A historic site, reimagined with care
Kinneil House began life as the manse for Polmont Old Parish Church. Nearly three centuries later, it remains a lived-in place, though it’s been gradually adapted, repaired, and reimagined over time.
Built to last
The house was built in the late 1730s, as the manse (rectory, for those not familiar with Scottish parlance) for the Polmont Old Parish Church, which can still be seen as a picturesque ruin beside the current church building. It is a Grade B Listed building due to its local importance.
Its walled garden and courtyard buildings share this heritage, and are covered under the listing. Although the site has changed over the centuries, the house remains at the centre of it.
The challenge of keeping an old building going
Historic buildings come with constant maintenance: roofs, stonework, windows, heating systems, wiring, and walls, all need ongoing care, and all of it has to be done in compliance with the listed building rules. Eventually, major repairs were needed that far outstripped our family finances.
Initially, we explored the possibility of building houses within the garden to fund the work. Plans were drawn up and consultations with the Planning department undertaken, but the closer to reality it became, the more we realised that breaking the site apart just didn’t feel right. The walled garden is original to the house and once split up, it could never be put back together.
We wanted to find a way to support the future of the building without losing the character of the grounds around it.
Finding another approach
The idea that eventually became Heart of Scotland Holidays started as a practical solution: creating accommodation that could help fund the long-term future of the building and its grounds, while still keeping the site together.
What began as thoughts of simple glamping pods, gradually evolved into something more distinctive. I’ve always thought of the garden as an oasis, and we wanted to retain that, with units that felt thoughtful, individual, and in keeping with the atmosphere of the site, rather than temporary or generic.
The process took years, and plenty of literal ‘blood, sweat, and tears’, navigating planning permission, building regulations, design changes, problem builders, and construction delays due to covid. It allowed the site to evolve without permanently changing what made it special in the first place.
The site today
Today, the garden is home to six very different lodges, set among mature planting and shared green space. Some guests come for quiet restorative weekends, others to visit friends and family nearby, while some use the site as a base for exploring central Scotland. Many return because the atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming, in spite of the proximity to other housing and urban amenities.
Although the plans have changed over time, the aim has remained fairly simple: to create somewhere calm, welcoming, and practical, while still preserving the character of the site and helping to care for the buildings and grounds around it.
Over time, we realised that once the major restoration work on the house and grounds is completed, the business will eventually be able to support more than maintenance alone. We felt that a social enterprise was more attuned to the history and ethos of the site than a profit-making venture, so future surpluses will go to help fund mental health work – something that feels closely connected to both the history of the old manse, and the atmosphere of the site today.
Still home
Kinneil House is still very much a lived-in place. Matt and Heather continue to live in the upper flat and work on-site, alongside the cats who have become part of the experience for many returning guests.
We think the combination of history and everyday life is some of what gives the place its atmosphere. As a manse, it was part of local life for generations; now we get to share it with people coming from much further afield.
This isn’t some polished resort or a formal country estate. It’s a historic site that has gradually adapted over time, but still feels like home.
We’d love to share it with you, too.
