Bo'ness has received a major boost now that the Roman Antonine Wall - which runs from Bo'ness to Old Kilpatrick - has been officially named the UK's new World Heritage Site.

Now, The Antonine Wall is now in the same league of importance as the pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall of China and the Taj Mahal.

The decision to recognise the 2000-year-old landmark was made at a meeting of UNESCO in Canada.

Falkirk Council's Convener of Environment and Heritage, Councillor Adrian Mahoney, welcomed the move which he believes will help put Bo'ness on the map.

He said: "Gaining World Heritage Site status is a major achievement - and focuses international attention on our area.

"There's no doubt the recognition by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee will attract more tourists to the area, keen to find out more about our Roman history which can only help our local economy, particularly hotels, restaurants and tourist facilities.

Councillor Mahoney added: "We only have to look at northern England and see how Hadrian's Wall has helped to boost the profile and fortunes of that area. Hopefully, the Antonine Wall will do the same for central Scotland."

The Wall was built by the Emperor Antoninus Pius, to hold back Caledonian tribes from invading southern Scotland, then under Roman rule.

Unlike the stone-built Hadrian's Wall, the Antonine Wall consisted of a rampart of soil, faced with turf, resting on a stone foundation. It stood around 12 feet high, and was protected on the north side by a wide, deep V-shaped ditch.

It was abandoned around AD 160, when the Romans retreated to Hadrian's Wall.

Today, many parts of the Antonine Wall now lie under towns and settlements, built long after the Romans departed Scotland.

But many parts of the Wall can still be seen throughout Bo'ness with evidence of the Wall's ramparts and buildings.

Both Dean Road and Grahamsdyke Road are built along the line of the Wall, and the Roman structure can be seen at Kinneil Estate, where there are the remains of a fortlet.

Other parts are also visible in the Falkirk area.

Councillor Mahoney said:" This area is fortunate in having a number of highly visible parts of the Antonine Wall. As well as the remains of a fortlet at Kinneil, Bo'ness, and a fort at Roughcastle, near Bonnybridge, the wall can also be seen at Polmont Woods; Watling Lodge, Tamfourhill (near the Falkirk Wheel), Callendar Park in Falkirk; and Seabegs Woods, near Bonnybridge. We also have free exhibitions on the Romans in our museums, Kinneil in Bo'ness and Callendar House, Falkirk."

However, he also stressed the importance of looking after the Wall, to preserve it as much as possible.

Councillor Mahoney added: "Of course, it's also important that we work with partners to preserve and look after the parts of the Antonine Wall which remain. Over hundreds of years parts of the wall have disappeared. It's now our responsibility to look after this very important structure and preserve this important piece of world history for future generations. After all, this isn't just any Roman artefact - it's a World Heritage Site . . . and we're delighted to have that status."

The Antonine Wall now joins 27 other UK World Heritage sites including Edinburgh's Old and New Towns and St Kilda.