County Dossier
West Lothian
A royal county of palaces, lochs and legends.
West Lothian, also known as Linlithgowshire, is a maritime county on the south bank of the Firth of Forth. Its coastline is home to Bo’ness, a port town that evolved into an industrial centre.
At a glance
West Lothian at a glance
A royal county of palaces, lochs and legends.
- Head of the Firth of Forth
- Coastline of 17 miles
- Mary Queen of Scots born Linlithgow Palace
- Area: 120 sq miles
- Population: 154,830
- County Top: Cairnpapple Hill (South Top)
County Geography
West Lothian meets Midlothian to the east, Lanarkshire to the south, and Stirlingshire to the west, while the Firth of Forth forms the county’s northern edge. The county is shaped by its long firth-side frontage, the Bathgate Hills through the middle, and the plain and loch country around Linlithgow.
Firth shore, central hills, and the Linlithgow plain give West Lothian a strong county form.
Map Reference
View West Lothian on the map
West Lothian is the county. The map also shows lieutenancies and council areas that use the county name.
The county.
The lieutenancy.
Council areas.
Places and routes
Linlithgow, Bo’ness, Bathgate, Livingston, and Whitburn show the county from its royal and firth-side centre to the hill country and southern belt.
Connections
The county’s routes have long followed the Forth-side coast, crossed the Bathgate Hills, and run through the southern corridor between the two great eastern Lowland cities. Movement follows the same shore, ridge, and corridor pattern.
Names
- West Lothian
- County of West Lothian
- Linlithgowshire
- County of Linlithgow
- Labhdaidh an Iar
Labhdaidh an Iar is the Gaelic form of West Lothian. County of Linlithgow is the formal historical style, while Linlithgowshire is the long-standing alternative county name used alongside West Lothian.
The county was a sheriffdom by the twelfth century, with Linlithgow long central to its public life and palace history on the lochside. Forth, hill, and Linlithgow plain geography still make West Lothian clear as a historic county.
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County Reference
Explore West Lothian
Open the map to explore West Lothian, or return to the county index to browse other counties.