LIVINGSTON, West Lothian - Extract from National Gazetteer, 1868

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer (1868)]

"LIVINGSTON, a parish in the county Linlithgow, Scotland, 16 miles from Edinburgh. It is a railway station on the Edinburgh and Bathgate line. The parish contains a village of its own name, and also a portion of the village of Blackburn. It stretches from 5 to 6 miles along the left bank of the Briech water, which separates it from the county of Edinburgh by a breadth of from 3 to 4 miles. One of the roads from Edinburgh to Glasgow intersects the parish. The surface is much diversified, and at Dechmont-law attains a height of 686 feet above the sea-level.

Coal, limestone, and whinstone are extensively worked; and there is a sandstone quarry in the neighbourhood. The parish is in the presbytery of Linlithgow and synod of Lothian and Tweedale. The minister's stipend is £189. The parish church was erected in 1732. There is a Free church, and also an Independent chapel. Until 1730 this parish included the present parish of Whitburn. In this parish there formerly stood an ancient stronghold, known as the Peel of Livingstone. Fairs are held on the first Tuesday in May, and the first Thursday after the second Tuesday in September, for cattle, horses, and hiring farm servants."

"AUCHENBARD, a village in the parish of Livingston, in the county of Linlithgow, Scotland, 2 miles to the S. of Blackburn."

"BLACKBURN, a village in the parish of Livingston, in the county of Linlithgow, Scotland, 3 miles to the S. of Bathgate. It is situated on the banks of the Almond river. The cotton and flax manufactures are carried on here. An Independent chapel was built here in 1825."

"DECHMONT, a village in the parish of Livingston, in the county of Linlithgow, 2 miles S.W. of Uphall. It is situated near the Dechmont Law hills."

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
Transcription ©2003]