Stoneyburn

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Stoneyburn
Location
OS grid reference:	NS929606
Statistics
Population:	3,390 (2004 est) [1]
Administration
Council area:	West Lothian
Constituent country:	Scotland
Sovereign state:	United Kingdom
Other
Police force:	Lothian and Borders Police
Lieutenancy area:	West Lothian
Former county:	West Lothian
Post office and telephone
Post town:	Bathgate
Postal district:	EH47
Dialling code:	01501
Politics
Scottish Parliament:	Linlithgow
UK Parliament:	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
European Parliament:	Scotland

Stoneyburn is a village in West Lothian, Scotland. Nearby towns include Bathgate, Whitburn, Addiewell and Blackburn.

[edit] Geography

Stoneyburn is situated in the middle of central Scotland, some 4 miles from Bathgate in the north and 5 from Livingston in the west. At approximately 25 miles from the centre of Scotland's two major cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh, the village is situated 2 miles away from junction 4 of the M8, Scotland's main motorway. Despite this, it is situated in a semi-rural area, surrounded by dairy farms and fields. Around three thousand souls inhabit the village, which is around 1.5 miles in length, clustered around the B7015. Traditionally, the village is divided between Stoneyburn proper and Bents, although it would seem that this distinction has only been in force since the end of the mining period in the 1960s.

[edit] Community

Stoneyburn is home to a vibrant and friendly community, supporting a bowling club, Stoneyburn Junior Football team, two primary schools (Stoneyburn and Our Lady's) a Masonic Lodge and a catholic church, Our Lady's, of which the parish priest is Father Ryszard (Dick) Holuka S.T.L., M.A., who was ordained in 1974.

The public houses in the village are the Ewington Hotel which is the best drinking place in the village ,The Bentswood Inn and The Green tree, which has been closed for some months and is now being made into flats . There is also a well-known private house in which denizens of the village meet to talk and drink, known colloquially as the "Jaiky Hoose".

[edit] Relationship to other places

Stoneyburn is traditionally regarded as something of a backwater by its near neighbours but is swiftly shaking off this reputation as a younger generation of native Stoneyburners and new blood move into the area, taking advantage of less-inflated house prices and excellent local amenities (West Lothian Council are the UK's council of the year 2006). Stoneyburn's main rivalry is with the backward and odd Addiewell, only 1 mile away across fields and burns. Stoneyburners are reportedly referred to as 'nuggets' by those residents of Addiewell whose communications are unintelligible to civilised visitors.