30-502: Polkemmet Country Park is located 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) west of the town of Whitburn in West Lothian , Scotland and east of the village of Greenrigg. It is a 3 star Visitor Attraction (Visitscotland). It is adjacent to the M8 motorway , 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) east of the "Heart of Scotland" services at Harthill . It was developed on the estate of Polkemmet House , a country house which
60-577: A field in 1845 but there is no other evidence of Roman occupation. During the Age of Enlightenment the community was trading cotton, pig iron and coal. "Old quarries" can be seen dotted over the area on the Ordnance Survey 1st Edition map, presumably from the days of clay, sandstone and iron ore extraction. The majority of farmers rented agricultural land because of the Lowland Clearances and most of it
90-482: A golf course was created in the grounds. The redeveloped estate was opened to the public on 26 June 1981 by Councillor Bert Gamble. The park straddles the upper part of the River Almond , one of the main rivers of West Lothian, which rises near Harthill before meandering through the park. A golf course and driving range occupies much of the park, although substantial areas of woodland remain. Walking routes run through
120-571: A golf course, cafe, and play area. The park is also locally famous for the Polkemmet Horn which can be seen from the M8 motorway which runs to the north of the country park. There is also a disused steam locomotive from Polkemmet Colliery on display. Since 2012 Polkemmet Park has also been the site of the Scottish Owl Centre. The town was once the site of Levi Strauss & Co. , the clothing manufacturer. The plant opened in 1969, employing
150-466: A manuscript authored by Scottish map maker John Adair in 1680. The earliest documented reference to Whitburn is dated 26 September 1363 and can be found in the Index of Charters by King David II of Scotland . It grants William de Carnys and his heir Duncan a concession to the terms upon which they held the baronies of Easter and Wester Whitburn. There were also two gold pieces of Roman coin discovered in
180-534: A range of 590 to 1,250 g (1.30 to 2.76 lb) and an average of 873 g (1.925 lb). The adult has a dark brown facial disk and white "brows" over dark reddish brown eyes. Its upperparts are dark chocolate brown with scattered buffy-white spots. The tail is also dark brown, with thin white bars. The upper breast is reddish brown with buff barring. The rest of the underparts are white to creamy with reddish brown barring. The juvenile's plumage has not been described. The nominate subspecies of band-bellied owl
210-424: A superspecies with tawny-browed owl ( Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana ). It has been suggested that they are conspecific but they have different morphology and vocalizations. The band-bellied owl has two subspecies, the nominate P. m. melanota and P. m. philoscia . The band-bellied owl is fairly large, ranging from 44 to 48 cm (17 to 19 in) long. An analysis of the weight of 13 birds of both sexes showed
240-575: A work force of over 500 local people. At its height, the plant was producing 4 million pairs of jeans in a year. The plant shut its doors in December 1999. The Whitburn Band is a brass band formed in 1870. The band has been successful on the contest stage and competes at the British Open, National Final and European Championships, and has been Scottish Champion on 19 occasions. In 2017, the Whitburn Band
270-406: Is a small town in West Lothian , Scotland, halfway between Scotlands's two largest cities, about 23 miles (37 kilometres) east of Glasgow and 22 miles (35 kilometres) west of Edinburgh . The nearest major towns are Bathgate , four miles (six kilometres) and Livingston , six miles (ten kilometres). Originally a small farming & weaving community centred around the burn that runs through, it
300-472: Is found on the eastern slope of the Andes from central Colombia south through Ecuador and Peru. P. m. philoscia is found from there to west-central Bolivia. In elevation it ranges from about 650 to 2,200 m (2,130 to 7,220 ft). It primarily inhabits the interior of humid montane forest and foothills rainforest but is also found on forest edges and in clearings with scattered trees. The band-bellied owl
330-539: Is nocturnal. Its diet is poorly studied but is known to include large insects. Though there is no published information on the band-bellied owl's breeding phenology , it is presumed to nest in natural tree cavities. [REDACTED] The band-bellied owl's vocalizations are also poorly known. It is "[s]aid to give a short, deep trill followed by fast burst of popping notes", and "deep, muffled hoots" have been recorded in Peru. The sexes perform duets. The IUCN has assessed
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#1733085772758360-467: Is regarded as a Catholic school. Burnhouse school is for children with behavioural difficulties who cannot be placed in mainstream schools. The local secondary school is Whitburn Academy . It is a state run non-denominational secondary school serving pupils aged 11 to 18. Its catchment area is the town of Whitburn and the surrounding villages of Fauldhouse , Longridge, East Whitburn , Stoneyburn , and Greenrigg. There are approximately 1000 pupils at
390-512: The B8084 road was completed in 2021 following an investment of £1.2 million, providing an off-road cycle route and enabling pedestrian access to Armadale . Lothian Country operate Services: Band-bellied owl The band-bellied owl ( Pulsatrix melanota ) is a species of owl in the family Strigidae . It is found in Bolivia , Colombia , Ecuador and Peru . The band-bellied owl may form
420-585: The Scottish Junior Cup . The town holds its annual gala day on the fourth Saturday in June; there is a parade through the town, followed by games and races at King George V Park. The gala day is part of a week of activities known as the "Civic Week"; this also includes a fairground and a fireworks display in King George V Park. Polkemmet Country Park is located to the west of the town, and incorporates woodland,
450-543: The UK. In March 2022, a Short-eared owl was born at the centre, the first such owl to be born in the UK for 30 years. In June 2022, a Spectacled owl was born at the centre. "The Horn" is a 24-metre (79 ft) high sculpture, located at the north-east corner of the country park, beside the M8 motorway. The stainless steel sculpture was commissioned by West Lothian Council, and was designed by artists Matthew Dalziel and Louise Scullion . It
480-621: The college moved to Tulliallan Castle in Fife. The house and estate were then sold to the National Coal Board (NCB), who operated extensive opencast mines in the surrounding area. The house was a two-storey structure in the Scots Baronial style. The exterior was the result of rebuilding and extensions in 1822, 1878 and 1912, although with the 17th-century mansion of the Baillies at its core. It
510-705: The estate was sold to the Council. The only other part of the park not owned by the Council is the area around the Baillie family mausoleum. The house was located at grid reference NS92476494 . In 1978, West Lothian District Council purchased the Polkemmet House estate for £70,000 from the NCB, with a 75% grant from the Countryside Commission for Scotland. The stable block was redeveloped as visitor and staff facilities, and
540-542: The infamous burning bing, started in August 2006 and was completed by February 2008. The last major outbreak of burning occurred in 1998. As of 2017 the bings have been flattened and it is now a large housing estate as a result from the Heartlands Project. There was a Scottish Police College located on the current site of Townhead Gardens in the 1940s, before it moved to the old mansion at Polkemmet. The town's population
570-554: The school. Whitburn has a King George's Field in memory of King George V which was opened in 1955 by Queen Elizabeth II. On 16 January 2012, a planning application was submitted regarding the rebuild of the swimming pool; drawings of the new facility were posted on the Xcite Leisure Website. Whitburn is home to Whitburn Junior F.C. who play at Central Park and compete in the East of Scotland Football League . In 2000 they won
600-428: The variety and history of the genus . The park is open all year round. Since 2012 the park has been the site of the Scottish Owl Centre. The centre contains dozens of owls, including many breeding pairs. The centre holds flight performances for visitors and visitors are able to see most of the owls in their aviaries. In July 2019, a Band-bellied owl was born, the first owl of its type from South America to be born in
630-431: The whole of the former estate. Other facilities include a bowling green, picnic areas, children's play area and car parking. The former stable and office buildings house a cafe, the golf course office and shop, maintenance facilities and public toilets. A barbecue area was created on the site of the old tennis courts. The park has an extensive variety of tree species. Some of the notable trees have information signs indicating
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#1733085772758660-405: Was demolished in the 1960s, although the block of stables and offices survives. This included stable staff accommodation, stables, tack room, horse-driven mill, fodder store and carriages accommodation, arranged around a courtyard. Three of the original staff dwelling houses remain part of this block and are occupied to this day. The NCB however retained ownership of one of the dwelling houses when
690-442: Was boosted by the 1960s Glasgow overflow. The town's Murraysgate and surrounding areas north-west of the cross were established to deal with the overflow. The town has 5 primary schools, 4 of which have nurseries within. These five schools are known as Croftmalloch Primary School, Polkemmet Primary School, Burnhouse, St Joseph's Primary School and Whitdale Primary School. Whilst four of the schools are non-denominational, St Joseph's
720-589: Was created a baronet , and extended the house. It remained in the Baillie family until the 1950s, although from the 1930s it was not occupied, after Sir Adrian Baillie , the 6th Baronet, moved his main residence to Leeds Castle in Kent. During the Second World War Polkemmet House was requisitioned, and used both as a war hospital and accommodation for Polish soldiers who had fled Nazi-occupied Poland to fight for Britain. Sir Adrian Baillie died in 1947 and
750-456: Was demolished in the 1960s. The estate was bought by West Lothian District Council in 1978, and the country park was opened to the public in 1981. The park covers 169 hectares (420 acres), and is managed by West Lothian Council . The park is also home to the Scottish Owl Centre. The family of Baillie purchased the Polkemmet estate in 1620, and built a country house here. In 1823, William Baillie
780-609: Was inaugurated on 21 November 1997 by Magnus Linklater , then chairman of the Scottish Arts Council . On windy days, the horn plays recorded music, poetry and famous quotes. The Horn could be classed as a speaker in itself, inside the bottom contains two 1990s Yamaha AX-596 Stereo Amplifiers which are connected to a device that automatically plays the content. 55°51′57″N 3°43′15″W / 55.86583°N 3.72083°W / 55.86583; -3.72083 Whitburn, West Lothian Whitburn (originally Whiteburn)
810-668: Was interred in the mausoleum within the estate. Following the war, Polkemmet House became a Trefoil School, run by the Girl Guides movement. It was officially opened as the Trefoil School on 25 September 1945 by Princess Elizabeth (now the Queen ), who later became the school's patron. In 1951 the Trefoil School moved to Gogarburn outside Edinburgh. Polkemmet House was used by the Scottish Police College from 1951 until 1960, when
840-539: Was once a district of Linlithgow until 1973 and a parish of Livingston until 1730 when it established into its own as the population began to rise. When reliable statistics began with the Statistical Accounts of Scotland the population was counted at 1,121 in 1755 followed by a more accurately count of 1,322 in 1795. Whitburn has appeared on maps since the 17th century of the Early Modern period and appears on
870-469: Was owned by Esquires . Between the 18th and 20th century the town was dominated by mines with the largest being Polkemmet Colliery – a large coal mine, discovered in the town in the late 1800s – but this was closed in the 1980s as a result of damage by underground flooding during the 1984–85 miners' strike and never re-opened. The colliery buildings have gone, and the coal bings that once were prominent have now been removed. Work to dismantle Bing No 3,
900-477: Was ranked 6th in the world in the 4barsrest rankings. Whitburn Flute Band was formed in the town in 1962, although it is thought the band may have existed in some form before this. The band host their annual parade through the town on the first Saturday in April. The parade attracts bands from all over the UK who come to compete. The M8 motorway passes to the north of the town. A shared cycle and pedestrian path along
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