Red, flat-topped spoil tips, known locally as ‘bings’, dominate the landscape of the Lothians. They are the legacy of the shale oil industry. Some can be seen from the approaches to the Forth Bridge. Production of oil from shales was begun in 1851 by James ‘Paraffin’ Young (1811-83), reached its maximum level in 1910, and ceased in 1962. The Almond Valley Heritage Centre has displays about the history of the industry, and is the starting point for a heritage trail through the shale-working villages.
Museum of the Scottish Shale Oil Industry at Almond Valley Heritage Centre
The Trust
Millfield
EH54 7AR Livingston
West Lothian
United Kingdom
+44 (0) 1506 - 414957
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