Livingston is the fourth of the so called Scotland "new towns" and its development commenced in 1962. It was built around the original villages of Livingston Village, Bellsquarry and Livingston Station. It is essentially the UK equivalent of an American "mall town". It is not generally thought of as a cultural epicentre. However, it is not without charm if you look deep enough.
West Lothian is predominantly rural and lies to the west of Edinburgh and to the south of the Firth of Forth. In the 19th and 20th centuries there were extensive coal, iron, and shale oil mining operations. This has resulted in distinctive spoil heaps known locally known as "bings".
