West Lothian
§ This page gives an overview of the West Lothian local authority district, bringing together key facts, maps, and data to help you quickly understand the area. One of 361 district profiles on Baseview.
Overview ⁞ West Lothian sits between Edinburgh and Glasgow, with Livingston as its largest town and a major retail and business hub. The area has transitioned from coal mining to manufacturing, distribution, and commuter communities.
The administrative boundary of West Lothian can be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of West Lothian.
Key Facts about West Lothian
What region is West Lothian in? West Lothian is in Scotland, a statistical region and also a country in United Kingdom.
Is West Lothian a city? No, West Lothian is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs West Lothian? The local government for this district is: West Lothian Council (Scotland Council Area).
▶ Official website of West Lothian Council 🔗 westlothian.gov.uk
Which police force covers West Lothian? Policing in West Lothian is provided by Police Scotland 🔗 scotland.police.uk, which covers the whole of Scotland.
West Lothian in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, West Lothian is an ITLs Level 3 area:
- (ITL 1) Scotland
- (ITL 2) ⇒ East Central Scotland
- (ITL 3) ⇒⇒ West Lothian
The International Territorial Levels are used by OECD member countries for statistical purposes to classify administrative areas. We have this listable page for easy browsing of ITL names and codes: International Territorial Levels.
Constituencies in West Lothian
A constituency is a specific geographical area that elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons. The United Kingdom is divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies, 57 of them are in Scotland. We have this list page for easy browsing of all UK parliamentary constituencies: List of Constituencies.
Wards in West Lothian
West Lothian is divided into 9 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Armadale and Blackridge
- Bathgate
- Broxburn, Uphall and Winchburgh
- East Livingston and East Calder
- Fauldhouse and the Breich Valley
- Linlithgow
- Livingston North
- Livingston South
- Whitburn and Blackburn
In the UK, a ward is a subdivision of a local authority area, used mainly for electoral and statistical purposes. Defined by the ONS, wards represent the primary unit for local elections, each returning one or more councillors to the local council. Wards are also used as a key geography for presenting population and census data.
Built-up Areas in West Lothian
West Lothian covers 25 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Addiewell
- Armadale
- Avonbridge *
- Bathgate
- Blackburn (West Lothian)
- Blackridge *
- Broxburn (West Lothian)
- East Calder *
- East Whitburn
- Ecclesmachan
- Fauldhouse
- Harthill (West Lothian) *
- Kirknewton
- Linlithgow *
- Livingston
- Longridge (West Lothian)
- Mossend
- Polbeth
- Seafield
- Stoneyburn
- Torphichen
- Uphall
- West Calder
- Whitburn (West Lothian)
- Winchburgh
In the UK, a Built-up Area (BUA) is a continuous urban area of at least 20 hectares (0.2 km²), defined by the ONS as land where buildings are generally no more than 200 metres apart, such as towns, cities, or large villages. (Note: A BUA name marked with an asterisk (*) indicates that the area is situated partly in the district of West Lothian.)