Scotland's oldest purpose-built cinema, opened in Bo'ness in 1912, restored in 2009 and home every March to HippFest, the silent film festival.
There's nowhere quite like the Hippodrome for a night at the pictures.
Visited and photographed by Simon Hird
Standing on Hope Street in the middle of Bo'ness, it's Scotland's oldest purpose-built cinema. It opened on 11 March 1912, the idea of local film-maker Louis Dickson, and was designed by the Bo'ness architect Matthew Steele. A careful restoration brought it back to life in 2009, and stepping inside feels like going back a hundred years, with red velvet seats, a curving balcony and a domed ceiling scattered with stars. The programme runs all year, from new releases and family favourites to classics and live shows from the National Theatre and the Met, with Reel Saturday films for children at 11am. Every March it hosts HippFest, Scotland's only festival of silent film with live music, and the next one runs from 17 to 21 March 2027. There's a café-bar for popcorn, ice cream and a drink, and parking is free in the town-centre car parks nearby.
A stepped roof was put over the main hall in 1926, and it made the large, shallow dome inside. The outer parts of the ceiling are painted a celestial blue.
The sunburst on the arch and the purple and yellow either side of the screen were painted back from traces of the 1926 scheme, found when the old layers of paint were analysed.
New releases, family films and classics all year, with live shows from the National Theatre, the RSC and the Met. Every March, HippFest fills it with silent films and live music.
The balcony was later carried out to where it is now. Some of its original seats survived and were re-upholstered; the seats in the stalls are modern ones made to match.
Tickets are cheaper booked ahead, online, by phone or at the box office.
The programme changes every week.
Been here? Tell others what you know, and the best go on this page with your name.
Add your review
Louis Dickson, who trained as an electrician before he took up the camera, filmed local events such as the Bo'ness Children's Fair to show here. Many of his short films survive in the National Library of Scotland's Moving Image Archive.
The small cupola on the front was not there in 1912. It tops the manager's office, which was built above an enlarged ticket office in the years after the new roof of 1926.
Matthew Steele, a local architect, designed the Hippodrome, and a great many other buildings in and around the town. Its simple lines lean towards the Art Deco style that came later.
The Hippodrome was raised from Category B to Category A in 2004, and the new listing gave fresh impetus to the work of restoring it.
The projection room was rebuilt in 1947. Since the cinema reopened in 2009 it has shown films on digital and on 35mm projectors, with a new sound system.
Restoring the building took from 2006 to 2009 and cost about £2 million. It reopened with a red carpet launch in April 2009, and won the Stirling Society of Architects' Best Building Award in 2010.
New places, news and stories, as we find them.
What is on in StirlingshireOn Hope Street in the middle of Bo'ness, a two-minute walk from the bus station, EH51 0AA.
Inkspot & SilverleafAn independent bookshop in Bo'ness, open since 2008 and twice named one of Britain's top 50 bookshops by The Independent.Under a mile 1 min by road
Corbie InnA white-harled pub and restaurant on Corbiehall in Bo'ness, on the John Muir Way, with home cooking and a stamp for walkers' passports.Under a mile 1 min by road
Bo'ness and Kinneil RailwayA heritage steam and diesel railway run by volunteers at Bo'ness, with trains to Birkhill and Manuel and Scotland's largest railway museum.Under a mile 2 min by road
Bo’ness Motor MuseumA small motor museum in Bo'ness with classic cars and film cars, from James Bond's to Harry Potter's Ford Anglia and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.1 mile 3 min by road
Linlithgow PalaceThe roofless palace of the Stewart kings above Linlithgow Loch, begun in 1424 and the birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots.4 miles 8 min by road
House of the BinnsThe 17th-century home of the Dalyell family near Linlithgow, with plaster ceilings made for Charles the First, parkland over the Forth and a tower on the hill.5 miles 11 min by road
Blackness CastleA 15th-century castle on the shore of the Forth, built like a stone ship run aground, later a garrison fortress and state prison.5 miles 9 min by road
Arrives at 5am every day.
A free morning email to see what’s on this week, catch up on what’s happening in Scotland and find somewhere new to go.
Places to stay near the Hippodrome, and when each is next free.
West End Muse
Moment George IV Bridge
Steading
The ByreWe want to show you the best that Scotland has to offer. The makers and the creatives, the enduring experiences, the evocative tales, the concealed corners. The roads less travelled that take you to places that matter. The adventures that gather you up and sweep you away. The blend of the wild and the artistic that makes Scotland what it is. We’d love for you to join us.
More in Stirlingshire.
For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on .
