| Blackness | |
A view of houses in the village of Blackness |
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Blackness
Blackness shown within the Falkirk council area |
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| Population | 135 [1] (2001 census) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | NT051800 |
| - Edinburgh | 13.4 mi (21.6 km) SE |
| - London | 341 mi (549 km) SSE |
| Council area | Falkirk |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LINLITHGOW |
| Postcode district | EH49 |
| Dialling code | 01506 |
| Police | Central Scotland |
| Fire | Central Scotland |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | Linlithgow and East Falkirk |
| Scottish Parliament | Central Scotland |
| Falkirk East | |
| Website | falkirk.gov.uk |
| List of places: UK • Scotland • | |
Blackness is a small village and harbour at Blackness Bay, an inlet of the Firth of Forth in Scotland. It lies 3.4 miles (5.5 km) east-southeast of Bo'ness, 5.0 miles (8.0 km) west-northwest of South Queensferry and 3.8 miles (6.1 km) north-east of Linlithgow, within the council area of Falkirk.
At the 2001 Census Blackness was reported as having a population of around 135 residents.[1]
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The village originally served as a port for nearby Linlithgow, which was a principal residence of the Scottish monarchs from as early as the 12th century. As a port, Blackness was later superseded by Bo'ness, and fell into decline from the 17th century. Blackness Yacht Club currently use the village as a base for its sailing activities.
The small village is dominated by Blackness Castle, situated on a promontory overlooking the bay. The castle was both a residence and a prison before passing to Crown ownership in 1453. The castle is currently under the care of Historic Scotland and has been used as a setting for several films including Hamlet,[2] and the BBC production of Ivanhoe.[3] In addition to the castle and the boat club, the village contains a small variety shop and a pub restaurant. The old smithy has long since shut its doors, as has the dairy which once operated from the village.
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