Falkirk Council say Bo'ness museum to close for 12 days to allow management agreement to be put in place

As reported earlier this week, the town’s Kinneil Museum will close its doors from June 1, 2026 while negotiations are ongoing in reaching an agreement for its future.

The length of the closure was originally uncertain, however, Falkirk Council – who are looking to hand over the running of the museum to Historic Environment Scotland (HES) – have now said the temporary closure is likely to be for just 12 days while a short-term licence agreement is put in place.

They said the short closure will allow practical arrangements to be made.

An updated statement on the Kinneil Museum page of the Falkirk Leisure and Culture website, says: “Earlier this year, Falkirk Council agreed to defer the closure of Kinneil Museum from March 31 to May 31, 2026 to allow more time for discussions with Historic Environment Scotland (HES) regarding the future of the building.

"We are pleased to confirm that a short-term licence agreement is close to being reached with HES, who hope to assume management of the property from June 13, 2026 while longer-term arrangements are developed and finalised.

"To support the transition, Kinneil Museum will close temporarily from June 1 to 12. This short closure period will allow practical arrangements associated with the transfer of management to be completed.

"Council officers are working closely with HES to agree on any items from the museum that could remain on display at Kinneil and those that will be transferred to the council’s museum store for safe keeping.

"The council’s museum collection remains accessible online and continues to be updated with new information and research.

"Work is also progressing on proposals for a new publicly accessible museum store, creating future opportunities for residents and visitors to engage with the collection. Items currently on loan to the museum will be returned to their owners.

“Visitors to Kinneil can continue to access public toilets at the Walled Garden. Falkirk Council is working with Sustainable Thinking Scotland to further improve these facilities, with upgrades planned over the coming weeks, including new tiling and the installation of solar panels.

"HES has also confirmed that Kinneil House is open for the summer season and will continue to welcome visitors every Saturday until the end of September.

“Falkirk Council and HES have worked closely throughout this process and remain committed to securing a positive and sustainable future for the site as an important heritage destination for local residents and visitors alike.”

Kinneil Museum was originally set to be closed by the council at the end of March as part of its ongoing review of properties.

In March, councillors agreed to extend the deadline for the closure of the museum by two months to May 31 to allow talks to continue with Historic Environment Scotland (HES).

It had been hoped an agreement would have been reached that would have enabled a seamless transition between the management without the need to close.

However as the May 31 deadline approached it was looking like a closure period would be required as Falkirk Council said negotiations were ongoing and the museum would be closed until the outcome of the process.

They said the situation was similar to that of Grangemouth Stadium which closed temporarily while work progressed with the Community Benefit Licence for Grangemouth Community Sports Trust.

There had been some speculation over how long the museum would remain closed, however locals were reassured on Saturday when news emerged online that the planned closure is only for 12 days.

The award-winning museum, which has been operating for 50 years, was originally for the whole of Falkirk district, but it is now dedicated to the history of Bo’ness and Kinneil Estate.

The 17th century building is used as a visitor centre by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) when it offers tours of its neighbour, Kinneil House, during the summer months.