Guided tours of Kinneil House and Estate in Bo'ness are proving popular

The summer season has seen regular tours of the property, run by Historic Environment Scotland (HES), with members of the public having the chance to see inside each Saturday.

The surrounding parkland and free museum are open year-round, but the interior of the house is only open for tours on special days throughout the year which this year has been every Saturday from April to September.

The land belonged to the wealthy and influential Hamilton family, including James Hamilton, who was regent of Scotland from 1543 to 1554 and who built the present house. Its rare 16th and 17th century wall paintings are one of the highlights for visitors.

But it’s not just the inside of Kinneil House which has a story to tell. The vast expanse of the surrounding Kinneil Estate also has many.

There are many historic features around the estate and it’s through guided walks run by volunteers from the Friends of Kinneil that those visiting the site can explore and learn more.

Ian Shearer, chairman of the Friends of Kinneil explains: “Our walk runs during the lunch break for the house tours and shows visitors some of the other historic features outdoors in the estate.

"Kinneil was once described on the Undiscovered Scotland website as ‘the nearest thing you are likely to find to a history theme park anywhere in Scotland: made all the more impressive because it covers 2000 years’.”

The outdoor walk aims to complement the tours of the house and shows some of the wider history and heritage of the estate.

The walk runs at noon on Saturdays, until the end of September. Unlike the indoor tours there’s no need to book to join the walk, just meet the volunteer guide outside Kinneil Museum.

The walk, which lasts just under an hour, takes in James Watt Cottage, Kinneil Kirk and the Antonine Wall and it is free of charge, although donations to support the Friends of Kinneil may be made at the end.

Paul Rowland, roving manager for HES, said: “The tours have been going very well and the visitor numbers are very strong compared to sites of similar size within HES. The house was a bit of a blank canvas when we opened this season. A tour typically lasts around 45 minutes and visitors will see the tower, the kitchen with stone displays and the painted rooms.

"This season we added the Rediscovering the Antonine Wall exhibition to the top floor and it’s been very well received.

“The tower has recently been closed due to high level masonry inspections and it probably won’t open until next season.”

Kinneil House will be opening on Saturday, September 23 under the popular Doors Open Day banner. There will not be guided tours of the house that day, but instead HES staff and volunteers from the Friends of Kinneil on hand inside to provide information. The Antonine Guard will also be along on the day, marching and providing information on all things Roman. Full details of activities on offer on the day are yet to be revealed.

Tours inside Kinneil House are available on Saturdays at 10am, 11am, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm. Tickets must be booked in advance on the HES website.

The Friends of Kinneil guided walk around the estate starts at 12 noon with no requirement to book.