of the area.  He brings this deep understanding to the project to talk about the designed landscape around Kinneil in its heyday.

The Experts’ Day was organised by Historic Environment Scotland (Charity Reg. No. SC045925) with the support of The Friends of Kinneil (Charity Reg. No. SC038368) and Falkirk Community Trust (Charity Reg. No. SC042403).

The Hippodrome Cinema in Bo’ness – the main venue for the free community conference, exploring the history of Kinneil House.

Did you know that whenever you buy anything online – from your weekly shop to your annual holiday – you could be collecting free donations for The Friends of Kinneil?

There are over 3,000 shops and sites on board ready to make a donation, including Amazon, John Lewis, Aviva, thetrainline and Sainsbury’s – it doesn’t cost you a penny extra!

It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3…

1. Head to https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/fokinneil/ and join for free.

2. Every time you shop online, go to easyfundraising first to find the site you want and start shopping.

3. After you’ve checked out, that retailer will make a donation to your good cause for no extra cost whatsoever!

There are no catches or hidden charges and The Friends of Kinneil will be really grateful for your donations.

Thank you for your support.

The Friends of Kinneil is a registered Scottish charity. Charity registration number: SC038368.

HISTORIC Kinneil Museum is located in the former coachhouse of the imposing Kinneil House, on the western edge of Bo’ness. The museum is open all year, normally every day except Tuesdays, from 12.30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The venue features displays on the history of Kinneil and the wider Bo’ness area, audio visual shows and interactive displays.

For details, visit the Falkirk Community Trust website, which runs the museum on behalf of Falkirk Council.

You’ll also find directions to the museum and the surrounding Kinneil Estate here.

Historic Kinneil House in Bo’ness will come under the spotlight at a free conference this Sunday, November 19, 2017

The “Experts Day” will take place at the nearby Hippodrome Cinema in Bo’ness town centre. Members of the public are being invited to attend.

The event has been organised by Historic Environment Scotland and The Friends of Kinneil.

A spokesman for the organisers said: “Archaeologists and historians have been working together, delving into documents and surveying Kinneil House. Together they can shed more light on the building than ever before and paint a picture of how it was in its heyday. We’re encouraging anyone interested in Kinneil to come along to this free event and to hear from our guest speakers.”

Doors open at the Hippodrome at 10 a.m. on Sunday. To book a free ticket, visit www.kinneil.org.uk/expertsday or call 01506 823714. The ticket includes a snack lunch and further presentations in Bo’ness Library on Sunday afternoon.

The speakers will include:

• Tom Addyman, discussing the archaeology of Kinneil House;
• Arkady Hodge, on documentary history;
• Michael Pearce, on inventories/reconstructing the interior;
• Geoff Bailey, discussing the designed landscape and setting; and
• Adrian Maldonado, talking about the Kinneil Cross (on display within the House).

To find out more about the speakers and the event visit www.kinneil.org.uk/expertsday

Built next to the Antonine Wall, Kinneil House was the chief seat of the powerful and wealthy Hamilton family. Subject to extensions and refurbishments over 300 years, it reflected the Hamiltons’ high status both inside and out. The building is open on selected days throughout the year and boasts some of the best renaissance wall paintings in Scotland.

The house has a good claim to being the birthplace of the improved steam engine. The pioneering Scots engineer James Watt developed his first engine in a small workshop beside the mansion in the 1700s.

The grounds also feature remains of the Roman Antonine Wall, now part of a World Heritage Site. There is also a small museum, which is open throughout the year.

The Friends of Kinneil is a registered charity
Charity Registration Number : SC038368

Visit us online at: www.kinneil.org.uk
Email us: info@kinneil.org.uk

Mysterious (and famous) … Kinneil House

Gosh! What would Uncle Quentin say?

They’ve explored a Treasure Island and Mystery Moor. They went up Billycock Hill and found a Secret Trail.

Now The Famous Five have had an adventure at Kinneil House in Bo’ness.

It’s all thanks to the writing efforts of children at the nearby Kinneil Primary School – who devised a new story for the four famous children and Timmy, the dog.

The Kinneil kids shared their efforts using text, images and video through Microsoft’s Sway presentation program.

It was so good the youngsters’ production has won a national competition … scooping thousands of pounds worth of prizes for the school, plus praise from tech giants Microsoft and Hachette, which owns the Enid Blyton brand.

Pupils devised “Five Go To Kinneil House” – about the Famous Five’s bid to catch two diamond thieves at the historic venue. (See/read their entry here.)

Their efforts won them:

• a Famous Five book for every child in the school;
• a copy of every Enid Blyton book that Hodder Children’s Books has published, for the school library;
• Five Surface Pro 4 computers for the class;
• a Surface Pro 4 for their teacher;
• a hamper of fun games, treats and T-shirts; and
• a bespoke cover designed by Enid Blyton’s publisher, Hachette Children’s Group.

Kinneil class teacher Lauren Young said: “The competition was a fantastic project to take part in, and it created a real buzz in the classroom. It encompassed many parts of the curriculum and allowed the children to share their talents and learning in different ways through writing, drama, art and technology. Enid Blyton’s stories encouraged the children to read more and her style and structure gave the children a great basis to build their stories on. I could not be more proud of the children for this fantastic achievement.”

The competition was organised to mark the 75th anniversary of the Famous Five books.
It challenged children in Year 4 and Primary 5 classes (aged eight and nine) to write a story of between 500 and 800 words in the style of the classic Enid Blyton novels.

The stories had to focus on an exciting location or place of local interest, and adopt the same five-step structure that Blyton used: set up, journey, adventure, resolution, return home.

Hachette gave the Kinneil Primary entry its top prize because it was a “great story and the multimedia presentation was outstanding”.

The publishers said: “They (the Kinneil pupils) had a mix of videos that they had scripted, cast and filmed, plus recorded dialogue and photos and drawings which told parts of the story in different ways, but everything flowed very cohesively. They had clearly put a massive amount of energy and effort into their entry.”

Lucy Upton, Group Marketing Director for Hachette Children’s Group, said the firm was delighted to team up with Microsoft to run the writing competition.

Ian Fordham, Director of Education at Microsoft said: “Blyton’s books are known and loved by children and adults across the world, and we hope they inspire young people to tell some amazing tales of their own.”

Kinneil House has some fantastic real-life stories of its own to share. Visit Kinneil Museum this winter to find out more and discover the Famous Five (or more) faces associated with the House and its wider estate.

Open days at Kinneil House are due to resume in the spring of 2018.

www.kinneil.org.uk/attractions

• Read the Microsoft press release here
• Visit the official Enid Blyton site

Historic Kinneil House in Bo’ness hosts its last open day of 2017 today, Sunday, October 29 … just in time for Halloween.

There will be free spooky tours for families to enjoy. Kinneil Museum, next to the House, will also be open.

If you’re coming along, here are a few things to bear in mind.

1. Kinneil House will be open from 1 to 4 p.m. on October 29, with the last admission at 3.30 p.m. – so don’t be late.
2. Volunteer guides will be telling spooky stories about the building itself and about local people tried for witchcraft. If you’re easily scared, this isn’t for you. Read our press release.
3. Children are being encouraged to dress up. The best dressed child will win a book token for the fabulous Inkspot and Silverleaf bookshop in Bo’ness.
4. To be considered for the prize, kids (and parents) need to climb to the top of the House and get their picture taken (to help us judge entries). You’ll also need to leave your details – without those we can’t get in touch with you. We’ll reveal the winner via our Facebook page the week after the open day.
5. We will use the pictures of fancy dress entrants on our web pages and social media. If you don’t want your child’s picture re-used please let us know.
6. Children under 16 also need to be accompanied by an adult to gain entry to the House.
7. We’ll be doing timed tours so you may have to wait a little to get in. Be patient! It’s worth it.
8. The House also features wonderful renaissance painted rooms. You can see pictures on our website.
9. The separate Kinneil Museum will be open (from 12.30 p.m. to 4 p.m.) Again, admission is free. Please note the museum is open a little longer than the House!
10. The museum features hands-on displays and film shows. There’s also a public toilet with baby changing facilities.
11. There will also be a pop-up coffee/drinks stall selling hot and cold drinks, chocolate and crisps inside the museum. Profits go to The Friends of Kinneil charity.
12. If the House is very busy, consider visiting Kinneil Museum first – and then the House (but make sure you get into the House for 3.30 p.m.)
13. Visitors will be able to park in the grounds in front of the House. Motorists should be aware the estate will be busy, so watch out for pedestrians.
14. If you need directions, visit www.kinneil.org.uk/map – or type in EH51 0PR into your Sat Nav.
15. We welcome feedback. If there’s a problem on the day, ask one of the staff or volunteers on duty. We’ll try to help as much as we can.
16. You can also leave a review on TripAdvisor. For links see www.kinneil.org.uk/review
17. People with disabilities are very welcome. Most of the key events take place on the ground floor of Kinneil House. There are a few stairs into the building. There are also two further floors to visit, accessible by a spiral staircase. Sadly there’s no lift in this historic building. Kinneil Museum, however, has a fully accessible ground floor and toilet and has a ramped access.
18. Enjoy your visit. Any questions, please email us: info@kinneil.org.uk

Thanks to everyone for all their support in 2017, particularly our partners at Historic Environment Scotland and Falkirk Community Trust.

We’ll be running more Kinneil House open days next year. Keep visiting our website at www.kinneil.org.uk – and social media channels on Twitter and Facebook for updates.