West Lothian
West Lothian | |||
Location Map ( geo) | |||
| |||
Primary Destinations | |||
Forth Road Bridge | |||
Other Important Destinations | |||
Linlithgow • Livingston | |||
Current Highway Authorities | |||
Edinburgh Council • Falkirk Council • West Lothian Council | |||
Borders | |||
Fife • Lanarkshire • Midlothian • Stirlingshire | |||
Transport Scotland Roads | |||
M8 • M9 • M90 | |||
For the Highway Authority, see West Lothian Council.
West Lothian, which is also known as Linlithgowshire after the county town, is a traditional county in the central belt of Scotland. It is the smallest of the 3 Lothian counties, although boundary changes for the modern West Lothian Council have seen its size increase dramatically, with a large part of western Midlothian annexed. A small area around Queensferry is covered by Edinburgh Council and a small area around Bo'Ness is covered by Falkirk Council.
Geography & Economy
This small county is heavily urbanised, with Bathgate, Queensferry, Bo'ness, Linlithgow and parts of the new town of Livingston all within its borders, as well as a number of smaller towns and villages. In between, the land is relatively flat and predominantly farmland, although there are areas of former coal mining and a lot of industry. The presence of the M8 running across the south of the county has led to the towns alongside almost coalescing into a ribbon development of housing and commercial and industrial estates.
The north of the county, despite being on the M9 corridor, is comparatively undeveloped. The 3 main towns all have an element of tourism, with the old royal palace at Linlithgow, the steam railway at Bo'Ness and Queensferry with its views of the Bridges amongst the attractions. A coastal trail along the Forth links many of these sites together. With the county sitting between nearby Edinburgh and Glasgow, it is prime commuter belt, but as noted above there is a lot of employment within the county as well.
Roads
West Lothian has good road networks along the two motorway corridors, but the hillier interior of the county is less well served, with just a few minor roads. Perhaps unsurprisingly, most routes seem to lead to Edinburgh, although the important Glasgow to Edinburgh corridor carries by far the most traffic in the county, perhaps in the whole of Scotland.
The countys most striking landmarks are the 3 bridges across the Forth, which include the Forth Road Bridge and the new Queensferry Crossing, connecting Fife to the Capital City. Most non-trunk roads within the traditional county are maintained by West Lothian Council, with Edinburgh Council and Falkirk Council also covering small areas. The only Trunk routes are the motorways, which are managed by Transport Scotland.
Route | From | To | Length | |
---|---|---|---|---|
M8 | Edinburgh, Midlothian | Bishopton, Renfrewshire | 61 miles | View |
M9 | Edinburgh | Dunblane | 32 miles | View |
M90 | Kirkilston | Perth | 28.7 miles | View |
A8 | Edinburgh | Greenock | 68.8 miles | View |
A89 | Glasgow | Newbridge | 35.5 miles | View |
A90 | Edinburgh | Fraserburgh | 146 miles | View |
A705 | Livingston | Whitburn | 7.4 miles | View |
A706 | Borrowstounness | Lanark | 28.5 miles | View |
A767 | Uphall | Mid Calder | 2.8 miles | View |
A779 | Bathgate | Livingston | 2.2 miles | View |
A800 | Bathgate | Couston Crossroads | 2.0 miles | View |
A801 | East Whitburn | Polmont | 8.9 miles | View |
A803 | Glasgow | Champany | 33.3 miles | View |
A899 | Burnside | Dedridge | 6.5 miles | View |
A904 | Queensferry | Falkirk | 17.6 miles | View |
A993 | Muirhouses | Kinneil | 2.6 miles | View |
A7002 | Bathgate | East Whitburn | 0.9 miles | View |
A7066 | Boghead Roundabout | Boghall Roundabout | 2.6 miles | View |
A8000 | Almondhill | Queensferry | 1.7 miles | View |
A9000 | Echline | Ferrytoll | 2.6 miles | View |
B707 | Mid Calder | Philpstoun | 7.2 miles | View |
B708 | Armadale | Bathgate | 1.9 miles | View |
B708 | Bathgate | Livingston | 2.0 miles | View |
B718 | Harthill | Blackridge | 1.8 miles | View |
B792 | West Calder | Wester Woodside | 7.7 miles | View |
B800 | Newbridge | Queensferry | 3.3 miles | View |
B902 | Queensferry | Bo'ness | 10.7 miles | View |
B903 | Champany | Blackness | 1.7 miles | View |
B904 | Polmont | Grangemouth Refinery | 1.8 miles | View |
B907 | Ferrymuir Road | High Sreet | 0.5 miles | View |
B924 | Dalmeny | Queensferry (W) | 3.2 miles | View |
B7002 | Bathgate | Whiteside | 1.8 miles | View |
B7010 | Stane | Longridge | 5.6 miles | View |
B7015 | Wilkieston | Fauldhouse | 14.9 miles | View |
B7066 | Carfin | Whitburn | 12.5 miles | View |
B7067 | Heartlands | Whitburn | 0.9 miles | View |
B7069 | Heartlands | Whitburn | 0.9 miles | View |
B8020 | Broxburn | Woodend | 4.0 miles | View |
B8028 | Falkirk | Couston | 8.7 miles | View |
B8029 | Baldeston | Linlithgow | 1.3 miles | View |
B8046 | Mid Calder | Old Philpstoun | 8.8 miles | View |
B8047 | Westfield | Torphichen | 2.4 miles | View |
B8084 | Blamuir | Whitburn | 3.7 miles | View |
B9035 | Queensferry | Easter Dalmeny | 2.5 miles | View |
B9080 | Linlithgow | Kirkliston | 7.8 miles | View |
B9109 | The Binns | Blackness | 0.9 miles | View |
B9110 | Muirhouses | Kinneil | 2.5 miles | View |
T1 | London | Scrabster | View | |
T27 | Edinburgh | Glasgow | View |
Key
Junctions
Bridges, Tunnels, and other Crossings