WEST LOTHIAN or LINLITHGOWSHIRE, south eastern county, Scotland, has an area of 76,861 ac. (excluding water). The surface rises gradually from the Firth to a hilly district in the south, with summits up to 1,000 feet.
Traces of the prehistoric inhabitants still exist. Stone cists have been discovered at Carlowrie, Dalmeny, Newlis ton and elsewhere; on Cairnnaple is a circular structure of remote but unknown date; and at Kipps is a cromlech that was once sur rounded by stones. The wall of Antoninus lies for several miles in the shire, and Roman camps can be distinguished. The his torical associations mainly cluster round Linlithgow (q.v.) Agriculture and Industry.—About three-fourths of the county, the agriculture of which is highly developed, is under cul tivation. The best land is found along the coast, as at Carriden and Dalmeny. The farming is mostly arable, permanent pasture being practically stationary (at about 23,00o ac.). Dairy farming provides fresh butter and milk for Edinburgh.
There are large shale oil works at numerous places, and im portant ironworks; coal is also largely mined, and steel is made at Armadale. Fire-clay is extensively worked. Old silver mines
near Bathgate have been reopened recently. Limestone, freestone and whinstone are all quarried. Paper is made at Linlithgow and Bathgate, and distilling carried on at Linlithgow and Bo'ness. Bo'ness is the principal port.
The L.N.E. Railway company's line from Edinburgh to Glasgow controls the approaches to the Forth bridge. The Union canal (31 m. long), connecting Edinburgh with the Forth and Clyde canal, crosses the county.
In 1931 the population was 81,426; 170 persons spoke Gaelic and English, while 5 spoke Gaelic only. The chief towns (1931 pop.) are Bathgate (10,097); Borrowstounness (10,095) ; Armadale (4,854) ; Linlithgow (3,666) and Whitburn (2,440). The shire returns one member to parliament, and is part of the sheriffdom of the Lothians, Sel kirk and Peebles, with a resident sheriff-substitute at Linlithgow. The county is under school-board jurisdiction, and there are acad emies at Linlithgow, Bathgate and Bo'ness.