My Area: Broxburn, Uphall & Pumpherston
Broxburn was the first place where oil was produced from oil shale. In 1860, Robert Bell, who owned the coal and other minerals in the Broxburn district, set up a small oil works, and encouraged many other businessmen to set up their own works in the area. In 1878 these many small companies were merged to form the Broxburn Oil Company, which then constructed Broxburn Oil Works and Refinery.
Those employed by the company were housed in Broxburn, Stewartfield and many other sites. Shale mines were operated throughout the Broxburn area, including the Dunnet Mine and the Albyn Mine. The Broxburn oil works closed in about 1926, although the refinery site remained in use until the late 1950's
In the 1890's the Broxburn Oil Company extended its interests and established a new crude oil works at Roman Camp, constructing new worker's housing, and establishing new mines. Roman Camp works closed in 1955.
Edward Meldrum, a former partner of James Young, was amongst those who established the Uphall Oil Company, that began construction of the Uphall Oil Works in 1866. Housing for the workforce was built at Stankards and Uphall Station, and mines sunk at Forkneuk. The company established the Hopetoun Oil Works early in the 1870's, served by a number of mines including Hopetoun No.1, and with workers housed in the new village of Niddry. The company was taken over by Young's Paraffin Light and Mineral Oil Co. in 1882. Hopetoun Oil Works closed in 1952.
The Pumpherston Oil Company was set up in 1882 to construct the Pumpherston Oil Works, which were supplied by the rich shale of the Pumpherston mines. The north and south villages were built to house the workforce. The company was very successful and redeveloped works at Deans, Seafield and Tarbrax to supply crude oil to be refined at Pumpherston. From 1919, when Scottish Oils Ltd were established, all crude oil produced in Scotland was sent to Pumpherston for refining. Pumpherston refinery remained in use until the end of the shale oil industry in 1962, and the site continued as a detergent works until 1993.