SPW017714 SCOTLAND (1927). Oil Works, Broxburn. An oblique aerial photograph taken facing north.

Pyothall Pit No.5 shale mine

The buildings in the bottom left are Cannon Hoban Hall and the preists quarters(house)next to it .

THIS IS ONE OF SEVERAL SHALE OIL PLANTS IN THE BROXBURN AREA AND ITS SURROUNDING AREAS,THE UNION CANAL RUNS ALONG THE SIDE OF IT AND THE BUILDING THAT LOOKS LIKE ITS WHITE IS THE BROXBURN PRIMARY SCHOOL BUILT IN 1912,NEXT TO THE SCHOOL IS THE MINERS HOUSES CALLED ROWS,AND NEXT TO THEM IS A ROAD CALLED GREENDYKES RD,ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD WAS ANOTHER SHALE OIL WORKS,AT ONE TIME BROXBURN WAS KNOWN TO THE LOCALS AS SHALEOPLAS,ONE OF THE BYE PRODUCTS FROM THE SHALE OIL WAS PARAFFIN WAX,SO THERE WAS A WORKSHOP PRODUCING CANDLES THAT WHERE EXPORTED AROUND THE WHOLE WORLD,THE IMPACT AFTER THE SHALE OIL WORKS CLOSED WHERE HUGE SLAG HEAP TIPS CALLED BINGS ONE IN PARTICULAR HOLDS OVER 1 MILLION TONS OF WASTE,MANY OF THESE BINGS STILL BURNED INSIDE DUE TO THE OILS STILL LEFT AFTER THE EXTRACTING WAS DONE,SOME BURNED FOR YEARS,WELL I HOPE I HAVE HELPED SOME UNDERSTAND THE PHOTO BETTER AND IF YOUR MORE INTRESTED LOOK UP THE SHALE MINING INDUSTRY IN WEST LOTHIAN AND READ HOW IT TRANSFORMED THE WAY WE LIVED