New Scottish shale trail opens
THE West Lothian Shale Trail, a 16-mile walking and cycling path linking West Calder and Winchburgh, opened at the start of February, having been delayed by Covid-19 from its planned opening in May 2020.
Recalling the life and times of Scotland's almost-forgotten shale oil industry, the path is supported by public information boards and online content.
It brings the area's shale oil mines, works and railways back to life, ensuring that the heyday of the West Lothian oil boom, which ran from 1860 to just after the First World War, is not forgotten.
Parts of the trail use the trackbed of the former 2ft 6in gauge railways that served the oil works, bringing shale from the mines and taking away the waste ‘slag' which was tipped on to heaps known locally as bings, and are now features of the landscape.
Almond Valley Heritage Centre director Dr Robin Chester, who is on the trail steering group, said: “The trail brings the villages, people, factories and railways of what was once a thriving industrial area, employing 40,000 miners at its height, to life. Without the railways, the shale oil industry would not have been able to function and expand.
“We operate the 2ft 6in gauge Almond Valley Light Railway at the centre to provide a living link with the shale lines, and we're delighted to have been part of the process of developing this trail. Once Covid-19 travel restrictions are lifted, I hope as many people as possible will use it to connect with the industrial heritage of this area.”
Full details of the Shale Trail are at www.shaletrail.co.uk