THE man-made mountains are a legacy of long lost industrial era and seen by many as a blot on the landscape.
Now West Lothian's shale bings are to help tell the story of the world's first oil boom as it is laid out on a tourist route through the industry's heartland.
The shale trail is to be created from the base of the Pentland Hills, where some of the richest seams were tapped, to the east coast and will recount the journey of the mineral and the industry which at just one mine once produced three million tonnes of shale a year.
Charity and social enterprise the Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust has been awarded £15,000 to do the groundwork on a plan to establish the 16-mile route.
The boom sparked by the innovation of Glasgow chemist James "Paraffin" Young, who first extracted oil from shale in the middle of the 19th century, is to be set out on the trail as it highlights key heritage sites linked to shale extraction and processing in the area.
The industry, which had about 120 mines in Scotland at its height, died out after output declined with the discovery of liquid oil reserves around the world and mining eventually ceased in 1962.
Read more: Maurice Smith on fracking: we've been here before with the 1850s shale oil boom
Shale oil extraction was a process carried out once the mineral was mined rather than the in situ extraction of shale fracking for gas.
ELGT, which helps improve areas such as urban woodlands and cycle paths, has been awarded the cash by Central Scotland Green Network Trust as part of £355,000 of grants for 14 projects.
A spokesman for the project said: "The shale trail is proposed to be a trail to highlight and explore West Lothian’s industrial heritage.
"The trail will connect and highlight key heritage sites linked to the shale history using the Ancient Scheduled Monuments of Greendykes Bing and the Five Sisters Bing as key route ‘anchors’."
The route is based on the original "Paraffin Young Trail" set up in the 1970s by Lothian Regional Council, which was a sightseeing route intended for car-users.
The current proposal would see this route redesigned as a walking and cycling route linking the settlements of Winchburgh, Broxburn, Uphall, Pumpherston, Livingston and West Calder.
Read more: Ineos facing legal challenge in battle with Scottish Government over fracking ban
The spokesman added: "There is a strong community desire to preserve and communicate this important local heritage to a wider audience.
"Once complete the feasibility study will inform the second phase of the project in delivering an on the ground trail of approximately 16 miles and with a programme of activities and engagement will encourage and promote cycling and walking across local communities in West Lothian."
Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, said: “Since 2010 this investment has provided more than £7m and helped more than 210 projects improve green spaces in their local areas.
"These new projects will continue to build Europe’s largest greenspace project and benefit communities across central Scotland.
“The diverse range of projects to receive funding highlights the many different ways improving green infrastructure can benefit communities and our environment. From community growing, woodland planting and improving cycle and walking routes, each of these community projects is playing a role in our ambitions to create a cleaner and greener Scotland.”
Read more: Maurice Smith on fracking: we've been here before with the 1850s shale oil boom
The Central Scotland Green Network is Europe’s largest greenspace push with projects stretching across East Ayrshire, Inverclyde, Edinburgh and Glasgow now among those benefitting.
Keith Geddes, Chair of CSGNT, said the recipients "all share one thing in common and that is that they support the environment from trees, woodlands and green infrastructure through to encouraging community growing and promoting active travel to help transform the quality of life for people living and working in the area".
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