Philpstoun Bing comprises two parts, situated to the north and south of the Union Canal, a half-mile (0.8 km) east southeast of Philpstoun in West Lothian. The distinctive pink-coloured bing has a total footprint of 37 ha (91.4 acres) and reaches a height of 53m (174 feet) above the surrounding landscape (or 125m / 410 feet above sea level) with a flat top. Its steep slopes are relatively stable, owing to the mixed size of the shale substrate. This bing is one of a number in the area which serve as a reminder of the oil shale industry pioneered by James 'Paraffin' Young (1811-83). The shale was heated to extract lighting and heating oil, while the spent shale formed the bing until the works here closed in 1932.
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