Day 58 – Greendykes Bing South Top

As it was a lovely day we decided to cycle out to Broxburn and go up the 2 oil shale bings that are just to the north of the village. We decided to go along wide cycle paths and roads until Sighthill where we joined the canal for the flat ride to Broxburn. It wasn’t too busy and everyone co-operates well at the moment. We left the bikes at the site of one of the oil shale processing plants and walked up Greendykes Bing. Even after nearly a hundred years the vegetation is noticeably less vigorous than the surrounding fields. The bings are the spoil left after the oil shale had its hydrocarbons removed, frighteningly to produce 10 barrels of oil (approximately 1.5 tonnes) from 8 tonnes of oil shale gave 6 tonnes of waste apparently, which is why the bings are huge. The 5 Sisters and the bings at Broxburn are preserved archaeological sites whereas the nearby Niddry bing is being used for road foundations as it wears well. The bings are well used by off road motorcyclists and the extra shows 2 in action with the third photo the bing on which they were riding. The blip is a shot of the lower south top from the Union Canal.

Best large.