Whitburn

About the Book: 

It would require many volumes to capture the variety and complexity of Whitburn’s history – this book can only give a faint indication of how much has happened over the last 300 years of Whitburn’s history and why the town developed as it did. So many of its people lived, died and left no trace behind but it’s hoped that this book has suggested something of what their lives were like.

Unknown to or overlooked by many, the small town of Whitburn in central Scotland has a varied and radical past of change and hardship. Forced to forever flow with the tide of national developments, the town’s early success in the weaving industry gave way to the coal boom and the war years of the 20th century. The 1980s brought a long struggle against unemployment caused by the downfall of the coal industry, a struggle that is still being had as a result of modern-day developments such as recession, modernisation of businesses and online processes.

In some ways, Whitburn is like any other small Scottish town but its radical streak and strength of heart sets it apart. Reaching across centuries, this book is a comprehensive account of the town from birth to the present day and everything in between, showing the difficulties of surviving in an ever-changing social, political and financial climate. More than the history of a town, this is the story of its people’s resilience and their constant fight to survive change.

About the Author: 

SYBIL CAVANAGH grew up in Fife and is a graduate of St Andrew's University. After a Diploma in Librarianship at the University of Wales, she worked in Wigan and then in Glasgow, where a long-standing interest in Scottish history developed into a particular interest in local history. She came to West Lothian in 1984 and has been Local History Librarian with West Lothian Libraries since 1990.