Linlithgow
Linlithgow | |||
Location Map ( geo) | |||
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County | |||
West Lothian | |||
Highway Authority | |||
West Lothian | |||
Transport Scotland Roads | |||
M9 | |||
Places related to the M9 | |||
Places related to the A803 | |||
Places related to the A706 | |||
Linlithgow plays an important part in Scottish history, with this historic county town having grown up around Linlithgow Palace, itself set on one of the main routes to the Scottish Capital. It lies at the heart of West Lothian, a county also known as Linlithgowshire, just to the west of Edinburgh. For centuries, the town lay on the main road west from Edinburgh, leading around the Forth to Stirling, which became the A9, but with the construction of the Scottish Motorway Network and the expansion of Edinburgh Airport, the road was downgraded, and much of the traffic moved away from the town centre. This leaves a very pleasant, cobbled High Street lined with fine old buildings that is busy with locals and tourists alike. The town is close enough to the capital to be prime commuter belt, and with the vast Grangemouth refinery complex and industrial estates all nearby there are normally plenty of employment opportunities in the area.
The main road through the town is, as noted above, no longer the A9. With the M9 bypassing the town immediately to the north, the road has become an extension of the A803, the western end now downgraded to the B9080. The A803 turns off the old road and heads north east from the town centre to meet the motorway and the A904 which parallels it towards Queensferry. This eastern end of the A803 was originally the B903, which still retains part of its route to Blackness on the Forth. The Castle at Blackness is another important site in the history of Scotland, having been a munitions store with access from both land and sea.
At the west end of the town centre, the A706 crosses the A803, running from the Forth coast at Bo'ness south towards Bathgate. The B8029 forms an alternative route, via Linlithgow Bridge although it is not noticeably quicker than the main road. Linlithgow Bridge spans the River Avon at the west end of the town. Immediately west of it, the B825 turns off the A803 to begin its long journey across country towards Airdrie. The A803 continues west, running alongside the motorway before the two meet once more at Lathallan Interchange on the outskirts of Falkirk.
Routes
Route | To | Notes |
Edinburgh | ||
Bo'ness | Forth Valley Tourist Route | |
Lanark | ||
Falkirk, Stirling (M9) | formerly A9 | |
Bo'ness (A904), S. Queensferry | Forth Valley Tourist Route. formerly B903 | |
Whitecross, Avonbridge | ||
route around western edge of the town | ||
Winchburgh, Kirkliston | formerly A9 |