West Lothian sits in the central belt of Scotland between Edinburgh and Glasgow. The council area includes Livingston, Bathgate, Linlithgow, Broxburn, Whitburn, Armadale, Pumpherston and West Calder. Landscape is a mix of low hills such as the Bathgate Hills, river corridors including the River Almond and small lochs, and reclaimed industrial land. The Union Canal crosses the north of the county, and the M8 and M9 motorways provide direct routes to the two cities. Local green spaces include Beecraigs Country Park and Almondell and Calderwood Country Park.
Settlement patterns reflect farming, 19th-century shale oil works and post-war planning. Livingston was designated as a new town in 1962 and remains the administrative and commercial centre. In Linlithgow, Linlithgow Palace stands beside Linlithgow Loch; the palace is noted as the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots in 1542. Former oilworks at Pumpherston and Broxburn left a network of roads and buildings now adapted to new uses. Rail and bus services link towns to Edinburgh and Glasgow while local paths follow rivers and canals.
