Bathgate

Overview

Situated 18 miles south-west of Edinburgh and Glasgow, Bathgate is West Lothian's second largest settlement.

With a history dating back to the 17th century, the town owed its growth to farming, weaving and, more recently, to car production and engineering. To learn more about Bathgate's history, be sure to visit the Bennie Museum whose the little cottage houses a permanent exhibition about the history of the town.

Nowadays, this bustling little town is well served with shops and eateries of all kinds. It also boasts a thriving night-life with plenty of popular pubs and entertainment on tap at the Regal Theatre or Chalmers entertainment venue.

For the more active, there's fishing and golf on offer while the town makes a good base for walking in the Bathgate Hills. Here you'll discover Cairnpapple Hill whose 4,000-year-old burial ground is one of Scotland's most significant prehistoric sites.