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The Gazetteer for Scotland Guidebook Series

The Gazetteer for Scotland Guidebook Series

The Gazetteer for Guidebook Series:

Livingston

Produced from Information Contained Within

The Gazetteer for Scotland. Tourist Guide of Livingston

Index of Pages

Introduction to the settlement of Livingston p.3

Features of interest in Livingston and the surrounding areas p.5

Tourist attractions in Livingston and the surrounding areas p.9

Towns near Livingston p.12

Famous people related to Livingston p.16

Further readings p.18

This tourist guide is produced from The Gazetteer for Scotland http://www.scottish-places.info It contains information centred on the settlement of Livingston, including tourist attractions, features of interest, historical events and famous people associated with the settlement. Reproduction of this content is strictly prohibited without the consent of the authors ©The Editors of The Gazetteer for Scotland, 2011. Maps contain Ordnance Survey data provided by EDINA ©Crown Copyright and Database Right, 2011. Introduction to the city of Livingston 3

Located 13 miles (21 km) west of in the Almond Valley between the and the . Scotland's fourth New Town of Livingston was Settlement Information created in 1962 around a large oil-shale village and now covers some 22.9 sq. km (10 sq. miles). The town is at the centre of Scotland's ' Glen' where numerous Settlement Type: town computer software and hardware firms are based. The town was designed for motor transport and pedestrians, Population: 50826 (2001) rather than for railways. Roads define the town's distinct Tourist Rating: areas while Greenways (paths described as 'fingers of countryside') keep pedestrians away from traffic. National Grid: NT 054 683

The town was formally designated on 7 April 1962 and Livingston Latitude: 55.90°N developed from east to west along the Almond Valley. Longitude: -3.51°W Its housing changed over the decades from high rises in the 1960s to 'low density, low rise' in the late 1980s and Council Area Name: early 1990s. The original village at Livingston Peel West contains 18th Century cottages, a village green and the parish kirk (1732). Other notable buildings include the Almond Valley Heritage Centre, the Old Tollhouse (c.1800), Alderstone House (early 17th century, including parts of an early 16th century tower), and St Andrews Roman (1968) with a dramatic appearance.

There are five main industrial parks and other smaller office areas, including Howden Park Centre built near the 18th century mansion Howden House, associated with the family of the painter Henry Raeburn. The Kirkton Campus on the north side of Livingston provides high technology training. Other landmarks include MOTEC (Multi-Occupational Training and Educational Centre) with a see-through boiler house, the Old Cameron Ironworks next to the motorway and the Norgate Sculpture, in the form of a whalebone arch.

Roundabout Art, Livingston North Map of Livingston and surrounding areas 4

Features of Interest 7 10 3 11 18 1 Water 8 8 9 14 19 2 Harwood Water 4 3 Niddry Castle 65 4 Calder House 1 3 5 Linhouse Water 4 10 6 Hills 10 7 The Five Sisters 9 15 16 7 8 Riccarton Hills 6 9 Binny Craig 11 10 Cockleroy Hill 11 Dechmont Law 12 Hermand House 6 13 Burn 8 14 Killandean Burn 2 3 41 15 Morton Reservoir 13 914 20 16 Morton Burn 17 Linnhous 1 18 Faucheldean Bing 132 19 Greendykes Bing 20 The Centre 7 12 5 15 5 17 16 12 2

20 InsetInset mapmap isis notnot 0 2000 4000 8000 aavailablevailable Metres Tourist Attractions Towns and districts

1 Kirk of Calder 1 2 Sawtooth Ramps 2 3 Almond Valley Viaduct 3 4 4 Binny 5 Scottish Korean War Memorial 5 West Calder 6 Witchcraig Wood and Riding Area 6 Raw Camps 7 Almond Aqueduct 7 8 Beecraigs Country Park 8 9 The Knock 9 Livingston Village 10 Knock Stone Circle 10 11 Faucheldean 12 Addiebrownhill 13 Kirknewton 14 15 Bangour 16 Dechmont Features of interest in Livingston 5

Breich Water A substantial river of , the Breich Water rises as headstreams including the Darmead Linn, Kitchen Linn, Lingore Linn and Leadloch Burn on the border of North . It flows east northeast for 8 miles (13 km), passing to the south of , between and Loganlea, north of Addiewell and finally turning north to the west of , to join the River Almond a half-mile (0.8 km) east of Seafield.

Harwood Water A small river of West Lothian, the Harwood Water rises in headstreams issuing from forest on the border with South Lanarkshire. It flows northeast passing to the east of West Calder and Polbeth before joining with the West Calder Burn 2 miles (3 km) southwest of Livingston, to form the Killandean Burn, having completed a course of 6 miles (10 km).

Niddry Castle Unfortunately located in the shadow of a massive oil shale bing in West Lothian, a half-mile (1 km) southeast of Winchburgh, is Niddry Castle. This L-plan tower house was built c.1500 by George, the 4th Lord Seton, who was killed at the (1513). Originally four-storeys, a further storey was added in the late 16th Century as part of a major remodelling. The castle was acquired by the Hope family in the 17th Century as part of the Hopetoun Estate.

Until the 1980s Niddry was a ruin, but it has recently been restored as a private residence.

Niddry Castle, Winchburgh

Calder House This fine 16th Century mansion is located in Mid Calder next to the Kirk of Calder. It remains the home of the Sandilands family who were given the Barony of Calder in the 14th Century and created the Lords in 1579. The original L-plan house was grand, but has been progressively extended and updated. Originally it was a distinctive landmark, having been harled and limewashed in the Scottish style with attractive rusticated quoined gables, but the harling was subsequently stripped off in the process of modernisation, probably in the late 18th Century. A somewhat incongruous Doric entrance porch was added c.1820. The internal decoration is a mixture of 17th, 18th and 19th Century in style.

It was at Calder House that John Knox (c.1513 - 72) celebrated the first Protestant communion in 1556. Another notable visitor to Calder House was the Polish composer Frederick Chopin, during his visit to Scotland in 1848.

Linhouse Water A stream of West Lothian, the Linhouse Water rises on the and flows north, passing through the Crosswood Reservoir, to merge with the River Almond to the west of Livingston. Features of interest in Livingston 6

Bathgate Hills A range of low rolling hills in West Lothian, the Bathgate Hills rise to a height of 305m (1000 feet) at the Knock and are largely comprising of ash and lava piled up by volcanic activity during the Carboniferous era. The Ballencrieff Water rises among the hills.

The Five Sisters One of the most significant of the distinctive pink-coloured oil shale bings of West Lothian, the Five Sisters are located at Westwood, on the left bank of the Breich Water, a mile (1.5 km) northwest of West Calder. Lying abandoned since 1962, this remarkable landmark is a reminder of the oil shale industry pioneered in 1858 by James 'Paraffin' Young (1811-83), which soon comprised 120 oil works extracting more than 100 million litres (22 million gallons) of oil from 3 million tonnes of shale annually in West Lothian, and employing up to 40,000 people. By the second decade of the 20th century, this industry began meeting competition from crude oil pumped directly from the ground in the USA and the Middle East, but it was to continue for another 50 years.

Today, resembling the fingers of a defiantly clenched fist rising above the surrounding landscape, the bing still reaches a height of 240m (787 feet) above sea level, making it the highest of the 20 or so similar structures which remain. It is now a scheduled historic monument, protecting it from being quarried as hardcore for road construction, and provides an important habitat for a range of locally-threatened flora and fauna.

This iconic landmark appears as part of the logo and has provided the inspiration for a sculpture on Newpark Roundabout in Livingston.

Riccarton Hills A small range of hills in West Lothian, the Riccarton Hills rise to 254m (833 feet) southeast of .

Binny Craig A notable landmark of West Lothian, Binny Craig (sometimes Binny Crag) rises to 220m (721 feet) 1¼ miles (2 km) north northwest of Uphall. A spectacular example of a crag-and-tail feature, formed as a result of the action of glaciers, the hill presents a steep cliff-face (the crag) to the west, while offering a more gentle slope (the tail) which extends a half-mile (1 km) to the east.

Binny Craig was said to have once been the haunt of fairies.

Cockleroy Hill A conspicuous crag-and-tail in West Lothian, Cockleroy Hill rise steeply from the west to a height of 278m (912 feet) in the northwest of Beecraigs Country Park, 2 miles (3 km) northeast of Torphichen and a similar distance south southwest of Linlithgow. At its summit is a Bronze-Age hill fort known as Wallace's Bed or Wallace's Cradle, which is very similar in structure to another on the nearby Bowden Hill.

Dechmont Law A prominent hill of West Lothian, Dechmont Law rises to 217m (711 feet) ¾ mile (1.25 km) southwest of Dechmont and 1½ miles (2.5 km) north northwest of Livingston. Surrounded by Dechmont Law Park, the hill represents the remains of a volcanic plug dating from Carboniferous times.

An event in 1979, where a local man was 'assaulted' by a UFO on the slopes of Dechmont Hill has Features of interest in Livingston 7

become known as the Livingston Incident. The incident has never been explained despite extensive investigations by the authorities.

Hermand House A plain five-bay mansion, Hermand House is located in an estate of the same name on the right bank of Harwood Water, a half-mile (1 km) south of Polbeth and a similar distance east of West Calder in West Lothian. Built in 1797 for George Fergusson, later Lord Hermand (1743 - 1827), it comprises three storeys with a basement, and features a pedimented tripartite doorway. The house was damaged by fire in 1970 but restored and divided to form private flats.

West Calder Burn A stream of West Lothian, the West Calder Burn rises in headstreams on the border with South Lanarkshire. It flows northeast passing to the northwest of West Calder and Polbeth before joining with the Harwood Water a half-mile (1 km) north of the latter, to form the Killandean Burn, having completed a course of 5½ miles (9 km).

Killandean Burn A small river which forms at the confluence of the West Calder Burn and the Harwood Water, a half-mile (1 km) north of Polbeth in West Lothian, the Killandean Burn flows northeast for 1¼ miles (2 km) to join the River Almond opposite Livingston Village.

Morton Reservoir A small reservoir in West Lothian, Morton Reservoir is located between the Morton Burn and the Linhouse Water 3 miles (5 km) southeast of Livingston.

Morton Burn A stream in West Lothian, the Morton Burn rises between Corston Hill and Auchinoon Hill 2½ miles (4 km) south of East Calder. It flows west for 2 miles (3 km) to fall into the Linhouse Water immediately to the east of Linnhous, 3 miles (5 km) southeast of Livingston.

Linnhous Located 2½ miles (4 km) south of Livingston in West Lothian, on the left bank of the Linhouse Water, Linnhous (sometimes Linnhouse) was built as an L-plan tower house in 1589 by Francis Tennant. Tennant was a Provost of Edinburgh and hence the city's motto - Nisi Dominus Frustra - carved on a lintel. The property passed to the Muirhead family in 1631. A second L-plan tower-house was built in the 17th century and joined to the original to make a substantial U-plan mansion.

The entrance is via an external staircase to the first floor, into what was originally a hall - the principal room of the house. Linnhous is still occupied.

Faucheldean Bing A modest oil shale bing amongst many in West Lothian, the Faucheldean Bing lies to the north of B8020 road, a quarter-mile (0.5 km) south of Winchburgh (1 km) and 1¼ miles (2 km) north of Broxburn.

Abandoned in 1925, this distinctive pink-coloured landmark is a reminder of the oil shale industry pioneered in West Lothian by James 'Paraffin' Young (1811-83). Today, the bing still reaches a height of Features of interest in Livingston 8

120m (393 feet) above sea level, rising to 31m (101 feet) above the surrounding landscape. It is now protected as a scheduled historic monument and forms an important habitat for a range of locally-rare flora, including Alpine clubmoss and stag's-horn clubmoss, together with a remarkable variety of butterfly and bird species.

The much larger Greendykes Bing is located a quarter-mile (0.5 km) to the south.

Greendykes Bing The largest and highest of the distinctive pink-coloured oil shale bings of West Lothian, the Greendykes Bing lies a half-mile (1 km) north northeast of Broxburn and a similar distance south of Winchburgh. Its top forms a significant grass-covered plateau which reaches a height of 185m (606 feet) above sea level, or 95m (311 feet) above the surrounding landscape. Its steep slopes are remarkably stable, owing to the mixed size of the shale substrate.

Abandoned since 1925, this remarkable landmark is a reminder of the oil shale industry pioneered in 1858 in West Lothian by James 'Paraffin' Young (1811-83), which soon comprised 120 oil works extracting more than 100 million litres (22 million gallons) of oil from 3 million tonnes of shale annually, and employing up to 40,000 people. By the second decade of the 20th century, this industry began meeting competition from crude oil pumped directly from the ground in the USA and the Middle East, but it was to continue into the 1960s.

It is now in-part a scheduled historic monument, protecting it from being quarried as hardcore for road construction. It provides important recreational space for local people and a valuable habitat for a range of locally-threatened flora and fauna, including wormwood, hare, red grouse and larks.

The Centre An immense shopping centre, intended to form a 'town centre' for the new town of Livingston (West Lothian), it opened as the Almondvale Shopping Centre in 1976. Developed in several phases, it was rebranded as The Centre in 2008 and now includes 155 retail units and extends to 85,935 sq. m (925,000 sq. feet) and 600m (656 yards) in length, making this the largest covered shopping centre in Scotland.

The first phase was 20,439 sq. m (220,000 sq. feet) and the complex was refurbished by its owners, Land Securities Ltd., in 1988. Land Securities are a -based commercial property group which owns more than forty shopping centres and retail parks across the UK. The second phase was completed in 1996 and brought the size of the centre to 51,097 sq. m (550,000 sq. feet) and further refurbishment of the original phase was undertaken three years later. A final phase, known as Elements Square, opened in 2008. The centre is now divided into five zones; namely, from west to east, The Avenue (comprising restaurants), The Wintergarden (fast food), Elements Square, Almondvale Place, Almondvale Walk. For a British shopping centre, the scale is remarkable and the use materials such as granite flooring, and extensive natural lighting, give a degree of style to the complex.

The anchor stores include an Asda-Walmart Superstore, at the eastern end of the centre, and BHS, Marks & Spencer and Debenhams at the western end. The centre extends westwards to meet the Livingston Designer Outlet, on the opposite side of Almondvale Avenue, and three further retail parks. The combination of The Centre and Livingston Designer Outlet provides almost 1 km (two-thirds of a mile) of continuous retail therapy. There are more than 4000 parking spaces. Tourist attractions in Livingston 9

Kirk of Calder Located in the village of Mid Calder, a church is thought to have existed on this site since 1150. The present T-plan structure was begun in 1541 by Peter Sandilands, rector of the church. Sandilands left instructions for his nephew Sir James Sandilands (who later became ) to complete the church, although these instructions were only partially carried out. It was most likely intended to create a collegiate church, but the Reformation put paid to such plans. Sandilands was succeeded as Rector by John Spottiswoode (1510 - 85), who welcomed John Knox (c.1513-72) to Mid Calder to celebrate the first Protestant communion. Spottiswoode was also the father of Archbishop John Spottiswoode (1565 - 1639), an enthusiast for Episcopalianism who crowned Charles I in 1633.

The church was extended to the west by adding transepts and a belfry in 1863, to cope with the growing population of the village. In 1992, the church won an award for its restoration, which was undertaken with care not to disturb the resident bat colony.

The church is particularly known for its large and recently-restored stained glass windows, two of which commemorate James 'Paraffin' Young (1811-83). Also inside is the Sandilands Pew from 1595, together with the Sandilands burial vault. There are war memorials commemorating those who fell in the First and Second World Wars, the latter including the names of a woman and child killed in an air raid on the village. The churchyard has memorials dating back to 1636 and the church bell was cast in 1663 and recast in 1876.

Sawtooth Ramps Popularly known as the Pyramids, the Sawtooth Ramps are a public art installation that overlooks the east-bound carriageway of the M8 motorway 1½ miles (2.5 km) northeast of Blackburn and 2 miles (3 km) east southeast of Bathgate. Comprising the first component of the M8 Art Project, which has gone on to place sculpture at various locations along the road between Edinburgh and , the 305-m (1000-foot) long sculpture of seven 11-m (36-foot) high ramps are built of earth and seeded with grass, which is kept short by grazing sheep. Further interest was added in 2007, when these sheep were dyed bright red.

Commissioned following an international competition by American multi-national , for the edge of their Easter Inch mobile-phone manufacturing plant that operated a between 1992 and 2001, the Sawtooth Ramps were the work of New York-based environmental artist Patricia Leighton and constructed in 1993. Motorola Pyramids by Bathgate

Leighton was inspired by the natural and industrial history of the West Lothian landscape. The Five Sisters Bing is a prominent nearby remnant of an oil-shale industry, while an existing drumlin - an elongated hummock deposited by glacial action - was adapted as part of the earthwork.

The Sawtooth Ramps featured on BBC television's The One Show in 2008.

Almond Valley Viaduct Known locally as "the arches", this remarkable A-listed viaduct conveys the mainline railway on a sweeping curve over the River Almond, between Broxburn and Newbridge, forming the boundary between the City of Edinburgh and West Lothian for much of its great length. The Almond Valley Viaduct (sometimes referred to as the Viaduct) is the longest structure on the Edinburgh-Glasgow railway and comprises two parts separated by a quarter-mile (0.4-km) long embankment. Built 1839-41 at a cost of £130,000 by John Gibb and Son of Aberdeen, it opened with the railway on 18th February 1842.

The massive eastern section strides confidently across the river and its floodplain, comprising thirty-six Tourist attractions in Livingston 10

segmental masonry arches each with a span of 15.2m (50 feet). The western section is just seven arches, six of 15.2m (50 feet) and one central arch of 20.1m (66 feet) which spans the A898 Edinburgh-Bathgate road. This section has been badly affected by the mining of oil-shale beneath and the masonry piers have been re-inforced with brick.

In 1988 steel bands (old rails) were installed around the piers and arches allowing the structure to cope with the stresses brought about by trains crossing at increased speed.

Cairnpapple Hill One of the most important prehistoric sites in Scotland, Cairnpapple Hill rises to 310m (1017 feet) southeast of Torphichen in West Lothian. Five periods of settlement stretching over 3000 years are represented by a series of monuments that include a henge monument and burial pits containing beaker ware, a large cairn built over two Bronze Age cist burials and assorted burials from varying periods.

Cairnpapple Hill

Scottish Korean War Memorial A memorial unique in Britain, the Scottish Korean War Memorial lies in a peaceful location at Witchcraig, to the southwest of Beecraigs Country Park, 1¼ miles (2 km) east of Torphichen in West Lothian. Comprising a small wooden pagoda, surrounded by 110 Korean pine trees (one for every ten Britons who died in the conflict), 1090 Birch trees (one for each of the fallen) and picnic tables along a pathway named United Nations Avenue. This avenue is surrounded by 21 trees, representing the twenty-one nations involved in the UN force in Korea. The traditional Korean pagoda contains lists of those who died in the conflict, the vast majority of whom were young National Servicemen. Maintained by the Scottish Korean War Memorial Trust, the site opened on 27th June 2000, marking the 50th anniversary of the start of the war.

Witchcraig Wood and Riding Area lie adjacent.

Witchcraig Wood and Riding Area A recreation area located in the Bathgate Hills, 1¼ miles (2 km) east of Torphichen in West Lothian, Witchcraig Wood and Riding Area provides a pleasant walk and small horse-riding arena closely associated with the Beecraigs Country Park. Run by West Lothian Council, the site includes the Scottish Korean War Memorial, picnic tables and a Refuge Stone, most likely marking the boundary of the land protected in mediaeval times by the Knights of St. John Hospitaller based at . On the hillside, close to the Refuge Stone is the Witch Craig Viewpoint and Wall which was built in 2003 as a resting place for walkers. The wall contains 43 igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks collected from across Central Scotland to illustrate the geological diversity of this area.

Almond Aqueduct Carrying the across the River Almond at Clifton Hall, the Almond Aqueduct is located 2 miles (3 km) west of Ratho. Built 1819-22, this five-arch masonry structure was designed by the noted engineer Thomas Telford (1757 - 1834) and executed by (1770 - 1827). It is identical in its fundamental design to the other aqueducts on the canal at and over the River Avon. Each arch is 15.2m (50 feet) giving the crossing an overall length of 128m (420 feet). It is 23.1m (76 feet) in height. The canal Tourist attractions in Livingston 11

itself is contained in cast-iron trough, braced against the masonry walls with iron stays, and is 2.1m (7 feet) deep and 4.1m (13½ feet) wide.

Category-B listed in 1974, the aqueduct is the property of .

Beecraigs Country Park A country park offering a wide range of leisure and recreational facilities, Beecraigs nestles in the Bathgate Hills, 2 miles (3 km) south of Linlithgow in West Lothian. Extending over 370 ha (913 acres) of woodland, water and open spaces, its highest point is Cockleroy Hill (Hill of Kings).

The park includes the Beecraigs Loch, a 8-ha (20-acre) reservoir which is well-stocked for fishing, together with a caravan and camp-site, restaurant, a deer farm and facilities for a number of outdoor pursuits.

The Knock A summit and viewpoint lying amongst the Bathgate Hills in West Lothian, 1½ miles (2.5 km) east southeast of Torphichen and a similar distance northeast of Bathgate. The Knock rises to 309m (1015 feet) and was gifted to the people of Bathgate in memory of D.T. Sutherland the Provost of the town between 1881 and 1893, Mrs Isabella Dawson (or Sutherland) and their son R.D. Sutherland, Provost between 1914 and 1922.

Knock Stone Circle A faux stone circle, located by Knock in the Bathgate Hills, 2 miles (3 km) northeast of Bathgate in West Lothian. Comprising 50 stones, arranged in two concentric circles in a field by the roadside, the circle was built as a 50th Birthday surprise for the farmer by his son in 1998 and was undoubtedly inspired by the nearby Neolithic site at Cairnpapple Hill. Towns and districts near Livingston 12

Broxburn A settlement in West Lothian, Broxburn is located on the Union Canal, 2 miles (3 km) northeast of Livingston. Formerly situated on the main Edinburgh - Glasgow road, it developed in the 19th Century into a centre-point for transporting people and goods by canal, road and rail. The Union Canal (1821) was laid out to the west of Broxburn while the railway (1849) lay to its south. The discovery of , iron and shale oil resulted in an increase in population and the creation of gigantic waste 'bings' which surround the area. Many buildings survive from the mid- and late-Victorian era, while much housing to the south (the Old Town) dates from the late 1960s. The local economy is supported by light industries as well as a large chicken farm, meat-processing plant and the manufacture of food and drink products. Glenmorangie malt whisky is aged and bottled on the East Mains Industrial Estate, while the Drambuie liqueur has been blended and bottled in the same plant under a joint-venture agreement since 2001. Broxburn Main Street

Addiewell A small industrial village in West Lothian, Addiewell lies to the south of the Breich Water, 2 miles (3 km) south of Blackburn. The village developed in association with the Oil Shale industry. James 'Paraffin' Young (1811-83) opened mines and built a refinery here in the 1860s for his Light and Mineral Oil Company. The plant operated until the 1930s and the landscape retains evidence of the industry in the form of a large bing, now managed as a reserve by the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

Addiewell is now dominated by an immense whisky bond and warehouses, the property of the North British Distillery Company. This was developed alongside the A71 road from 1970 and passers-by can enjoy the smell of "the angel's share". There is also an industrial estate, primary school and an unstaffed railway station on the line from Glasgow Central to Edinburgh. Despite local opposition, a new prison was built here through public-private partnership arrangements and opened in 2008.

Mid Calder Located next to Livingston, 12 miles (19 km) west of Edinburgh, moving from the old county of to West Lothian with local government reorganisation (1974). Larger than West and East Calder, Mid Calder grew in the 18th Century with the Glasgow-Edinburgh road as a coaching stop and then through the production of shale oil at nearby . By the early 19th C., with its nine public houses, the village had a reputation for drunken revelry. Today Mid Calder is a quiet conservation village, dominated by the new town of Livingston on its north and west sides. Its notable buildings include the Kirk of Calder Bridge over the Linhouse Water, Mid Calder (St. John's Parish Church) and Calder House (both 16th-century), the seat of the Sandilands, later the Lords Torphichen, from 1350. In 1556, John Knox celebrated communion according to Presbyterian rites for the first time at Calder House. The Almondell and Calderwood Country Park runs along the Linhouse Water to the southeast of Mid Calder.

Binny A location in West Lothian, Binny lies to the west of Ecclesmachan and a mile (1.5 km) northwest of Uphall. Binny House is unusual and most likely dates from the early 19th century. Binny Craig rises to the west, with West Binny another half-mile (1 km) beyond. The Binny Quarries once produced sandstone for building, opening in the late 17th Century and reaching their peak output in the mid-19th Century, they Towns and districts near Livingston 13

had closed by the start of the First World War. The stone could be transported economically once the Union Canal opened and later by rail. Popular in Edinburgh and exported around the world, this fine Carboniferous sandstone was used for buildings such as the City Observatory on Calton Hill, Donaldson's College, both the and the National Gallery on the Mound, and the Scott Monument. The quarry was briefly re-opened in 1997 to supply stone for the repair of the latter.

West Calder Located 16 miles (26 km) southwest of Edinburgh, in the old county of Midlothian, the village of West Calder was an important centre for the oil-shale economy in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Most housing dates from the mid-20th century though it has an earlier public library built in 1903. Funded by Carnegie money this building represents a fine example of the Art Nouveau style and has a decorative interior. The parish church (1643) was abandoned in 1880 and is now roofless. A memorial in the centre of the village remembers the fifteen men killed on the 10th January 1947 as a the result of an explosion West Calder at the Burngrange Oil-Shale mine which lay to the southwest of the village. A half-mile (1 km) to the east stands Hermand House, an 18th-century mansion damaged by fire in 1970 but repaired to form flats.

Raw Camps Once a thriving community around limestone quarries, which was situated 1 mile (1.5 km) east of East Calder, in West Lothian, and 8 miles (12 km) south of Edinburgh, adjacent to the village of Camps, there is now little left of Raw Camps as a settlement. However, there is still evidence of the industry which was once a household word in Scotland, said to be the largest limestone quarry in the country. Originally owned by the Earl of Morton, there may have been quarries here as early as 1760, but they were at their peak in the 1880s, when they were owned by the Coltness Iron Company. In the early days, lime was transported on the Union Canal from the nearby Linn's Mill, but later the North British Railway was used. The lime mortar produced by the Raw Camps quarries went to build Edinburgh's New Town.

Winchburgh A dormitory village in West Lothian Winchburgh lies between the M9 and M8 motorways 3 miles (5 km) northeast of Broxburn and 6 miles (10 km) east of Linlithgow. It developed in association with its ancient church and in the 19th century with the opening of the Union Canal, the arrival of the railway, quarrying and the manufacture of shale oil. The 15th-century Niddry Castle of the Setons lies a mile (1.5 km) to the southeast and a new village known as the Niddry Rows was created in 1901 by the Oakbank Oil Company. In 1960 the Niddry Castle Oil Works, the last to produce shale oil in Scotland, were closed leaving behind a landscape of shale-oil waste known as 'bings' Towns and districts near Livingston 14

East Calder A village of West Lothian, East Calder lies near the River Almond, 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Edinburgh and a mile (1.5 km) east of Mid Calder. Comprising a long main street, its buildings of note include the roofless 16th-century St Cuthbert's Parish Church which was abandoned in 1750 and the Gothic-style Parish Church (1888). Ormiston Hall (1851) to the east stands on the site of the former Ormiston Hill House (17th century). The minor poet Alexander Rodger (1784 - 1846) was born in East Calder. Nearby are the Almondell, Calderwood and Polkemmet Country Parks which occupy former estates along St Cuthbert's Parish Church, East Calder the course of the River Almond. Livingston Village Located on the north bank of the River Almond, Livingston Village is the ancient heart of the new town of Livingston in West Lothian. The village takes its name from a Flemish noble and adventurer called Baron de Leving, who was granted land here in the early 12th century by King Edgar (c.1074 - 1107). The Kirk of Livingston dates from 1150, although the present structure was built in 1732. The 18th-century Livingston Inn was once an important stop on the Glasgow-Edinburgh coach route.

Livingston Inn, Old Livingston Village

Uphall Located 1¼ miles (2 km) west of Broxburn, 13 miles (21 km) west of Edinburgh, on the Brox Burn. Uphall was formerly known as Strathbrock ('valley of badgers' which is also the meaning of Broxburn) and was a centre for shale-mining and paraffin production.

Notable buildings include the Oatridge Hotel (c.1800), Middleton Hall (c.1700), the old parish church (12th-century) with its bell of c.1500, and the Houston House hotel (1601) with its crow-stepped gables.

Dovehill Arms Public House, West Main Street, Uphall

Faucheldean A small roadside hamlet of NE West Lothian, Faucheldean lies a half-mile (0.8 km) southwest of Winchburgh and 1¼ miles (2 km) north of Broxburn. Developed in association with the oil-shale industry and the Hopetoun Oil Works, it is perhaps now best known for its sizeable bing, which represents the waste from this industry and lies to the east of the settlement.

Addiebrownhill A settlement which represents the larger part of the West Lothian village of Addiewell, Addiebrownhill Towns and districts near Livingston 15

comprises a post-war housing development and lies on the eastern bank of the Skolie Burn, a quarter-mile (0.5 km) east of Loganlea and 2 miles (3 km) west of West Calder. Addiewell Station and Addiewell Prison are located the the east.

Kirknewton A dormitory settlement in West Lothian, Kirknewton lies to the west of the Pentland Hills, 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Edinburgh. It developed in the late 19th century in association with quarrying and oil shale mining. A military airfield established during the Second World War is now used as a gliding school.

Ecclesmachan A village in a parish of the same name in West Lothian, Ecclesmachan lies 2 miles (3 km) southwest of Winchburgh. It takes its name from the Church of St Machan. The noted surgeon Robert Liston (1794 - 1847) was the son of the parish minister. The Oatridge Agricultural College lies immediately to the west.

Bangour A location in West Lothian centred a half-mile (1 km) to the west of Dechmont and 2 miles (3 km) north of Livingston, Bangour is associated with the Bangour General Hospital (closed in the 1990s) and Bangour Village Hospital (closed 2004). A farm remains at Easter Bangour.

Dechmont A village of central W Lothian, Dechmont lies 1¼ miles (2 km) west of Uphall and 2 miles (3 km) north of Livingston, immediately to the north of the M8 motorway. Dechmont developed in conjunction with the Bangour Hospitals which are located just to the west. Famous People related to Livingston 16

Robin Finlayson Cook (1946 - 2005)

Politician. Born in Bellshill (North Lanarkshire), Cook was educated at Aberdeen Grammar School, the Royal High School (Edinburgh) and the University of Edinburgh. He was a member of the Edinburgh Council (1971-74) before becoming Member of Parliament for Edinburgh Central (1974-83) and Livingston (from 1983). In opposition he initially took on the health portfolio (1989), but became foreign affairs spokesman in 1994 and Foreign Secretary in the Labour administration elected in 1997. A reshuffle in 2001 saw him demoted to Leader of the House of Commons. Cook spectacularly resigned in protest to the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq in 2003 and became an out-spoken critic of the British foreign policy from the back-benches. However, it was thought that he would return to the Cabinet in a Rt. Hon. Robin Cook MP post-Blair administration. Cook was the subject of much press attention during his bitter divorce, prior to his remarriage in 1998. Cook was a noted follower of horse racing and has included his tips in a regular column for the Glasgow Herald newspaper.

He suffered heart failure while walking on Ben Stack (Sutherland) and was pronounced dead on arrival at Raigmore Hospital (). His funeral took place in St. Giles Kirk (Edinburgh) and he lies buried in Grange Cemetery, where is epitaph reads "I may not have succeeded in halting the war, but I did secure the right of Parliament to decide on war."

Cook will be remembered as an intelligent and principled politician who was respected and popular amongst his peers.

James Young (1811 - 1883) Paraffin Young Chemical Engineer. Born in Glasgow, the son of a joiner and carpenter. Young took evening classes at Anderson's College (Glasgow). He went on to assist Professor Thomas Graham (1805-69) in his chemistry lectures at the University of Glasgow and accompanied Graham when he moved to London. Young turned to industrial chemical processes and worked for a time in the manufacture of alkalis before experimenting with mineral-oil production.

Young developed the process of refining oil and created the world's first oil industry based on the oil shales of West Lothian, Oil Shale Bings at Sunset, behind Broxburn by Edinburgh. The remnants of the industry still scar the landscape of the area. The main product was paraffin for lighting and cooking, and hence his nick-name.

Young also collaborated with Professor George Forbes (1849 - 1936) to more accurately measure the speed of light.

He served as President of Anderson's College between 1868 and 1877. Having grown wealthy through his industrial ventures, Young was able to endow a Chair in Chemistry at the College. A friend of African explorer David Livingstone (1813-73), Young generously supported his expeditions. He also commissioned a statue of his mentor Thomas Graham which was erected in Glasgow's George Square.

He died at his home Kelly House, which once stood just south of Wemyss Bay in North , and lies buried in Inverkip. His memorials include the High School in Livingston. Famous People related to Livingston 17

James (Jim) Leishman (1953 - )

Football coach and manager. Born in Lochgelly (), Leishman was educated in the town and at Beath High School (Cowdenbeath). He began his footballing career as a schoolboy when he signed for Dunfermline Athletic in 1968, but just six years later his playing career came to a premature end as the result of a broken leg. He began his career in management with small Fife clubs but after a brief period as assistant manager at Cowdenbeath, he was appointed coach at Dunfermline. By 1983 he was manager, leading his team to promotion into the Premier League in 1987, but in 1990 he left having refused a move out of management.

He was appointed manager of Inverness Thistle and then Montrose. When he took the same role at Livingston in 1995, the team had just moved from Edinburgh and changed its name from Meadowbank Thistle. Leishman brought the club from Division Three, when he joined, to the Premier League in 2001. He returned to Dunfermline in 2003 as General Manager, stepping in as caretaker-manager in 2005.

He appears regularly on television and radio, is a popular after-dinner speaker and was awarded an MBE in 2007.

Sir Henry Raeburn (1756 - 1823)

Portrait painter. Raeburn was born in modest surroundings in the Stockbridge area of Edinburgh, where he was later to own two valuable estates. Orphaned at a young age, he was raised by his elder brother and schooled at Heriot's Hospital. At 15, he became an apprentice goldsmith and began painting miniatures. Raeburn left to study in Italy in 1784, returning in 1787 to set up a studio in Edinburgh's George Street. He is particularly noted for his portraits of most of the society figures of his day, including author Sir Walter Scott (1771 - 1832), geologist James Hutton (1726 - 97), fiddler Neil Gow (1727 - 1807), mathematician John Playfair (1748 - 1819) and philosophers Adam Ferguson (1723 - 1816) and David Hume (1711-76).

Raeburn acquired the Deanhaugh Estate (Stockbridge) through marriage and purchased the neighbouring St Bernard's estate later. He prospered through feuing these for building the New Town extension of Stockbridge. Self Portrait of Sir Henry Raeburn Raeburn was knighted at Hopetoun House by King George IV during his visit to Scotland of 1822.

The University of Edinburgh has a major collection of his works. Further Reading 18

Bisset, Alexander M.. 1906. History of Bathgate and District. An account of the parishes of Bathgate, Torphichen, Livingston and Whitburn, in the county of Linlithgow Hendrie, William F.. 1988. The History of Livingston Wills, Elspeth M.. 1996. Livingston: The Making of a Scottish New Town

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