Start, route and finish
National Cycle Path 75 stretches from Glasgow to Edinburgh. Within West Lothian it runs
from Raiziehill, where the A89 enters the district, eastwards through Armadale, between
Bathgate and Blackburn, through Livingston and leaves the district on the minor road to
Balerno near Haggs Farm. This path is 23 miles (37km) long within West Lothian.
Surfaces and features
The western section of path, from Raiziehill to Paulville on the south side of Bathgate, is on
a disused railway line where a three metre wide tarmac track has been constructed. Plans
are now well advanced to develop this as a new rail link between Glasgow and Edinburgh.
West Lothian and North Lanarkshire Councils and others have been negotiating with
Network Rail and their consultants to secure a satisfactory alternative cyclepath route.
For the moment both councils have decided to designate the existing alignment on their
DCPPs, as there are still some matters to agree.
From Paulville eastwards there is a purpose built cyclepath to the west side of Livingston.
It passes through Livingston on a route developed as part of the Greenways path network.
On the eastern side of Livingston it emerges from Almondell Country Park onto an ash
track that takes it beyond East Calder. Thereafter it uses minor roads and goes through
Kirknewton on the B7031 before reaching Haggs Farm.
The experience
The route drops eastwards from the exposed moorland at Blackridge down through the
newly developed areas on the south side of Bathgate to the lowland moor of Easter Inch
Moss Local Nature Reserve to the east of Blackburn. After negotiating its way through
the Livingston conurbation, it passes through the attractive wooded gorge of Almondell
Country Park before heading on towards Edinburgh.
Opportunities and constraints
Between Blackridge and Livingston the council has upgraded links to National Cycle Path
75 such as at Hunter Grove in Bathgate and the path from the east side of Blackburn across
Easter Inch Moss. This process will continue with communities in Whitburn and Seafield
seeking new and better links.
Both West Lothian and City of Edinburgh Councils have been exploring the provision of an
off road cycleway to link East Calder with Balerno where National Cycle Path 75 then follows
the Water of Leith path. This is an ongoing process that will take many years to secure.
Cache accessible via easy roadside parking road and cycle path 75 at Forrestfield Road.
Base of the last fence post adjacent to the next fence. Please cover well.
Congratulations to Sweeney Toddlers for being the FTF !