Prompted by the recent experiments of Dietz (1999) on boundary-layer receptivity due to a local roughness interacting with a vortical disturbance in the free stream, this paper undertakes to present a second-order asymptotic theory based on the tripledeck formulation. The asymptotic approach allows us to treat vortical perturbations with a fairly general vertical distribution, and confirms Dietz's conclusion that for the convecting periodic wake in his experiments, the receptivity is independent of its vertical structure and can be fully characterized by its slip velocity at the edge of the boundary layer. As in the case of distributed vortical receptivity, dominant interactions that generate Tollmien–Schlichting waves take place in the upper deck as well as in the so-called edge layer centred at the outer reach of the boundary layer. The initial amplitude of the excited Tollmien–Schlichting wave is determined to O(R−1/8) accuracy, where R is the global Reynolds number. An appropriate superposition formula is derived for the case of multiple roughness elements. A comprehensive comparison is made with Dietz's experimental data, and an excellent quantitative agreement has been found for the first time, thereby resolving some uncertainties about this receptivity mechanism.