The village of West Calder developed around the shale oil industry and there were many such mining operations in this part of the Lothians. By the early 1960s, crude oil imports had wiped out the shale pits but the spoil heaps (bings) are still dotted around the landscape. The multi-peaked Five Sisters bing has even acquired protected status. Starting in the middle of the main street, head up Northfield Court and take the footbridge over the railway line. The saw-toothed hills come into view. Follow this path to the B792. It is necessary to walk along the roadside for 300 yards. Turn left and take the usual precautions.
Look out for a dirt track on your right. This dips down past the abutments of an old stone rail bridge and leads to the Breich Water. The route to the bings can be muddy and stout boots are recommended. Cross the burn which is the historic boundary between Mid and West Lothian. West Calder belongs traditionally to the former but the administrative authority for the village is West Lothian Council.
As you approach the bings, cut across the bog for a short distance to join the track circling the foot of the mounds. It's better to go clockwise, even though this direction is the "long way round" to the path leading upwards. The opposite way is rocky and uneven in places. As you circle the slag heaps, the face looks far too sheer to climb but the gradient is shallower on the other side. When you reach the boundary wall of a builder's merchant yard, look for an obvious grassy trail leading straight up the bing. It's a slog but the views from the pinnacle are worth the effort.
