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. This is one of 361 LAD 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.
West Lothian Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the West Lothian local authority district, based on the latest geographic data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It provides a clear view of the district’s extent and helps you understand how the area fits within the wider regional and national landscape.
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2025. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The administrative boundary of West Lothian can also 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
West Lothian is divided into 2 parliamentary constituencies, listed below in alphabetical order.
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. We have this list page for easy browsing of all electoral wards: List of all Electoral Wards in the UK.
Post Towns in West Lothian
Below is a list of post towns in West Lothian, grouped by postcode area:
- EH ▸ Bathgate (EH47 / EH48) ⁞ Broxburn (EH52) ⁞ Kirknewton (EH27) ⁞ Linlithgow (EH49) ⁞ Livingston (EH53 / EH54) ⁞ West Calder (EH55)
The UK postal hierarchy begins with broad postcode areas (such as “CB” or “M”), which are divided into smaller postcode districts (such as “CB8” or “M1”) to support accurate mail routing. Each postal address is anchored by a designated post town, the official locality name used in the UK postcode system, which operates independently from Local Authority Districts —the administrative boundaries used for council tax and local government services. Because they serve different purposes, a property’s postal address and its local authority district do not always align exactly.
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.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in West Lothian
West Lothian is served by a number of National Rail stations, providing rail connections to nearby towns, cities, and destinations across Great Britain. The railway stations listed below are located within the West Lothian Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- ScotRail ▸ Linlithgow (EH49 7DH) ⁞ Livingston North (EH54 7EE) ⁞ Bathgate (EH48 1BA) ⁞ Uphall (EH54 5QG) ⁞ Livingston South (EH54 9AP) ⁞ Armadale (West Lothian) (EH48 3LP) ⁞ West Calder (EH55 8BP) ⁞ Kirknewton (EH27 8BP) ⁞ Blackridge (EH48 3BW) ⁞ Fauldhouse (EH47 9DJ) ⁞ Addiewell (EH55 8NQ) ⁞ Breich (EH55 8JH)
This is a district-level view only. For a complete list of all National Rail stations across Great Britain, see the UK National Rail Stations Directory.