Uphall, West Lothian

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Strathbrock kirk, on the north side of Uphall

Uphall in West Lothian is a rapidly growing village in a conurbation with Broxburn to the east, Dechmont to the west and Uphall Station to the south west. Uphall is 30 miles from Glasgow and 14 miles from Edinburgh in the Scottish lowlands.

Uphall has a public golf course and a selection of public houses including the The Oatridge Hotel, The Dovehill Arms and Houston House Hotel.

Until the second half of the 19th century Uphall and its neighbour, Broxburn, were small rural communities. The discovery and exploitation of local shale oil triggered massive growth as many people moved to the area to gain employment in the shale mines and associated oil works. Surrounding villages expanded rapidly as rows of miners' cottages were erected to accommodate the influx of people.

This boom continued until the oil industry went into terminal decline in the 1920s and only post war industrial development at Greendykes and East Mains Industrial Estates, coupled with new employment throughout the West Lothian district and increased commuting to Edinburgh, helped to offset the depression that followed.