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Harburn

Settlement in Midlothian

Scotland

Harburn

Harburn lime works from the air The black dots near the bottom of the photo are in the area of the former lime works. Harburn golf club can also be seen.
Harburn lime works from the air Credit: Thomas Nugent

Harburn is a small rural village located in the county of Midlothian, Scotland. Situated approximately 13 miles west of the capital city, Edinburgh, it lies within the larger Harburn Estate, which covers around 2,500 acres of picturesque countryside.

Harburn is known for its idyllic setting, surrounded by rolling hills, lush green fields, and dense woodlands. The village itself consists of a handful of traditional stone-built houses, some of which date back to the 18th century, giving it a charming and historic character.

The village is home to a close-knit community, with a population of around 200 residents. While it may be small, Harburn has a strong sense of community spirit, and locals often organize events and activities to bring people together. The village also has a community hall, which serves as a hub for social gatherings, meetings, and local events.

The Harburn Estate, which encompasses the village, is renowned for its stunning natural beauty and offers ample opportunities for outdoor pursuits. There are numerous walking and cycling trails that crisscross the estate, allowing visitors and residents to explore the stunning landscapes and enjoy the abundance of wildlife.

Despite its tranquil rural setting, Harburn is conveniently located near major transportation links. The nearby town of West Calder provides access to a railway station, connecting Harburn with Edinburgh and Glasgow. Additionally, the A71 road runs close to the village, providing easy access to the wider region.

Overall, Harburn offers a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life, with its beautiful surroundings, friendly community, and close proximity to both nature and urban amenities.

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Harburn Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 55.836616/-3.535225 or Grid Reference NT0361. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Harburn lime works from the air The black dots near the bottom of the photo are in the area of the former lime works. Harburn golf club can also be seen.
Harburn lime works from the air
The black dots near the bottom of the photo are in the area of the former lime works. Harburn golf club can also be seen.
Old milestone A view of the Calder District Trust milestone under the oak? tree near Harburnhead. The 1852 1st Edition OS map says Edinburgh 18/Carnwath 10. The 1893 2nd Edition says Mid Calder 6/Carnwath 10. The inscriptions on the Calder District Trust milestones were painted on. There is no evidence of an incised inscription. However on this one there is a crudely inscribed JL on the top.
Old milestone
A view of the Calder District Trust milestone under the oak? tree near Harburnhead. The 1852 1st Edition OS map says Edinburgh 18/Carnwath 10. The 1893 2nd Edition says Mid Calder 6/Carnwath 10. The inscriptions on the Calder District Trust milestones were painted on. There is no evidence of an incised inscription. However on this one there is a crudely inscribed JL on the top.
Old milestone from former toll road One of the nine old milestones found in this area in 2020.
Old milestone from former toll road
One of the nine old milestones found in this area in 2020.
Landfill site (topsoil only) The OS map shows this as the site of a lime works and quarry. Looks like they are both in the process of being filled in.
Landfill site (topsoil only)
The OS map shows this as the site of a lime works and quarry. Looks like they are both in the process of being filled in.
Field, Harburnhead A field in a predominantly wooded area. There are rigs, but no sign of a potato, or any other, crop.
Field, Harburnhead
A field in a predominantly wooded area. There are rigs, but no sign of a potato, or any other, crop.
Track, Harburnhead Track running into the forest. It is signposted as a footpath, but the waymarked route runs as a simple loop back to the B7008.
Track, Harburnhead
Track running into the forest. It is signposted as a footpath, but the waymarked route runs as a simple loop back to the B7008.
Forest, Harburnhead Looking along a ride in commercial forestry. There were wind farmers about today, so I have no idea how long these trees will be here before being replaced by the latest taxpayer's money grab for marginal land. Still if you have to put the wretched things anywhere, this is as good a place as any.
Forest, Harburnhead
Looking along a ride in commercial forestry. There were wind farmers about today, so I have no idea how long these trees will be here before being replaced by the latest taxpayer's money grab for marginal land. Still if you have to put the wretched things anywhere, this is as good a place as any.
Moorland, Harburnhead Heather in bloom on a large area of land that was spared by the foresters.
Moorland, Harburnhead
Heather in bloom on a large area of land that was spared by the foresters.
Moorland, Harburnhead A small area of unforested land. Looking north towards the new fishery.
Moorland, Harburnhead
A small area of unforested land. Looking north towards the new fishery.
New fishery, Harburn The new lochs are settling down, gaining insect and plantlife prior to stocking. View from the Harburnhead limestone mine road/former railway.
New fishery, Harburn
The new lochs are settling down, gaining insect and plantlife prior to stocking. View from the Harburnhead limestone mine road/former railway.
Harburn landfill site Now vegetated a mound on the former landfill site at Harburn. This is the site of limestone quarries.
Harburn landfill site
Now vegetated a mound on the former landfill site at Harburn. This is the site of limestone quarries.
Fishing pool, Harburn The larger of the new pools. It is currently settling down, acquiring insect and plant life before stocking.
Fishing pool, Harburn
The larger of the new pools. It is currently settling down, acquiring insect and plant life before stocking.
Former Nuclear Bunker near West Calder Built at the height of the Cold War, and decommissioned only after the fall of the Soviet Union and the Berlin Wall in the 1990s, over a thousand of these structures used to be maintained in Britain. I assume most of them are still in place but as this one was buried in a spoil heap it has been allowed to topple to this position (that hides its entrance) to allow some of the shale mining waste to be taken away to be used elsewhere. A tall vertical ladder used to lead down into the reinforced concrete block, and whoever's task it was to man the post was provided with enough food and water to last them three days, during which they were tasked with carrying out measurements of the radiation in the atmosphere. To collect the data and measurements they were required to briefly leave the bunker as the monitoring equipment was situated next to the hatch. After the three days were up, they would emerge blinking into the sunshine to report to their superiors. All in all it is probably a very good thing that this rather optimistic operation never had to be called upon! I can remember the bunker as still being in position in the late 1990s. By then the top of the concrete was already exposed and it was starting to look very precarious, though it was obviously still being used as a drinking den by the local teenagers. The rumour back then, the internet still being in its infancy, was that it was designed to be used for monitoring enemy aircraft in wartime The CND graffiti makes more sense when its original purpose is known, but I'm not sure why a fearsome looking dragon (or strange looking chicken?!) is making the peace sign.
Former Nuclear Bunker near West Calder
Built at the height of the Cold War, and decommissioned only after the fall of the Soviet Union and the Berlin Wall in the 1990s, over a thousand of these structures used to be maintained in Britain. I assume most of them are still in place but as this one was buried in a spoil heap it has been allowed to topple to this position (that hides its entrance) to allow some of the shale mining waste to be taken away to be used elsewhere. A tall vertical ladder used to lead down into the reinforced concrete block, and whoever's task it was to man the post was provided with enough food and water to last them three days, during which they were tasked with carrying out measurements of the radiation in the atmosphere. To collect the data and measurements they were required to briefly leave the bunker as the monitoring equipment was situated next to the hatch. After the three days were up, they would emerge blinking into the sunshine to report to their superiors. All in all it is probably a very good thing that this rather optimistic operation never had to be called upon! I can remember the bunker as still being in position in the late 1990s. By then the top of the concrete was already exposed and it was starting to look very precarious, though it was obviously still being used as a drinking den by the local teenagers. The rumour back then, the internet still being in its infancy, was that it was designed to be used for monitoring enemy aircraft in wartime The CND graffiti makes more sense when its original purpose is known, but I'm not sure why a fearsome looking dragon (or strange looking chicken?!) is making the peace sign.
Old Well on Harburn Estate I am rather jealous of the pictures of another contributor to this square who has a number of pictures of the main house of the estate. While the grounds are too big to shut off to the public completely, there are a number of signs on the roads inside instructing you not to go this way and that. So either my fellow contributor was a guest at the wedding, or things were a bit more lax back then! The well building sits just off a small track leading from the main track at the North side of the estate and has a yellow warning sign at its front side. The OS map gives this spot the name 'Dogs Bush Knowe'. I'm not sure there is anything around here that qualifies for even that lowly title though.
Old Well on Harburn Estate
I am rather jealous of the pictures of another contributor to this square who has a number of pictures of the main house of the estate. While the grounds are too big to shut off to the public completely, there are a number of signs on the roads inside instructing you not to go this way and that. So either my fellow contributor was a guest at the wedding, or things were a bit more lax back then! The well building sits just off a small track leading from the main track at the North side of the estate and has a yellow warning sign at its front side. The OS map gives this spot the name 'Dogs Bush Knowe'. I'm not sure there is anything around here that qualifies for even that lowly title though.
Two Dead Trees at Dusk These trees sit along a long-standing field boundary in the Hartwood area, just South of West Calder. The field to the South of the trees is shown as rough grassland a hundred years ago, but today the field is all white on the OS map - it obviously does get cut these days, which must be why. The tiny symbols used for denoting types of terrain on OS maps don't seem as specific as they once were. There are still parts of fields shown (I assume) as rough grassland round here. It's all a bit jumbled up though. Four slightly different 'grassy tuft' symbols are shown in the key on the current orange large-scale OS paper maps. Printed next to the symbols is, "Bracken, heath or rough grassland". It is unclear whether these each take one of the specific symbols, though this seems unlikely as there are four symbols for three vegetation types. Furthermore, as you zoom in on digital OS mapping of the nearby fields to the East of here, two of these symbols, both the same type, turn into lots of another type. Which leaves the question of why they don't just use one symbol for everything if they are interchangeable. Somebody somewhere must know!
Two Dead Trees at Dusk
These trees sit along a long-standing field boundary in the Hartwood area, just South of West Calder. The field to the South of the trees is shown as rough grassland a hundred years ago, but today the field is all white on the OS map - it obviously does get cut these days, which must be why. The tiny symbols used for denoting types of terrain on OS maps don't seem as specific as they once were. There are still parts of fields shown (I assume) as rough grassland round here. It's all a bit jumbled up though. Four slightly different 'grassy tuft' symbols are shown in the key on the current orange large-scale OS paper maps. Printed next to the symbols is, "Bracken, heath or rough grassland". It is unclear whether these each take one of the specific symbols, though this seems unlikely as there are four symbols for three vegetation types. Furthermore, as you zoom in on digital OS mapping of the nearby fields to the East of here, two of these symbols, both the same type, turn into lots of another type. Which leaves the question of why they don't just use one symbol for everything if they are interchangeable. Somebody somewhere must know!
A Tribute to Three Dogs Most benches' commemorative plaques are for people. The fact that this one's is simply for Bruno, Tyson, and Henry, isn't actually that surprising when you know that the Dogs Trust dog rehoming centre is very close by. In fact all the well maintained paths round here seem to begin and end at their complex - I came across one by chance and then kept ending up back where I started. To the right of the bench, half-buried in the grass, is a teddy bear style dog's toy. The paths are littered with them. The Dogs Trust wisely changed its name a few years back. It used to be called the fearsome sounding National Canine Defence League; sometimes rebranding is fully justified.
A Tribute to Three Dogs
Most benches' commemorative plaques are for people. The fact that this one's is simply for Bruno, Tyson, and Henry, isn't actually that surprising when you know that the Dogs Trust dog rehoming centre is very close by. In fact all the well maintained paths round here seem to begin and end at their complex - I came across one by chance and then kept ending up back where I started. To the right of the bench, half-buried in the grass, is a teddy bear style dog's toy. The paths are littered with them. The Dogs Trust wisely changed its name a few years back. It used to be called the fearsome sounding National Canine Defence League; sometimes rebranding is fully justified.
The U40 in Evening Mist U-roads are the lowliest of roads, and therefore quite good for walking along, as they have virtually no traffic - in my 2.4 mile walk from end to end of this one I didn't encounter a single vehicle. While the numbering of roads lower down than B-roads is entirely the decision of the relevant local council (there will be numerous U40s across Britain), they are generally labelled with C and U, or C, D and U in council areas with more roads. Cs and Ds, as far as I can tell, usually get some central government money towards their upkeep, but Us (standing conventionally, but not always, for Unclassified Roads) rely entirely on our council taxes for their repair. Considering that they are just generally extended driveways to a handful of properties this seems reasonable enough. I reckon about 8 or 9 households use this road for driving - there is no reason to regularly use it unless you live here. The U40 runs from the B7008, opposite Turniemoon, a farm, to the slightly more important C24, where it passes by Harwood, a collection of farms and expensive houses too far apart from one another to properly be called a hamlet. It is a confusing road to walk along in the mist if you don't realise there are wind turbines nearby. They were kicking into action with lots of strange noises, but invisible at the time.
The U40 in Evening Mist
U-roads are the lowliest of roads, and therefore quite good for walking along, as they have virtually no traffic - in my 2.4 mile walk from end to end of this one I didn't encounter a single vehicle. While the numbering of roads lower down than B-roads is entirely the decision of the relevant local council (there will be numerous U40s across Britain), they are generally labelled with C and U, or C, D and U in council areas with more roads. Cs and Ds, as far as I can tell, usually get some central government money towards their upkeep, but Us (standing conventionally, but not always, for Unclassified Roads) rely entirely on our council taxes for their repair. Considering that they are just generally extended driveways to a handful of properties this seems reasonable enough. I reckon about 8 or 9 households use this road for driving - there is no reason to regularly use it unless you live here. The U40 runs from the B7008, opposite Turniemoon, a farm, to the slightly more important C24, where it passes by Harwood, a collection of farms and expensive houses too far apart from one another to properly be called a hamlet. It is a confusing road to walk along in the mist if you don't realise there are wind turbines nearby. They were kicking into action with lots of strange noises, but invisible at the time.
Pond South of Bents Burn This pond is relatively new - maps up until the 1960s just show this spot as being part of a field. A lot of the former farmland is now used for conifer plantations, though, so it is perhaps a result of more focused drainage going on. The drains around here are serious affairs with very steep mud banks, and though one does run near here, it seems to flow into the burn along with the rest of them. The trees in the centre of the picture are actually on a small island, which isn't immediately apparent.
Pond South of Bents Burn
This pond is relatively new - maps up until the 1960s just show this spot as being part of a field. A lot of the former farmland is now used for conifer plantations, though, so it is perhaps a result of more focused drainage going on. The drains around here are serious affairs with very steep mud banks, and though one does run near here, it seems to flow into the burn along with the rest of them. The trees in the centre of the picture are actually on a small island, which isn't immediately apparent.
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Harburn is located at Grid Ref: NT0361 (Lat: 55.836616, Lng: -3.535225)

Unitary Authority: West Lothian

Police Authority: The Lothians and Scottish Borders

What 3 Words

///blank.sketch.hero. Near West Calder, West Lothian

Nearby Locations

Harburn

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Nearby Amenities

Located within 500m of 55.836616,-3.535225
Harburn
Created By: Potlatch 0.10f
Is In: West Lothian
Place: village
Lat/Long: 55.8366636/-3.5344926
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Post Box
Collection Times: Mo-Fr 12:00; Sa 10:15
Operator: Royal Mail
Operator Wikidata: Q638098
Post Box Type: lamp
Ref: EH55 49
Royal Cypher: scottish_crown
Lat/Long: 55.8365372/-3.5352552
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Addr City: West Calder
Addr Housenumber: 1 Old School House
Addr Postcode: EH55 8RP
Addr Street: Harburn
Lat/Long: 55.8367339/-3.5343488
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Addr City: West Calder
Addr Housenumber: 3 Reith Cottage
Addr Postcode: EH55 8RP
Addr Street: Harburn
Lat/Long: 55.8369602/-3.5338835
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Addr City: West Calder
Addr Housename: Coalheughhead Farmhouse
Addr Postcode: EH55 8RT
Lat/Long: 55.8369792/-3.5429868
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Material: wood
Power: pole
Lat/Long: 55.8383918/-3.5372034
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Power: pole
Lat/Long: 55.8385409/-3.5342342
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Power: pole
Lat/Long: 55.8386315/-3.5326918
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Power: pole
Lat/Long: 55.8392249/-3.5304065
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Material: wood
Power: pole
Lat/Long: 55.8384566/-3.5356906
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Power: pole
Lat/Long: 55.8386978/-3.531466
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Kindergarten
Wonder Woods
Lat/Long: 55.8405004/-3.5313535
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Barrier: entrance
Lat/Long: 55.8388929/-3.5301633
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Power: pole
Lat/Long: 55.8370845/-3.5429267
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Harburn
Historic Railway: station
Railway: site
Wikidata: Q5654924
Wikipedia: en:Harburn railway station
Lat/Long: 55.8385993/-3.5293458
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Addr City: West Calder
Addr Housename: Coalheughhead Cottage
Addr Postcode: EH55 8RT
Lat/Long: 55.8367937/-3.5429846
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Addr City: West Calder
Addr Housename: Broomhill Steadings
Addr Postcode: EH55 8RS
Lat/Long: 55.8401607/-3.5362604
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Addr City: West Calder
Addr Housename: Broomhill Farm
Addr Postcode: EH55 8RS
Lat/Long: 55.8399931/-3.536892
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Addr City: West Calder
Addr Housename: Broadmeadow Livery Stables
Addr Postcode: EH55 8RS
Lat/Long: 55.838078/-3.5401836
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Addr City: West Calder
Addr Housename: Whinsbrook
Addr Postcode: EH55 8RS
Lat/Long: 55.838979/-3.5388005
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Addr City: West Calder
Addr Housename: Birnam
Addr Postcode: EH55 8RS
Lat/Long: 55.8381453/-3.5377543
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Addr City: West Calder
Addr Housenumber: 1a Bridgend
Addr Postcode: EH55 8RP
Addr Street: Harburn
Lat/Long: 55.8366364/-3.5346122
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Addr City: West Calder
Addr Housenumber: 2 Fernbank
Addr Postcode: EH55 8RP
Addr Street: Harburn
Lat/Long: 55.8369157/-3.5342077
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Addr City: West Calder
Addr Housenumber: 4 Firlea
Addr Postcode: EH55 8RP
Addr Street: Harburn
Lat/Long: 55.8370374/-3.5337088
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Addr City: West Calder
Addr Housenumber: 5
Addr Postcode: EH55 8RP
Addr Street: Harburn
Lat/Long: 55.8372035/-3.5333372
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Addr City: West Calder
Addr Housenumber: 6 Fairmount
Addr Postcode: EH55 8RP
Addr Street: Harburn
Lat/Long: 55.8372326/-3.5332655
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Addr City: West Calder
Addr Housenumber: 7b Northwood Lodge
Addr Postcode: EH55 8RP
Addr Street: Harburn
Lat/Long: 55.837355/-3.5330181
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Addr City: West Calder
Addr Housenumber: 7 Northwood
Addr Postcode: EH55 8RP
Addr Street: Harburn
Lat/Long: 55.8374464/-3.5325193
OpenStreetMap
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Addr City: West Calder
Addr Housenumber: 8a
Addr Postcode: EH55 8RP
Addr Street: Harburn
Lat/Long: 55.8376109/-3.5322853
OpenStreetMap
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Addr City: West Calder
Addr Housenumber: 8 Gate Lodge
Addr Place: Harburn Estate
Addr Postcode: EH55 8RN
Lat/Long: 55.8379201/-3.5316887
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Addr City: West Calder
Addr Housenumber: 6 Loch Lodge
Addr Place: Harburn Estate
Addr Postcode: EH55 8RN
Lat/Long: 55.8381646/-3.5290727
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Addr City: West Calder
Addr Housenumber: 3 West Lodge
Addr Place: Harburn Estate
Addr Postcode: EH55 8RN
Lat/Long: 55.8363811/-3.5317048
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The data included in this document is from www.openstreetmap.org. The data is made available under ODbL.
Harbridge Green Hampshire
Harbury Warwickshire

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