Skip to content
© Marcin Klimek Kinneil fortlet, a rectangle of low stone kerbing and modern wooden marker posts surrounded by grass, trees, and sky beyond.

Kinneil

In a field to the west of Kinneil House you can see the only example of Antonine Wall fortlet remains still visible today.

Visiting Kinneil

Facilities at or near this site

  • parking iconParking
  • toilets iconToilets
  • local cafe iconLocal cafe
  • sculpture iconSculpture
  • museum iconMuseum

Accessibility

The site can be accessed from the car park off Provost Road, Bo’ness. Then follow the signposted path to the west of (behind) the house and past the ruins of Kinneil Church and a small pond. The path is uneven and unpaved, with areas of grass.

More information

Learn more about the local area on the council’s website.

Council's Website

Find out more about visiting here at Visit Scotland.

Visit Scotland

History

The fortlet at Kinneil was discovered in the 1970’s alongside portions of the wall’s rampart and ditch. After excavations, the fortlet was partially preserved and put on public display. The walk from Kinneil House to the site of the fortlet takes visitors over the site of a medieval village that was removed in the late 17th century. Several times a year Kinneil House itself is open for public viewing with exhibits containing Roman artefacts.

© Marcin Klimek Kinneil fortlet, a rectangle of low stone kerbing and modern wooden marker posts surrounded by grass, trees, and sky beyond.

© Marcin Klimek

What can I see today?

Today the fortlet is marked out by original stone kerbing of its ramparts and stone paving fills out the areas where original stonework has not survived. Timber posts mark out the location of Roman period post-holes, which give an indication of the gateways to the fortlet and its internal buildings. The Antonine Wall ditch can be partially traced in the fields between Kinneil House and the fortlet.

Reconstruction of Kinneil Fortlet.

What was found there?

A range of finds have been recovered from the fortlets interior including butchered cattle bones, part of a decorated bronze harness strap, an axe head, and a range of Roman pottery.

Horse harness fitting, Kinneil

Shoe reconstruction, Kinneil

Where can I learn more?

Find out more about the discovery and investigation of Kinneil fortlet.

Home to both soldiers and civilians, learn about the lives of the people who made the Antonine Wall their home.

Explore more sites

Polmont Woods

© Rediscovering the Antonine Wall Inveravon Fort or annexe site. Woods to the right with fields, houses, and Grangemouth to the left. The Forth estuary beyond.

Bridgeness

© Rediscovering the Antonine Wall The replica Bridgeness Slab. A rectangle of sandstone carved in high relief set in a stone wall. Grass and blue sky beyond.