Kirkton (Scots: Kirktoun) is a small area in the north-west of Livingston in West Lothian, Scotland. [1] The area is mainly occupied by an industrial estate, as well as by some residential housing areas. The Killandean burn, a small stream runs through the area.
Much of the area of Kirkton belonged to the estate of nearby Charlesfield House, dating to 1795 and demolished in the early 20th century. [2] Some of the gardens and forested parts of the estate remain beside the Killandean burn. [2] The first owner of the house was Thomas Hardy, a minister. [3] The estate passed to his son, Captain William Hardy, an officer in the East India Company who died in 1824. [3] The lands then passed to his brother Thomas Hardy, FRCS a surgeon, who died in 1836. [3] The estate was then leased by trustees to Thomas Robertson Chaplin, before it was sold to Henry Raeburn Jnr, the son of the distinguished painter Sir Henry Raeburn. [3] The estate and lands then passed through his descendants until the 1960s when acquired by the Livingston Development Corporation.
Kirkton is located to the south-west of Livingston Village, to the west of Livingston Centre and to the north of Adambrae. The River Almonnd flows through Kirkton and is joined by the Kileandean burn which also flows through Kirkton. The Kirkton weir is a two-metre-high structure originally built to power the nearby mill in Livingston village that was altered in 2017 to include a fish pass. [4] [5]
Kirkton was the site of Scotland's first designed high-technology industrial park known as 'Kirkton Campus'. [6] The site was spread over some 300 acres. [7] The technology park was centered along either side of Simpson Parkway, a curving road near the Killandean Burn. [6] Notable companies and buildings include Ethicon (1978), Boehringer (1982), WL Gore (1984), Seagate Micro Electronics (1986), Canon Business Machines (1989) and Logic (1994). [6] Many of the original technology companies have disappeared and new companies occupy some of the former buildings.
In November 2021, a £5 million private medical hospital opened in Kirkton campus, operated by Cosmedicare UK. [8] [9] The building had previously housed several companies including Glenmorangie, WL Gore, Quintiles and BskyB. [8] [10]
A crematorium is located in the north-west part of Kirkton that opened in 2010. [11]
There is a large, historic park located in Kirkton. [12]
West Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and was one of its historic counties. The county, which was known as Linlithgowshire, was bounded geographically by the Avon to the west and the Almond to the east. The modern council area occupies a larger area than the historic county. It was reshaped following local government reforms in the late 20th century: some areas in the west were transferred to Falkirk; some areas in the east were transferred to Edinburgh; and some areas that had formerly been part of in Midlothian were added.
Livingston is the largest town in West Lothian, Scotland. Designated in 1962, it is the fourth post-war new town to be built in Scotland. Taking its name from a village of the same name incorporated into the new town, it was originally developed in the then-counties of Midlothian and West Lothian along the banks of the River Almond. It is situated approximately fifteen miles (25 km) west of Edinburgh and thirty miles (50 km) east of Glasgow, and is close to the towns of Broxburn to the north-east and Bathgate to the north-west.
Broxburn is a town in West Lothian, Scotland, on the A89 road, 12 miles (19 km) from the West End of Edinburgh, 5 miles (8.0 km) from Edinburgh Airport and 5 miles (8.0 km) to the north of Livingston.
Bathgate is a town in West Lothian, Scotland, 5 miles (8 km) west of Livingston and adjacent to the M8 motorway. Nearby towns are Armadale, Blackburn, Linlithgow, Livingston, West Calder and Whitburn. Situated 2 miles (3 km) south of the ancient Neolithic burial site at Cairnpapple Hill, Bathgate and the surrounding area show signs of habitation since about 3500 BC and the world's oldest known reptile fossil has been found in the town. By the 12th century, Bathgate was a small settlement, with a church at Kirkton and a castle south of the present day town centre. Local mines were established in the 17th century but the town remained small in size until the coming of the industrial revolution. By the Victorian era, Bathgate grew in prominence as an industrial and mining centre, principally associated with the coal and shale oil industries. By the early 20th century, much of the mining and heavy industry around the town had ceased and the town developed manufacturing industries, principally in vehicle production and later electronics before these factories closed in the late 20th century. Today Bathgate is the second largest town in West Lothian, after Livingston and serves as a regional commuter town within the Scottish Central Belt.
Whitburn is a small town in West Lothian, Scotland, halfway between Scotlands's two largest cities, about 23 miles (37 km) east of Glasgow and 22 miles (35 km) west of Edinburgh. The nearest major towns are Bathgate, 4 miles (6 km) and Livingston, 6 miles (9.7 km).
Livingston Village is a village in West Lothian, dating back to the 12th century. Originally a farming village in West Lothian it is now in the heart of the town of Livingston.
The River Almond is a river in Lothian, Scotland. It is approximately 28 miles (45 km) long, rising at Hirst Hill in Lanarkshire near Shotts, running through West Lothian and draining into the Firth of Forth at Cramond, Edinburgh. The name Almond/Amon is simply old Celtic for "river".
Sighthill is a suburb in the west of Edinburgh, Scotland. The area is bordered by Broomhouse and Parkhead to the east, South Gyle to the north, the industrial suburb of Bankhead and the Calders neighbourhood to the west, and Wester Hailes to the south. It is sometimes included in the Wester Hailes area, while the Calders, Bankhead and Parkhead are sometimes considered parts of Sighthill. Administratively it has formed a core part of the City of Edinburgh Council's Sighthill/Gorgie ward since 2007.
Mid Calder is a village in West Lothian, Scotland. It is located on a steep hill overlooking the River Almond and Calder Wood, around 15 miles (24 km) west of Edinburgh. The settlement has been on a major crossroads since its origin some time in the 11th century.
West Lothian Council is the local authority for the West Lothian area of Scotland and has 33 elected members. Councillors are generally elected every five years, with the next election falling on May 5th 2022.
Deans is a small community within the town of Livingston in West Lothian, Scotland. Deans is situated in the northern part of Livingston, The western area of Deans was formerly known as Livingston Station, as it is the location of former oil works and a railway station. Many people who have lived in this area for a long time often refer to it as such. In 2010 the population of Deans was 3,641
East Calder is a village located in West Lothian, Scotland, about a mile east of Mid Calder and a mile west of Wilkieston. It forms part of 'the Calders, three small neighbouring communities situated west of Edinburgh and south of the "New Town" of Livingston.
Adambrae is a residential area and small river (burn) in Livingston, consisting primarily of privately owned housing. There is a small nature area and pond adjacent to Bluebell Glade in Adambrae where the "Adambrae burn" runs through the area. This area is home to various waterfowl.
St John's Hospital is the main general hospital in Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland. Located in the Howden area of the town, it serves Livingston and the wider West Lothian region. St John's is a teaching hospital for the University of Edinburgh Medical School. It is managed by NHS Lothian.
Howden is an area of the new town of Livingston, the largest town in West Lothian, Scotland. Howden is bordered by Craigshill, Ladywell, Almondvale and Kirkton.
Howden House is a late 18th-century house in the Howden area of Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland.
Stonebyres was an estate and country house in Lanarkshire, Scotland, belonging to the Weir, or de Vere, family from earliest recorded history. The Weir-de Veres were a cadet branch of the Weir family of Blackwood but were a powerful and sometimes rival branch of the laird of Blackwood, head of Clan Weir. The laird of Stonebyres was often styled Baron Stonebyres.
The Edinburgh Science Triangle (EST) is a multi-disciplinary partnership between universities, research institutes, the National Health Service, science parks, the national economic development agency Scottish Enterprise, and central and local government in Edinburgh and neighbouring council areas. The three points of the "triangle" are Livingston in West Lothian, Musselburgh in East Lothian, and the Easter Bush campus in Midlothian.
Eliburn is an area, primarily residential, in Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland. Eliburn is bordered by Deans to the north, Ladywell to the west and Livingston Village to the south.