HERITAGE PROJECT

Elizabeth Robson shares recent research on understanding and evidencing the ‘social values’ of historic environments to present-day communities and introduces new practitioner guidance developed based on the findings

A community-led tour group approach the main façade of Kinneil House

Approaching Kinneil House today, passing down the tree-lined drive and crunching up the wide gravel path, the main façade retains much of its 17th-century grandeur.

Standing outside the house, you can hear the voices of children playing nearby, the barking of dogs and the wind in the trees that have grown up along the Gil Burn, which runs behind the house. The trees now screen the house from the fields beyond, where the medieval village of Kinneil was once located and, beyond that, the remains of a Roman fortlet, part of the Antonine Wall.

The woods and fields of the 200- acre estate within which the house sits are popular with walkers and cyclists and host events throughout the year, ranging from religious services to internationally-renowned classic car races. It is a place with a long history and a vibrant present, testimony to the significance of this location on the shores of the Firth of Forth for multiple communities.