Bridge over Former Road

Image: © Ian Dodds Taken: 17 Dec 2021

This road once led to a huge truck and tractor manufacturing plant owned by British Leyland; it now leads to a footpath running alongside the houses at the South end of the Wester Inch area of Bathgate, which occupies the land the former factory was situated on. A railway line once ran under the bridge to the left, transporting coal from Riddochill Colliery to Bathgate's former second station, 'Bathgate Lower'. There is an interesting (and easily-found online) report detailing the reasons behind the factory's demise, written just prior to its eventual closure in the mid 1980s, by none other than Alex Salmond, former First Minister of Scotland. It is obviously therefore very much of its time, and doesn't anticipate the extent of the subsequent decline in British manufacturing and, as would be expected from Mr Salmond, focuses on perceived regional injustices (which may or may not be the case), but reading it today you get the feeling that the writing was already on the wall. It is astounding these days to learn that in the mid 1960s, 40% of all vehicles on the road were produced by British Leyland (or whatever it happened to be calling itself at the time) and its subsidiaries. The road under the bridge was actually just a slip road leading from and to the road above - now called the A7066 but previously the A8, which before the M8 motorway was built was the main road connecting Edinburgh and Glasgow. Behind camera to the right is the old slip road, now covered in thick moss but still very obvious.

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