The Bings of West Lothian – a ‘Day of Access’ Excursion

28 November 2022

The shale bings of West Lothian create an unusual landscape, quite a wounded place, and yet also healing. As part of Friends of the Award’s mental health support work, and in a ‘Day of Access’ collaboration, 2 young people spent an afternoon exploring the site.

“It’s like a sci-fi film set, as if we’ve been dropped on Mars or Ayers Rock. I didn’t expect the red-brown colours to be so dramatic. It feels foreign and abstract!”

“It’s a secluded new environment. I didn’t think there’d be so much woodland, the harshness gives way to a soft green lushness. It’s so peaceful, weirdly silent, so cool. It has a sense of loneliness and desolation too, of being asleep, at rest. It makes you feel safe being away from the traffic and noise.”

Read an account of the experience by Rob Bushby, Friends of the Award Chief Executive.