Broxburn (, ) is a town in
West Lothian
West Lothian (; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, bordering (in a clockwise direction) the City of Edinburgh council area, Scottish Borders, South Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire and Falkirk (council area), Falkirk. The modern counci ...
,
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. It is from the West End of
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
, from
Edinburgh Airport
Edinburgh Airport is an international airport located in the Ingliston area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located west of the city centre, just off the M8 motorway (Scotland), M8 and M9 motorway (Scotland), M9 motorways. It is owned and oper ...
and to the north of
Livingston. Originally a village known as Easter Strathbock in the medieval period, by 1600, the village had become known as Broxburn. The area developed rapidly during the
Victorian era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...
as a result of industrialisation related to shale oil extraction. While much of the industry in the area is now diminished, the town has continued to grow following new residential development, resulting in Broxburn forming a
conurbation
A conurbation is a region consisting of a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most ...
with neighbouring
Uphall. It lies just to the south of
Winchburgh
Winchburgh is a village in the Subdivisions of Scotland, council area of West Lothian, Scotland. It is located approximately west of the city centre of Edinburgh, east of Linlithgow and northeast of Broxburn, West Lothian, Broxburn.
Demograp ...
.
Etymology
The name Broxburn is a corruption of "brock's burn", brock being an old Scots name for a
European badger whether from the Gaelic ''broc'' or the Pictish/Welsh/Brythonic ''Broch'' and
burn
A burn is an injury to skin, or other tissues, caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, friction, or ionizing radiation (such as sunburn, caused by ultraviolet radiation). Most burns are due to heat from hot fluids (called scalding), soli ...
being a Scots word for a large stream or small river.
The village was earlier known as Easter Strathbrock (
Uphall was Wester Strathbrock) with Strath coming either from the Gaelic ''srath'' or the Pictish/Welsh/Brythonic ''ystrad'' meaning a river valley.
History
The village that later became Broxburn probably originated around 1350 when Margery le Cheyne inherited the eastern half of the Barony of Strathbrock (Easter Strathbrock) on the death of her father, Sir Reginald le Cheyne III. The hamlet that grew up around her residence was then called Eastertoun (eastern town) after the land on which it stood. The lands of Strathbrock were earlier owned by
Freskin the Fleming, granted to him under a charter from
King David I.
Easter Strathbrock was burned to the ground sometime in 1443-4 during a conflict between
William, Earl of Douglas, Lieutenant-General of Scotland, and
William, Lord Crichton, Chancellor of Scotland. It was destroyed again in 1455 during fighting between the Douglases and
King James II. After the conflict, peace was regained and the town was gradually resettled. In 1590, Kirkhill House was built for John Laing, a local landowner.
The village was renamed Broxburn in 1600 by
Sir Richard Cockburn of Clerkington,
Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland
The office of Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland, one of the Great Officers of State, first appears in the reign of David II of Scotland, David II. After the Act of Union 1707 its holder was normally a peerage, peer, like the Great Seal of Sco ...
, almost certainly after
Broxburn, East Lothian.
In 1636, Kirkhill house was granted to Ludovic Stewart, advocate.
The house and surrounding land eventually passed to
David Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan
David Stuart Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan, (1 June 1742 – 19 April 1829), styled Lord Cardross between 1747 and 1767, was a Scottish antiquarian, founder of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, and patron of the arts and sciences. Backg ...
, where the house was extensive remodelled in 1770/1771.
It then passed to his nephew, the 12th Earl who was buried in St John's Church nearby. The house still exists today in Broxburn and is Category B listed.
Economy
Past

Broxburn remained an agricultural community until the development of the
oil shale industry in the area during the second half of the nineteenth century. This brought in a rapid influx of workers, greatly expanding the local population. Broxburn is still known for its association with the industry, pioneered by the inventor and industrialist
James Young. Many shale spoil tips, known as
bings, are still in evidence around the town.
Up until its closure in 2013, Hall's of Broxburn, a food manufacturer, employed around 1,700 employees at its meat processing plant to the east of the town. At the time of closure, it was the largest, single employer in Broxburn. The large building was demolished in 2014.
The Shale Bings
The 3 Broxburn Bings (Greendikes Bing, Albion Oil Works Bing and Hopetoun Bing) reside on the north east of Broxburn starting from behind the East Mains Industrial estate. The nearby Niddry Bing resides near the village of
Winchburgh
Winchburgh is a village in the Subdivisions of Scotland, council area of West Lothian, Scotland. It is located approximately west of the city centre of Edinburgh, east of Linlithgow and northeast of Broxburn, West Lothian, Broxburn.
Demograp ...
. The largest of the three Bings is the Greendykes Bing which when scaled provides excellent views of the whole area. The Bings were created by large piles of spoil from the shale mines being dumped on top of each over to form the Bings.
Present
Broxburn now has two separate industrial areas, the Greendykes Industrial Estate and the East Mains Industrial Estate, which provide employment for local people. The largest employers are Campbells Prime Meat Limited,
Glenmorangie and Broxburn Bottlers Limited (part of Ian Macleod Distillers Ltd).
James Ritchie & Son is a firm of clockmakers located in Broxburn that was established in 1809.
Governance
Broxburn lies in the
Livingston constituency of the
British Parliament
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of ...
and the
Almond Valley constituency of the
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament ( ; ) is the Devolution in the United Kingdom, devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. It is located in the Holyrood, Edinburgh, Holyrood area of Edinburgh, and is frequently referred to by the metonym 'Holyrood'. ...
.
Before
Brexit
Brexit (, a portmanteau of "Britain" and "Exit") was the Withdrawal from the European Union, withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU).
Brexit officially took place at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February ...
, it was part of the
Scotland European Parliament constituency.
For
Local Government
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state.
Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of a higher-level political or administrative unit, such a ...
purposes, it is part of; the Broxburn, Uphall and Winchburgh
Ward of
West Lothian Council
West Lothian Council is the Local government in Scotland, local government authority for West Lothian, West Lothian council area.
History
West Lothian District Council
Local government across Scotland was reorganised in 1975 under the Local ...
and is part of
West Lothian Council
West Lothian Council is the Local government in Scotland, local government authority for West Lothian, West Lothian council area.
History
West Lothian District Council
Local government across Scotland was reorganised in 1975 under the Local ...
2nd ward, which also includes the nearby villages of
Uphall and
Winchburgh
Winchburgh is a village in the Subdivisions of Scotland, council area of West Lothian, Scotland. It is located approximately west of the city centre of Edinburgh, east of Linlithgow and northeast of Broxburn, West Lothian, Broxburn.
Demograp ...
.
Community facilities
The Strathbrock Partnership Centre is a local community facility that contains a medical centre, library, community museum and community centre.
The library, formerly known as the Broxburn library was renamed the Lex Davidson Library in 2022 in honour of a local councillor who served the community for 25 years.
The local hospital is
St. John's Hospital at Howden in Livingston.
Transport
The
A89 road passes along the southern edge of Broxburn. The
A899 road passes directly through the centre of Broxburn where it is known as East and West Main Street. The nearest motorway is the
M8. Broxburn is served by multiple bus services operated by McGill's Scotland East,
Lothian Country and E&M Horseburgh.
SD Travel operates one twice-a-day service 16 between Livingston Centre and Western General Hospital in the northwestern tip of Edinburgh via Broxburn, Whinchburgh, and Kirkliston, and
HcL, a small mobility company based in the county, operates a local town service 2A and 2B between Broxburn and Uphall and within Broxburn itself.
Lothian Country operates services:
* 72 - Fauldhouse - Whitburn - Livingston - Broxburn - Winchburgh - Kirkliston
* X18 - Edinburgh - Ratho Station - Broxburn - Uphall - Bathgate - Armadale - Whitburn
* N18 - Edinburgh - Ratho Station - Broxburn - Uphall - Bathgate (Weekend Night Service)
* N43 - Edinburgh - Queensferry - Kirkliston - Broxburn - Dechmont (Night Service)
Railway
Broxburn has regular links to
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
,
Livingston,
Linlithgow and
Edinburgh Airport
Edinburgh Airport is an international airport located in the Ingliston area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located west of the city centre, just off the M8 motorway (Scotland), M8 and M9 motorway (Scotland), M9 motorways. It is owned and oper ...
. The nearest railway station is at
Uphall Station
Uphall Station is a village located in West Lothian, Scotland. The name is derived from the neighbouring town Uphall on account of the railway station located on the northeast perimeter of the village. The village is situated southeast of Uphall ...
providing links to
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
,
Livingston,
Bathgate
Bathgate ( or , ) is a town in West Lothian, Scotland, west of Livingston, Scotland, Livingston and adjacent to the M8 motorway (Scotland), M8 motorway. Nearby towns are Linlithgow, Livingston, and West Calder. A number of villages fall under ...
,
Airdrie and
Glasgow
Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
.
Canal
The
Union Canal passes through Broxburn. It no longer operates as a transport link, but is now used for fishing,
magnet fishing and some leisure boating. It has a towpath previously used by the horses which drew canal barges and which is now used as a footpath, the footpaths are popular places for dog walkers, bikers, runners and walkers.
File:Union Canal, Broxburn - geograph.org.uk - 862710.jpg, The Union Canal at Broxburn, looking west
File:Union Broxburn1.jpg, Union Canal
File:Union Broxburn4.jpg, Swans on the canal
File:Bridges 26and27.jpg, Between Bridges 26 and 27
Education
Broxburn has four schools, all state-funded, Broxburn Primary, Kirkhill Primary, St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Primary and
Broxburn Academy.
Religious sites
Broxburn has six churches.
The church of St John Cantius and St Nicholas Catholic Church is a
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
church.
The church is Category B listed.
It was built in 1880 in the
Early English style to a design by Shiells & Thomson, the church is notable for containing a 15th/16th-century font from the medieval church excavated at Kirkhill.
The church high altar is in Caen stone and marble by
Pugin & Pugin
Pugin & Pugin (Floruit, fl. c.1873–c.1958) was a London-based family firm of Church architecture, church architects.
History
The origins of the Pugin & Pugin firm lay with the practice of Edward Welby Pugin (1834–1875); he had worked in the ...
.
Adjacent to the church is a hall dating to 1936 (now used by a local scout group) and a memorial chapel for
Henry Erskine, 12th Earl of Buchan built in 1857, who lived nearby at Kirkhill House.
The Broxburn Parish Church was built in 1880 to a
French Gothic
French Gothic architecture is an architectural style which emerged in France in 1140, and was dominant until the mid-16th century. The most notable examples are the great Gothic cathedrals of France, including Notre-Dame Cathedral, Reims Cathed ...
design by
Hippolyte Blanc
Hippolyte Jean Blanc (18 August 1844 – 17 March 1917) was a Scottish architect. Best known for his church buildings in the Gothic revival architecture, Gothic revival style, Blanc was also a keen antiquarian who oversaw meticulously rese ...
.
It provides
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland (CoS; ; ) is a Presbyterian denomination of Christianity that holds the status of the national church in Scotland. It is one of the country's largest, having 245,000 members in 2024 and 259,200 members in 2023. While mem ...
services.
The St Nicholas
United Free Church of Scotland
The United Free Church of Scotland (UF Church; , ) is a Scottish Presbyterian denomination formed in 1900 by the union of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland (or UP) and the Free Church of Scotland (1843–1900), majority of the 19th-cen ...
was built in 1890 in the Gothic style to a design by
James Graham Fairley.
Other smaller churches in the town include the New Life Christian Fellowship Broxburn in Strathbrock Community Centre,
the Broxburn Baptist Church,
and the Grace Community Church.
There are also some other religious groups active in the town, including
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination that is an outgrowth of the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the nineteenth century. The denomination is nontrinitarian, millenarian, and restorationist. Russell co-fou ...
and several evangelical Christian organisations.
Sports
Broxburn is home to the
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
club
Broxburn Athletic, who play in the
East of Scotland League
The East of Scotland Football League (EoSFL) is a senior football league based in the east and south-east of Scotland. The league sits at levels 6–9 on the Scottish football league system, acting as a feeder to the Lowland Football League.
Fo ...
. There are sports and health facilities publicly available, including a sports centre, library, swimming pool and bowling clubs. The
Binny Golf Club is located on the Binny Estate.
A motorcycle dirt track was built at The Sports Park in 1928 and a few demonstration events were staged to show off the new sport to football fans. Due to Broxburn's proximity to Edinburgh, it was not licensed. Another demonstration event at a motorcycle club event in 1929 ended after both riders crashed.
Notable residents
*
David Erskine and
Henry Erskine, the 11th and 12th Earls of Buchan
*
James Anderson (Paralympian swimmer)
*
Charles Benham
Charles Edwin Benham Justice of the Peace, JP (; 15 April 1860 in Colchester, Essex, England – 1 April 1929, also in Colchester) was a journalist who edited for many years the ''Essex County Standard,'' a published author of works such as ' ...
(cricketer)
*
Mark Burchill (footballer)
*
Bill Bann
William Edward Bann (15 August 1902 – 16 March 1973) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a full back in the Football League for Tottenham Hotspur, Brentford, Bristol Rovers and Aldershot. He also played in the Scottish League ...
(footballer)
*
James Baird (footballer)
*
Colin Fleming
Colin Fleming (born 13 August 1984) is a British retired professional tennis player who specialised in doubles.
As part of the Davis Cup team, he won eight successive doubles matches to help Great Britain into the World Group. He also won his ...
(tennis player)
*
David Fleming (cricketer)
*
Gavin Hamilton Gavin Hamilton may refer to:
* Gavin Hamilton (archbishop of St Andrews) (died 1571), archbishop of St Andrews
* Gavin Hamilton (bishop of Galloway) (1561–1612), bishop of Galloway
* Gavin Hamilton (artist) (1723–1798), Scottish artist
* Ga ...
(cricketer)
*
Liam Henderson (footballer)
*
John Kerr (figure skater)
*
Shelley Kerr
Michelle Kerr (born 15 October 1969) is a Scottish football manager and former player who is currently the English Football Association's technical lead for women's national teams. As a player Kerr was a powerful centre back, who captained and ...
(football manager)
*
Stephen Robson
Stephen Robson (born 1 April 1951) is the retired bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dunkeld. From 2012 to 2014 he was auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh.
Early life
Stephen Robson was born in Carlisle, in the ...
(Bishop)
*
Alexander Steuart
Alexander Steuart PRSSA FRSE (1884 – 1960) was a 20th century Scottish inventor and horologist. In 1921 he patented the Steuart Clock an early accurate electric clock.
Life
He was born in Broxburn, West Lothian on 12 September 1884, the s ...
(clock and instrument-maker).
Bibliography
* ''Canule, Canule, Birnin Bricht—'' by David Kerr, 2005
* ''Discovering West Lothian'' by William F. Hendrie, John Donald Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh, 1986
* ''A History of Broxburn'' by Peter Caldwell
* ''Strathbrock Area Guide'' prepared and published by Uphall Community Council with assistance from Broxburn Community Council and
Ecclesmachan
Ecclesmachan ( Gaelic: ''Eaglais Mhachain'') ( Welsh: ''Eglwys Machan'') (NT058736) is an historic village in West Lothian. It lies just north of Uphall on the B8046 road and just south of Threemiletown. The village is notable for its medieva ...
&
Threemiletown Community Council
References
External links
Broxburn and Uphall Community WebsiteBroxburn Community CouncilBroxburn & Uphall Traders' AssociationWest Lothian CouncilNational Library of Scotland: SCOTTISH SCREEN ARCHIVE(archive films about Broxburn)
SS John Cantius and NicholasOrange Order in BroxburnBroxburn Football Story
{{authority control
Towns in West Lothian
*
Mining communities in Scotland