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Bathgate Castle – The Fortress Beneath the Lawn
Beneath the 9th and 10th holes of the Bathgate golf course, lies the remnants of the Old Bathgate Castle. This Royal Hunting Lodge was gifted to Walter Fitz Allan, or Walter the Steward, Robert the Firsts right hand man. The Bruce bestowed the castle upon him as a Dowry for Walters marriage to his Daughter, Marjory.
It was here in Bathgate castle that Robert II was born and would become the very First Stewart Monarch. The site is barely visible now except for a mound of earth that covers the Category C listed building. Not many people, even in Bathgate are aware of this castle or it’s historical significance.
The Medieval Village of Bells Town
Just about a half mile South of what is now the outer edge of the town of Whitburn, Once sat the Old medieval village of Bells Town which can be found on old maps from before the Lowland Clearances.
The settlement later became a single tenancy working farm and It’s name changed to Belstane. It was later consumed by the neighbouring Bickerton Hall farm but It’s ruins can still be seen today.
The Old Dumback Mill at Polkemmet
At the far West side of West Lothian, high up the River Almond, you can still find the remnants of the Old Dumback water mill which served both as a Corn mill as well as a Saw Mill.
The Mill was situated on the Polkemmet Estate to the West of the town of Whitburn. It was the Second furthest Upstream Mill on the River Almond. The last known record of tenancy at the Dumback Mill was in the 1850’s where a Mr W. Miller was the head miller.
The Highland & Lowland Clearances – Which Impacted More?
We often hear about the Highland Clearances and the atrocities that came with it. Yet, It’s not so often that we hear about the Lowland Clearances. Even though they had a much bigger Impact on the land, Society and the economy.
So, lets’ take a little look at both and see what the key differences and similarities were and how they affect the land today. What happened to all the people and who replaced them?
The Gormyre Refuge Stone
Situated about a Mile to the East of the village of Torphichen, is the Gormyre Standing Stone. A solitary stone that stands boldly alone in the corner of a hilly field. Well weathered, but still, It stands sturdy in the ground it was erected on almost a millennium ago.
This stone was actually One of Four refuge Stones that all lie about a Mile from the Preceptory of the Knights of Saint John. Or knights Hospitaller. One in each direction – North, South, East and West.
They marked the boundary to the Old City of refuge that the quaint village of Torphichen Once was in medieval times. This was an ancient arrangement that supposedly took place around Jerusalem in Biblical times. Something that the knights had brought back with them from the Crusades to the Holy land.
The Hilderston Silver Mine
In 1607, a Farmer named Sandy Maud struck Silver in the Bathgate Hills. The news of this Silver Mine, dubbed ‘Gods Fortune’ quickly reached King James the 6th w2ho had also recently become James the First of England and needed money for his New found Empire.
So, he soon purchased the mine and the Silver on the Scottish Crown and it’s Jewels was extracted from here. But the venture was a short lived failure for James.
