| Borrowstounness/ Bo'ness |
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| Scottish Gaelic: Ceann Fhàil | |
| Scots: Burghstounness | |
A view over the town looking north towards the Firth of Forth |
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Borrowstounness/
Bo'ness Borrowstounness/ Bo'ness shown within the Falkirk council area |
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| Area | 2.3 sq mi (6.0 km2) |
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| Population | 14,490 [1](2008 est.) |
| - Density | 6,300 /sq mi (2,400 /km2) |
| OS grid reference | NS998816 |
| - Edinburgh | 16.9 mi (27.2 km) |
| - London | 343 mi (552 km) |
| Council area | Falkirk |
| Lieutenancy area | Stirling and Falkirk |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BO'NESS |
| Postcode district | EH51 |
| Dialling code | 01506 |
| Police | Central Scotland |
| Fire | Central Scotland |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | Linlithgow and East Falkirk |
| Scottish Parliament | Central Scotland |
| Falkirk East | |
| Website | falkirk.gov.uk |
| List of places: UK • Scotland • | |
Bo'ness, properly Borrowstounness, is a coastal town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on a hillside on the south bank of the Firth of Forth within the Falkirk council area, 16.9 miles (27.2 km) north-west of Edinburgh and 6.7 miles (10.8 km) east of Falkirk. At the 2001 census, Bo'ness had a resident population of 13,961[2] but according to a 2008 estimate this has since risen to 14,490.[1] Before 1975 the town was in the former county of West Lothian.
Bo'ness was formerly a centre of heavy industry, coal mining and had a major port. However, the town is now primarily a commuter town.[3]
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Bo'ness has important historical links to the Roman period and marks the eastern extent of the Antonine Wall[4] which stretched from Bo'ness to Old Kilpatrick on the west coast of Scotland. Roman artifacts, some with inscriptions, have been found in the eastern part of the town at Carriden. A Roman fort called Veluniate, long since lost to history, once stood on the site now occupied by the grounds of Carriden House. Indeed, it is said that stones from the fort were used in the building of the mansion house. Several artifacts have been uncovered over the years by the local farming community, with many of them now on display in the Museum of Edinburgh. Other Roman sites have been identified at Muirhouses (known locally as "The Murrays") and Kinglass on the south-east side of the town. Kinneil, in the western part of Bo'ness, was mentioned by Bede, who wrote that it was named Pennfahel ("Wall's end") in Pictish and Penneltun in Old English. It was also Pengwawl in old Welsh. In the grounds of Kinneil House is the ruin of the small house where James Watt worked on his steam engine.[5] The Antonine Wall was named as an extension to the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site by UNESCO in July 2007. A Roman fortlet can still be seen at Kinneil Estate.[6]
The town was a recognised port from the 16th century; a harbour was authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1707. The harbour, constructed progressively during the 18th century, was extended and complemented by a dry dock in 1881 (works designed by civil engineers Thomas Meik and Patrick Meik).[7] The commercial port (heavily used for the transport of coal and pit props) eventually closed in 1959, badly affected by silting and the gradual downturn of the Scottish coal mining industry. Plans currently exist for the regeneration of the docks area including reopening the port as a marina.[8]
Bo'ness was a site for coal mining from medieval times. Clay mining was carried out on a smaller scale. The shore was the site of industrial salt making, evaporating seawater over coal fires. The ruins of several fisheries (fish storage houses) along the shoreline evidences long gone commercial fishing activitiy. The town was also home to several sizable potteries,[9] one product being the black "wally dugs"[10] which sat in pairs over many fireplaces. Metalworking is still carried out, and examples of the Bo'ness Iron Company's work are to be found in many places.[11]
Bo'ness is now primarily a commuter town, with many of its residents travelling to work in Edinburgh, Glasgow or Falkirk. One of the main local sources of employment is the Ineos petrochemical facility (formerly BP) located in nearby Grangemouth.
Present-day attractions in the town include the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway and the Birkhill Fireclay Mine. Kinneil House, built by the powerful Hamilton family in the 15th century, lies on the western edge of the town. In the grounds are a cottage where James Watt worked on his experimental steam engine and the steam cylinder of a Newcomen engine. The remains of an engine house are located in Kinningars Park, off Harbour Road.[12]
Bo'ness has a single secondary school, Bo'ness Academy, and five primary schools: Kinneil, Deanburn, Bo'ness Public School, St Mary's, and the Grange School. There are a number of churches, including Bo'ness Old Kirk, Carriden, St Andrew's Parish Church, Craigmailen United Free Church, St. Catharine's Episcopal Church, Bo'ness Apostolic Church, Bo'ness Baptist Church, The Bo'ness Salvation Army and St. Mary of the Assumption RC. On 25 October 2011 it was announced that the Rev Albert Bogle, minister at the town's St Andrew's Church, would be nominated to be Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland for 2012.[13]
As of 2011, consideration is being given to the possible renovation of the town's harbour.
Bo'ness is also home to the recently refurbished 'Hippodrome', which is the oldest picture house in Scotland. The building, along with many other buildings in Bo'ness, was designed by Matthew Steele, a local resident and architect. The Hippodrome was built in 1912.
Visitors to Bo'ness can also enjoy a bite to eat at the famous Corvi's cafe, an old-style family-run Italian cafe. Historically, the cafe is related to the Coronation Cafe in the East End of Glasgow.
Bo'ness is home to the junior football club Bo'ness United, and also to Bo'ness United Ladies and Bo'ness United Under 16s. Bo'ness Academy has a rugby team. In the 2008/2009 season they will be in partnership with Grangemouth rugby club, so they are eligible for competitions and cups. Bo'ness Cycling Club was reformed in 2010 as Velo Sport Bo'ness. Jim Smellie was a lesser-known local legend, being an 11 times Scottish Cycling Champion, and some of the trophies collected over the years can be viewed at Kinneil House Museum.[14]
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