54-576: Ballencrieff is a settlement in West Lothian , Scotland , situated equidistant between the towns of Bathgate and Torphichen and seven miles south of Linlithgow . Neighbouring towns are Armadale , Blackburn , Livingston , Stoneyburn and Whitburn . Edinburgh Airport is 16 miles (25 km) away, to the East. Ballencrieff is very close to the Neolithic burial site at Cairnpapple Hill , and
108-611: A Scottish Royalist general in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms , and Sir Tam Dalyell , a member of the House of Commons from 1962 to 2005. Hopetoun House is a large country house and estate near South Queensferry that was built between 1699 and 1701, and was designed by Sir William Bruce . The house was then hugely extended from 1721 by William Adam until his death in 1748, being one of his most notable projects. The interior
162-544: A community hospital in Linlithgow . West Lothian previously had a psychiatric hospital with general hospital in the Dechmont area called Bangour Village Hospital . The hospital opened in 1904 and eventually had beds for 55 officers and 2571 other ranks. The hospital started closing in the 1990s and closed completely in 2004 after the remaining services were transferred to St John's Hospital. The Linburn Centre
216-516: A large farm and play area. In Bathgate, the Bennie Museum is a museum of local history and heritage that is run by volunteers under the management of a charitable trust. It opened in 1989 and is housed used in two former derelict cottages donated by the Bennie family to the local community in 1980. The Linlithgow Museum is a volunteer-run local history museum in Linlithgow . The museum
270-479: A long association with several Cooperative organisations, now defunct. There were several early cooperative associations in the village, known as friendly societies, which were founded in 1799 and 1812, however they eventually ceased operation. The principal West Calder Co-operative Society (WCCS) was founded in 1875 by a group of shale miners. The former WCCS Co-operative building of the town at 13 to 19 Main Street
324-711: A new West Lothian District within the Region of Lothian , whilst some areas in the north-west were transferred to the Falkirk District and areas in the north-east were transferred to the City of Edinburgh District. In 1996 West Lothian became a unitary authority area, using the same name and territory as in 1975. West Lothian lies on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and is predominantly rural, though there were extensive coal, iron, and shale oil mining operations in
378-539: A ruined palace that was one of the principal residences of the monarchs of Scotland in the 15th and 16th centuries and is the birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots . It is now a visitor attraction in the care of Historic Environment Scotland . The House of the Binns is an early 17th century historic house and estate near Philpstoun . The house is the historic home of the Binn family whose owners included Sir Thomas Dalyell
432-458: A square belfry was abandoned in the 1880s following construction of the West Kirk of Calder and is now a roofless ruin. The original church burial ground is intact and the entire site is a scheduled ancient monument. By 1755, the population of the parish was recorded as 1294 persons. The population had risen to 1435 persons by 1810 and continued to grow throughout the 19th century. In 1792,
486-470: A system of Regions and Districts . West Lothian was made a district of Lothian Region but lost the burgh of Bo'ness and the district of Bo'ness to Falkirk District of Central Region , and the burgh of Queensferry and the district of Kirkliston plus part of Winchburgh to the Edinburgh district of Lothian Region. It gained East Calder and West Calder districts from Midlothian. The two-tier system
540-619: A visitor centre and a loch), Polkemmet Country Park (a 68 hectare park near Whitburn with woodlands, river walks and outdoor facilities), and Almondell and Calderwood Country Park along the Almond river valley near Mid Calder. Blawhorn Moss is a raised bog located near Blackridge that has been a national nature reserve since 1980 and is the largest and least disturbed raised bog in the Lothians. Public healthcare in West Lothian
594-616: Is Edinburgh Airport . West Calder West Calder ( Scots : Wast Cauder , Scottish Gaelic : Caladar an Iar ) is a village in the council area of West Lothian , Scotland, located four miles west of Livingston . Historically it is within the County of Midlothian . The village was an important centre in the oil shale industry in the 19th and 20th centuries. West Calder has its own railway station . The surrounding villages that take West Calder's name in their address - Polbeth , Addiewell , Loganlea, Harburn and Westwood - outline
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#1732801964049648-496: Is Category A listed and features as the logo of West Lothian Council. West Lothian has no airport or airfields in current operation. The county has a few historic airfields, now defunct, including a temporary airfield that once existed in Bathgate. While the village of Kirknewtown is inside West Lothian, the nearby RAF Kirknewton airfield lies inside the boundary of Edinburgh. The nearest airport in operation to West Lothian
702-537: Is Category B listed and in 2018, the original cast iron footbridge was removed to Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway and replaced with a new structure. The A71 road passes through the village to Breich in the west and to Polbeth in the east. Lothian Buses operate service 74 serving West Calder with destinations such as Livingston , and Fauldhouse West Calder has three churches: Our Lady and St. Bridget's Roman Catholic Church, West Kirk of Calder Church of Scotland and Limefield United Free Church. The West Kirk
756-478: Is a 16 mile walking and cycling historical route between West Calder and Winchburgh , via Livingston and Broxburn using the Union Canal. The trail identifies areas of local history, primarily focusing on the extinct oil shale production industry. West Calder High School provides secondary school education for the village and surrounding area. The school moved to a new award winning building in 2018 near
810-591: Is a health centre for blinded war veterans at Wilkieston . The centre is located within the estate of Linburn House, a country house which was demolished in 1955. The Museum of the Scottish Shale Oil Industry was created in 1990, to preserve the history of the shale industry in West Lothian and beyond. It is sited on a former mill at Millfield, near Livingston and is attached to the Almond Valley Heritage Centre,
864-473: Is a privately owned zoo located in Polbeth , West Calder opened in 2005. The zoo has grown into one of West Lothian's top visitor attractions and was awarded ‘Best Family Day Out’ at the 2024 Scottish Entertainment and Hospitality Awards. West Lothian has a diverse economy and as of 2020 had approximately 4,500 businesses providing almost 72,000 jobs in the area. In 2014, West Lothian Council reported that
918-580: Is a scheduled ancient monument and hill with a dominating position in central lowland Scotland with extensive views. Torphichen Preceptory is a 12th-century church in the village of Torphichen . It comprises the remains of the preceptory (headquarters) of the Knights Hospitaller of the Order of St John of Jerusalem in Scotland. Historic houses in West Lothian include Linlithgow Palace ,
972-674: Is administered by NHS Lothian within NHS Scotland . The main hospital for West Lothian is St John's Hospital in Livingston. The hospital has a dedicated Accident and Emergency department with 550 beds and opened in 1989. St Johns is a teaching hospital for the University of Edinburgh Medical School . Other public hospitals include Tippethill House Hospital a community hospital in Armadale and St Michael's Hospital ,
1026-548: Is closed to burials and listed. The principal cemetery of the village is West Calder and Burngrange Cemetery on the western edge of the village. Hermand Cemetery is a new public cemetery open for burials on the eastern edge of the village. West Calder railway station connects the village with the mainline railway network. The station opened on 9 July 1869 as part of the Shotts Line linking Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley via Shotts . The original station building
1080-779: Is housed in the Linlithgow Partnership Centre, along with the West Lothian Family History Society and library. Military Museum Scotland is a military history museum in Wilkieston that covers Scottish military history from the First World War to the present day. The Museum of Scottish Railways is a railway museum located within the station yard of Bo'ness at the Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway . Five Sisters Zoo
1134-447: Is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland , bordering (in a clockwise direction) the City of Edinburgh council area , Scottish Borders , South Lanarkshire , North Lanarkshire and Falkirk . The modern council area was formed in 1975 when the historic county of West Lothian , also known as Linlithgowshire, was reshaped substantially as part of local government reforms; some areas that had formerly been part of Midlothian were added to
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#17328019640491188-533: Is well known for its trout , and welcomes fly anglers in their hundreds every year. In addition, tourists are also attracted by West Lothian's famous Standing Stones monuments, which surround Ballencrieff. The quarterly magazine Lothian Life - formerly known as 'West Lothian Life' - is produced at Ballencrieff Toll. This West Lothian location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . West Lothian West Lothian ( Scots : Wast Lowden ; Scottish Gaelic : Lodainn an Iar )
1242-635: The A71 road (which passes through the south of the county connecting settlements including Livingston, Polbeth, West Calder and Breich), the A899 and A705 in Livingston, and the A801 road which runs from east of Polmont to Whitburn. Several railway routes run through West Lothian. These include: West Lothian has a number of former, disused and defunct railway lines, principally branch lines that originated in connection with oil, mineral and shale mining activities in
1296-465: The Bathgate and Linlithgow (UK Parliament constituency) Until 2024, the area included the Linlithgow and East Falkirk (UK Parliament constituency) . The West Lothian question , referring to whether Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish MPs should be allowed to vote on English laws, is so named because it was supposedly first raised by Tam Dalyell while he was MP for West Lothian. The creation of
1350-481: The 19th and 20th centuries which created distinctive red-spoil heaps (locally known as " bings ") throughout the council area. The old county town was the royal burgh of Linlithgow , but the largest town (and the second-largest town in the Lothian region after Edinburgh) is now Livingston , where West Lothian Council has been based since 2009 having previously used facilities across three sites. Other large towns in
1404-569: The 19th century but were later closed as traffic diminished and industrial operations ceased. Many of the railways in West Lothian use significant viaducts to cross rivers, ravines and other difficult terrain. One prominent example is the Almond Valley Viaduct built by railway engineer John Miller to carry the Glasgow–Edinburgh via Falkirk line and completed in 1842. The viaduct is 1.5 miles long with 36 masonry arches,
1458-610: The West End of West Calder. The building cost several million pounds and was opened in September 2019. Healthcare in West Calder is administered under NHS Lothian and the nearest hospitals are St John's Hospital, Livingston and Tippethill House Hospital in Armadale . Polbeth and West Calder Community Garden is a public garden and woodland. There are three cemeteries in West Calder. The historic parish church cemetery
1512-453: The abolition of West Lothian County Council in 1975, the new West Lothian District Council chose to use the former Burgh Chambers of Bathgate Town Council (built in 1966) as its headquarters, extending the building in 1976 and renaming it Lindsay House. The district council retained the county buildings in Linlithgow as additional office space. In November 2009, the new unitary authority , West Lothian Council, centralised its services at
1566-470: The area that this village encompasses, and they all have played an important part in the history of the village as well as West Lothian. The village is a 10-minute drive from Livingston, which is host to two large shopping centres. The village lies along the ridge above the Calder burn. Early evidence of settlement in the area of West Calder is indicated by the presence of Castle Greg , a Roman fortlet to
1620-509: The border with Polbeth. The new school cost £32 million and was opened by Gordon Brown , former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom . The previous school building was built in 1965 and was demolished in 2019. The local primary school in the village is Parkhead Primary School. West Calder has a public library that is a Carnegie library and was built in 1903 to a design by William Baillie. Built of red and grey Ashlar stone,
1674-482: The building is a fine example of the Art Nouveau style, with detailing around the entrance and pedimented Venetian windows. Stone inscriptions include the words science and poetry. The building still includes original tiling and glass. The library is Category B listed. In 2016, the library was refurbished following a £500,000 renovation. West Calder Medical Practice is a combined medical surgery and pharmacy at
Ballencrieff, West Lothian - Misplaced Pages Continue
1728-412: The county are West Lothian Council and NHS Scotland . The Starlaw distillery is a Scotch whisky grain distillery at Bathgate that is owned by French drinks group La Martiniquaise . The distillery opened in 2010 and can produce 25 million litres annually and has 29 ageing warehouses (cellars) across 75 hectares at the distillery to allow for the maturation of over 600,000 barrels. Glenmorangie ,
1782-497: The county include Bathgate (a town with medieval origins that developed extensively during the industrial revolution) and the historic mining settlements of Armadale , Fauldhouse , Whitburn , West Calder , Uphall , and Broxburn . In 1975, as a result of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 , the boundaries of West Lothian were adjusted: the 1973 Act abolished the traditional counties and burghs, instead creating
1836-602: The five largest employment sectors in the council area were healthcare , construction , retail , manufacturing , and business administration and support services. While historically, mining and shale oil production were key employers in the region, as of 2014 they only accounted for 0.7% of persons employed in West Lothian. The ten largest private employers in West Lothian are Sky UK , Tesco , Mitsubishi Electric , IQVIA (formerly Quintiles/Q2 Solutions), Asda , Morrisons , Johnson & Johnson , Schuh , Jabil and Shin-Etsu Europe . The two largest public sector employers in
1890-471: The largest indoor shopping location in Scotland and the 10th largest in the UK. There are several large scale wind farms in West Lothian, predominantly in the south-west of the county, used to produce electricity across the region, including Pates Hill wind farm , Harburnhead wind farm, and Black Law wind farm. The main trunk roads in West Lothian are: Other principal A roads in West Lothian include
1944-556: The modern council area in 1975 drastically altered West Lothian's boundaries. Significant towns not included in the modern county are the coastal burghs of Bo'ness and Queensferry and the town of Kirkliston . Large parts of the southern urban area of Livingston which were historically within Midlothian were, however, transferred to West Lothian. Largest settlements by population: 56,840 23,600 15,970 12,840 12,720 11,490 6,430 5,730 4,900 3,840 Cairnpapple Hill
1998-777: The new West Lothian Civic Centre in Livingston . West Lothian is represented in the Scottish Parliament by two constituency members and seven regional members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). In the Parliament of the United Kingdom West Lothian is represented by two members of Parliament. Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP) Gregor Poynton represents the Livingston constituency . Kirsteen Sullivan represents
2052-519: The northeast corner of Union Square in the village, there is a pedimented memorial clock in memory of the 15 men who died in the Burngrange disaster. West Calder has a High Street with a selection of pubs, shops, and services. The Railway Inn is a Category C listed public house on the Main Street, with an octagonal corner exterior and preserved late 19th century interior, built circa 1895. On
2106-565: The oil shale industry that was a feature of the area. The Five Sisters were named by artist John Latham during his time with an Artist Placement Group project with the Scottish Office's Development Agency in 1975–6., A description of West Calder written by Rev. Mr. Muckersie appears in the Old Statistical Account of Scotland (1791–1799), Volume 18 No.9 pp. 190–198. The description includes information on
2160-532: The residents of West Calder submitted a Petition against the Slave Trade to the House of Lords . In 1797, Hermand House on the western edge of the village was built for George Fergusson, Lord Hermand , a Scottish Judge. The main building, coach-house and stables are Category B listed. West Calder became an important centre of the oil shale industry during the Victorian era . The closest Shale Mine to
2214-469: The south-east of the village in neighboring Harburn . In the medieval period, the area was part of Calder Comitis, a large parish under ownership by the Earls of Fife. By 1643, the large parish of Calder Comitis was divided into two districts, named Mid Calder and West Calder. The old Parish Church off Kirkgate street dates to 1643 when the area was created a distinct parish. The rectangular building, with
Ballencrieff, West Lothian - Misplaced Pages Continue
2268-471: The southern edge of the village, is the most northerly rehoming centre of the Dogs Trust , closely followed by the new centre at Glasgow . The area around West Calder is mostly agricultural but in the 21st century, has seen several Wind farm developments. In March 2021, permission was given for construction of one of the largest subsidy-free onshore wind projects in the UK, at Longhill farm just outside
2322-591: The surrounding area shows signs of habitation since about 3500 BC. The name Ballencrieff comes from the Scottish Gaelic Baile na Craoibhe meaning "Farm by the tree". In 1599, on 25 January, Alexander Hamilton became the first Baron of Ballencrieff (and his wife Christine the Baroness), by Crown Charter from King James VI . The area is dominated by agriculture and is home to farms and fisheries, such as Ballencrieff Farm. The Ballencrieff Fishery
2376-639: The topics such as the character and manners of the people, agriculture and produce, the ecclesiastical state of the parish, diseases affecting the local populace and details of the poor funds. West Calder has a Masonic Hall which is home to Lodge Thistle No. 270 of the Roll of the Grand Lodge of Scotland . The hall is also home to the West Calder chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star . The Shale Trail
2430-410: The village and due for completion in late 2022. Freeport village was a shopping and retail centre to the north of West Calder that was built in 1996 and closed in the early 2000s. The 'Five Sisters' group of shale bings to the north of West Calder is a local landmark and scheduled monument. The bings rise to a height of 230 feet (70 m) above the surrounding area, and are the spoil tips from
2484-513: The village entered a period of decline. The Regal cinema was a local cinema that was built in 1938 and served the community, before closing in the 1980s. Most housing in the village dates from the mid-20th century onwards. The population of West Calder and Polbeth was 5,337 in 2020. Burngrange, an area west of the village, was the site of the Burngrange mining disaster in January 1947. At
2538-556: The village was Burngrange mine owned by Young's Paraffin Light & Mineral Oil Co., Ltd , which at the time was a subsidiary of Scottish Oils Ltd and was one of the group of 12 nearby shale production facilities working the oil shales in the Counties of Midlothian and West Lothian . Other nearby shale mines and works included Westwood Oil Works, Addiewell Oil Works, Hermand Oil Works and East Hermand oil works. The village has
2592-463: The whisky distillers have offices and a bottling facility in Livingston that was opened in 2011. West Lothian has several shopping centres, the largest of which are located in Livingston, including 'The Centre' (comprising more than 1,000,000 square foot of retail space) and Livingston Designer Outlet (the largest outlet mall in Scotland). The combined retail spaces of central Livingston form
2646-524: Was a local drill hall built before the First World War and in 1914 was the base for "G" Company, 10th Battalion, Royal Scots . The West Calder War Memorial was unveiled in 1921 by General Sir Francis Davies . It sits opposite the library in a small garden and consists of a square base, with memorial plaques, crowned by a stone obelisk. By the early 20th century, the Shale industry production around
2700-475: Was abolished by the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 , and the district of West Lothian was made into a unitary council area named West Lothian Council . West Lothian Council is the local authority for the West Lothian area and has 33 elected members. Councillors are generally elected every five years, with the next election falling in Spring 2027. The current council composition is: Following
2754-543: Was built circa 1860 and has a tall steeple with a broach spire. West Calder is home to the football club West Calder United , who compete in the East of Scotland Football League . The 19th-century team Mossend Swifts (which provided two Scottish international players) was also based nearby. There is also a youth club. West Calder is also the home of the West Calder Model Flying Club. The club
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#17328019640492808-537: Was built in 1910. The bakery in Society Place closed in 1982 when WCCS merged with Bathgate Cooperative Society. In the late 19th century, West Calder was one of the first villages in Scotland to have electric street lighting with electricity supplied by the local Co-operative Society, which had its own generating station. In 1879, William Ewart Gladstone visited the village and made a key speech on foreign policy and free trade. The West Calder Drill hall
2862-549: Was built in 1913 to a design by William Baillie. It is Category B listed, stone fronted with an unusual ironwork crown and two crowstepped gables. Two previous cooperative buildings existed in the town; the Peoples Palace and clocktower was replaced by the Royal Bank in 1885 to a design by J G Fairley and another building demolished to make way for Union Square. The former co-operative bakery building on Society Place
2916-868: Was completed by his sons John Adam and Robert Adam . Midhope Castle is a 16th-century tower house on the Hopetoun estate that was used as a location in the Outlander TV series on Starz as the main character, Jamie Fraser's family home called Lallybroch (Broch Tuarach). There are a variety of castles and other historic fortifications in West Lothian, including medieval mottes, tower houses and Renaissance laird's houses, as well as relatively modern castellated mansions. Examples include Cairns Castle , Duntarvie Castle , Midhope Castle and Staneyhill Tower . There are several public country parks in West Lothian, including Beecraigs Country Park (a 370 hectare park between Bathgate and Linlithgow with forests,
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