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Pentland Oil Works

Background

Redwood notes "Pentland Oil Works, Loanhead nr. Edinburgh, started 1880 and still going".

The Clippens Oil Company emerged from successful coal oil operations in Renfrewshire and secured a lease of shale at Pentland in 1879. The Pentland Oil Works were constructed by the Clippens Oil Company in 1882 and from c.1885 operated in association with the adjacent Straiton Oil Works and refinery, making this one of the larger shale oil concerns. Some of the crude oil produced at Pentland was also transported to Clippens Oil Works for refining. The Clippens Company was reconstructed in 1893.

Oil production was suspended in 1897 as the consequence of a long and complex legal case with the Edinburgh and District Water Trust which was not concluded until 1907. By that time the works had fallen derelict and never returned to production.

The supposed Pentland oil works office building later served as the Straiton Inn (laterly the Callyr Inn) and survives (in 2013) in a derelict condition.

Valuation Records

Entries between 1882 and 1900. Download details

Maps

Ordnance Survey maps reproduced by kind permission of the Trustees of the National Library of Scotland

• (1) 25" OS map c.1894; showing the works in production
• (2) 25" OS map c.1907, showing the works lying derelict
• (3) 25" OS map c.1913 showing site after further dismantling.
• (4) Google Earth image, c.2005
• (5) 6" OS map c.1895 annotated to show extent of the bing

Images

Snippets

THE PENTLAND AND STRAITON OIL WORKS and OTHER PROPERTIES belonging to THE CLIPPENS OIL COMPANY, LIMITED. In liquidation. FOR SALE by Private Treaty. OFFERS WILL BE received for the FOLLOWING:- (1) ALL and WHOLE the LANDS of STRAITON, lying within the Barony of SOUTHHOUSE and SHERIFFDOM of EDINBURGH, situated in the Parish of Liberton and consisting of 270 Acres or thereby, with the SHALE and MINERALS situated thereunder, and the EXTENSIVE WORKS known as STRAITON OIL WORKS, working in conjunction with the PENTLAND WORKS of the above company, erected on adjoining Leasehold Subjects. The valuation roll rental of STRAITON ESTATE inclusive on Mineral is £5,193: The farm of STRAITON in the Company's own occupation, and rated at £500. The Annual Burdens including Rates and Minerals, average £769 19s. 3d. The surface value of the Estate was, in 1882, estimated by the late JOHN H. DICKSON of SAUGHTON MAINS at £29,712 (2) The SMALL PROPERTY of OLD MAYSHADE, lying to the south of the Straiton Estate, purchased by the company at £1850, with dwelling house thereon, and containing 7 acres. Valuation Roll value £83 10s. Annual Burdens, £9, 7s 5d. Feu Duty, £3. (3) The LEASEHOLD SUBJECTS, consisting of 19 Acres of Surface, with the Buildings and Erections, including Workman's Houses, in the parish of Lasswade, known as Pentland Oil Works........(4) THE WHOLE OTHER PROPERTIES and LEASES belonging to, or worked by the Company in so far the Company has right thereto: and (5) The WHOLE STOCKS, MANUFACTURED and in COURSE of MANUFACTURE. The Subjects include the Works, Pits, Railways, Minerals, Plant, Stores, &c. The Works, which are well equipped and in full working order, are offered for sale as a going concern. The Scotsman, 15th March 1893

SALE OF SURPLUS PLANT AND MACHINERY AT CLIPPENS OIL WORKS, LOANHEAD, MID-LOTHIAN, on THURSDAY, 15th October 1896 at One o'clock. SHIRLAW ALLAN & Co. have been favoured with instructions from Messrs. The Clippens Oil Company, Limited to SELL by AUCTION as above, as formerly advertised. Catalogues from auctioneers. Hamilton 10th October 1896. The Scotsman 12th October 1896.

THE PENTLAND AND STRAITON OIL WORKS and OTHER PROPERTIES belonging to THE CLIPPENS OIL COMPANY, LIMITED. In liquidation. FOR SALE by Private Treaty. OFFERS WILL BE received for the FOLLOWING:- (1) ALL and WHOLE the LANDS of STRAITON, situated in the Parish of Liberton and County of Mid-Lothian and consisting of 283 Acres or thereby, with the Shale and Minerals situated thereunder, and the Extensive Works, Houses, &c., known as The Straiton Oilworks, formerly worked in conjunction with the Pentland Oilworks of the above company, erected on adjoining Leasehold Subjects. The rental of Straiton Estate, including £14 7s. 2d. Of Feu Duties and Ground Rent is £1510, 5s. 6d. The annual burdens in 1908 amounted to £171, 16s. 11d. (2) The Small Property of MAYSHADE, lying to the south of the Straiton Estate, purchased by the company at £1850, with dwelling house thereon, and containing 10 acres or thereby. Rental £65 16s. Annual Burdens in 1908, £7, 5s. 3d. Feu-duty, £10. The subjects include various Works, railways &c. The Estate contains valuable seams of shale formerly works along with shale leased in adjoining properties. Arrangements can be made by a purchaser for taking over the leases, and the whole would form a very valuable field for the establishment of a new Scottish Oil Company. The Scotsman,31st March 1909

References

• Valuation Appeal - Clippens Oil Company Ltd.: The Scotsman, 14th September 1899