Walk: Lord of the Bings

📌 West Calder, West Lothian
★★★

If you spend time exploring the West Lothian region west of Edinburgh, your eyes may be drawn to numerous manmade mounds covering the mostly flat natural landscape. These are the waste product of shale mining which boomed here in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Oil was extracted from these sedimentary rocks, which were later deposited to form artificial hills, or “bings”. Five Sisters Bing near West Calder is one of the best known, taking the form of five mounds arranged in a fan formation; this distinctive shape was created by conveyor belts designed to transport the waste material in different directions from a central source depending on weather / wind conditions. The views from the 200m+ summits are extensive, taking in an industrial landscape which even includes an abandoned shopping centre more recently used as a filming location for apocalyptic films and TV shows! Not the most beautiful walk in the area by a long stretch, but perhaps one of the most unusual.

📷 Chronological photo guide

🌍 Location

📌 Start / finish on B7015 1 mi northwest of West Calder

🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NT 005642

🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.860373,-3.591099

🚆🚌 Train / bus to West Calder (1 mi from south side of route)

🚗 Layby – don’t block track

📝 Key info

▶ 3 km / 2 mi | ▲ 120 m | ⌛ 1.5 hr

Features: △ Five Sisters Bing (231 m)

⬤ Moderate | Clear tracks, very muddy around west side of bing. At least one locked gate must be climbed. Busy road verge for final section – care needed, or retrace outward route instead.

➡️ Irregular route shape: start – follow track south for 400m to junction beyond gate – track around west / north side of bing – ascend north mound – retrace steps nearly to foot of bing – ascend south mound – retrace outward route to north side of bing – track to B7015 to north – follow verge west to start

Download file for GPS

🥾 On our last visit

Wildlife: Roe deer, a buzzard being hassled by a crow, grey squirrels, long tailed tits, treecreepers.

Weather: Mostly overcast with rare bright holes, 5°C, light wind.

April 2023