Archives and Records Management

West Lothian Council Archives is responsible for preserving and making accessible records reflecting the history of both local government and the wider community in West Lothian.

What are Archives?

Archives are original documents produced by official bodies, individuals or societies that are no longer in current use. Archives are a valuable resource for tracing family history, exploring the history of local government, or discovering more about the wider community.

 

The archival holdings date from the 16th century to the present day and include local authority records and private deposits comprising:

• School records
• Poor Law records
• Business records
• Estate papers

The Collections

The main collections include the records of:

• West Lothian Council
• West Lothian County and District Councils
• Livingston Development Corporation
• Linlithgow Incorporation of Wrights
• Bob Wallace photographic collection
• Bathgate Forge

Access

On-site visits are now available by appointment only, between 10am and 3pm on:

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday 

To make an appointment or for any other enquiries, please email: archive@westlothian.gov.uk, or write to West Lothian Council Archives and Records, Kirkton Service Centre, 1 Lister Road, Livingston, EH54 7BL.

Private Deposits

Archives welcomes donations of records from individuals and organisations.

Online Resources

• Our online catalogue can be viewed here (opens new window) .

A list of the archive collections held by West Lothian Council Archives has been compiled by the Scottish Archive Network (opens new window)  (SCAN). The SCAN website also includes details of historical records relating to West Lothian held elsewhere.