Kinneil House and Estate were very privileged to welcome His Majesty King Charles III for a royal visit on Monday 3 July – the highlight of the commemorations of the centenary of the house first coming into public ownership, and the estate becoming a public park, in 1922-3.
[Photo credit: Falkirk Council]
The King was received by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Falkirk and Stirling (Mr Alan Simpson) and introduced to other members of the official reception party.
After being greeted by music from the Unison Kinneil Band, and also the newly-crowned Bo’ness Fair Queen, Lexi Scotland, and her parents, the King toured the House and grounds, meeting representatives, staff and volunteers from a wide range of charitable organisations, as well as local residents who had gathered to watch the occasion. The King planted an apple tree in the orchard to mark the 100-year anniversary, and then saw the walled garden, gaining insight into the social enterprise and environmental projects run there.
[Photo credit: Falkirk Council]
Ian Shearer, Chairman of the Friends of Kinneil, said: “It was a huge honour for the local community, including such a wide range of volunteers, and for Kinneil to be involved in welcoming His Majesty the King. Kinneil Estate has over 2,000 years of exceptional multi-layered history, including significant royal connections.
“The King was able to see for himself not only Kinneil’s unique heritage and art, but also its environmental and social initiatives, community story and future potential. The visit was an exciting culmination to the recent Bo’ness Fair and Kinneil Centenary celebrations and a tribute to so many dedicated people, past and present, who have helped to bring it about.”
The Friends of Kinneil assisted, together with staff from Historic Environment Scotland, in showing the King the house, including its unique 16th/17th-Century wall paintings, and the James Watt Cottage, and in explaining Kinneil’s significant history.
Whilst meeting trustees and volunteers from Cycling Without Age Scotland, an organisation supporting people with mobility issues, the King also spoke to some of those who have benefited from their activity and to the oldest surviving Bo’ness Fair Queen, May Garrow, aged 99, who was crowned back in 1936. She was introduced to the King by Maria Ford of the Bo’ness Fair Committee, also past Chair of the Friends of Kinneil.
In the walled garden, which produces fruit and vegetables for local food banks, as well as bio-char, Sustainable Thinking Scotland gave insight into their valuable work and helped to introduce a range of other partners. His Majesty met, among others, representatives from Go! Youth – partners of The Prince’s Trust, who have supported over 200 young people in the Falkirk area to get into further education and gain employment opportunities – and members of the 3rd Bo’ness Scout Group.
We are very grateful to the following for permission to reproduce this gallery selection of their photographs from the occasion (all images copyright and not to be reproduced further without their permission):
– Falkirk Council / Vass Media
– Cycling Without Age Scotland SCIO / Scott Louden Photography
– David Queenan Photography.
Detailed video footage (c. 35 minutes in length) of the visit is also available here.
The full list of those represented during the visit included:
Falkirk Council
Martyn Day MP & Michelle Thomson MSP
Historic Environment Scotland
Bo’ness Community Council
Police Scotland
Unison Kinneil Band
The Friends of Kinneil
The Bo’ness Fair Committee
Cycling Without Age Scotland
TCV Scotland
Scouts Scotland and Bo’ness 3rd Scout Group
The Prince’s Trust
Go! Youth Trust
Sustainable Thinking Scotland
Bo’ness Storehouse Foodbank
Bo’ness Food Pantry (Old Kirk Foodbank)
Avonbridge Community Food
Rainbow Muslim Women’s Group SCIO
Falkirk District Association of Mental Health
Firstport
University of the Highlands & Islands
The Environmental Research Institute
Forth Environment Link
CVS Falkirk
Blackness Primary School.
Kinneil 
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