Overview of Broxburn

A settlement in West Lothian, Broxburn is located on the Union Canal, 2 miles (3 km) northeast of Livingston. Formerly situated on the main Edinburgh - Glasgow road, it developed in the 19th Century into a centre-point for transporting people and goods by canal, road and rail. The Union Canal (1821) was laid out to the west of Broxburn while the railway (1849) lay to its south. The discovery of coal, iron and shale oil resulted in an increase in population and the creation of gigantic waste 'bings' which surround the area. Many buildings survive from the mid- and late-Victorian era, while much housing to the south (the Old Town) dates from the late 1960s. The local economy is supported by light industries as well as a large chicken farm, meat-processing plant and the manufacture of food and drink products. Glenmorangie malt whisky is aged and bottled on the East Mains Industrial Estate, while the Drambuie liqueur has been blended and bottled in the same plant under a joint-venture agreement since 2001.