Excellent little museum housed in the 17th century stable block of Kinneil House. Normally open six days a week, every day except Tuesdays (from April 2016) from 12.30 p.m. to 4 p.m. (plus at additional times to tie in with Kinneil House open days – see our homepage for details). Admission free. Features shop, audio visual show, displays and artefacts dating back to Roman Times. An excellent place to start your visit. Call the Museum on 01506 778530.
- Visit the Kinneil Museum webpage
- See the new ground floor displays at Kinneil Museum (photo gallery)
- Visit Museum Galleries Scotland page on Kinneil Museum
Historic home of the Dukes of Hamilton. Dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries. Open on selected days throughout the year. Guides from The Friends of Kinneil take people through the House and tell its fascinating story. Look out for the rare renaissance wall paintings – said to be the best in Scotland – and the resident ghost. Free admission. Check with Kinneil Museum for information on the next open days – or click on the link on our homepage.
- 2016 open days at Kinneil House – see inside for free!
- Visit the Kinneil House webpage on the Historic Environment Scotland site
Download a 1940 report on the paintings inside Kinneil House (large PDF)
KINNEIL CHURCH
Ruins of the 12th century church at Kinneil lie a short distance to the west of Kinneil House. Just walk over the bridge, crossing a rocky ravine, to reach the site. The site is one of the earliest places for religious worship in the area. It was abandoned in the 17th century and partly destroyed by fire shortly after. All that remains is the western gable end and some historic gravestones. A bell from the church can be seen in Kinneil Museum.
Look out for spring daffodils, planted around the church.
You can also visit the surrounding acres of woodland and two ponds – and see coots, buzzards and swans – plus many other animals. There are occasional guided walks through the park. Check with Kinneil Museum for details. (In addition Step Forth runs health walks around the estate, usually three times a week. See www.kinneil.org.uk/walk for details – or ask at the Museum to find out more.)
A walk around the Woods and estate is listed on the Walking Scotland website. This route and associated map is available and can be found in the Footprint Guide ‘Falkirk & Bo’ness’ available from Tourist Information Centres or from our online store.
JAMES WATT’S COTTAGE
Small outbuilding, to the rear of Kinneil House, where inventor James Watt worked on his development of the steam engine. The experiments were supported by industrialist John Roebuck, who was living in Kinneil House at the time. The building, which now has no roof or door, dates back to the mid 1700s.
One of the milecastles built by the Romans around 140 AD as part of the Antonine Wall, the Empire’s most northerly frontier. Part of the roadway into the fortlet has been excavated. Posts and paving slabs mark the outline of the fortlet buildings. The line of the wall has also been partly reconstructed. Remains from the fortlet, and more information, can be seen in Kinneil Museum.
Download a PDF telling you more about the excavations at Kinneil Fortlet- See a video about the fortlet and Antonine Wall on YouTube.
- Visit the Antonine Wall website.
- Read more about Kinneil on the Roman Britain website.
These publications were produced as part of the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. They are now located online and can be downloaded free of charge for private study.
- Find out more about Kinneil Estate on the Undiscovered Scotland website and
- the surrounding area on the Unlock Bo’ness website.
