Almondell & Calderwood Country Park is tucked out of sight in the valley of the River Almond between Broxburn and East Calder, Almondell & Calderwood Country Park is probably the best kept secret in West Lothian!
Due to staffing shortage, the Visitor Centre reception and shop area will be closed on the following dates:
Monday 30 June Friday 18 July
Staff can be contacted at reception by ringing the emergency bell.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused
Storm Eowyn
Following Storm Eowyn on the 24 January 2025 and further wet and windy weather, the wooded areas within West Lothian suffered significant damage. Clearance work on forest roads and main access routes have now been completed but not all wooded areas and paths are clear of windblown damage, so we ask users to stay vigilant especially during wet and windy weather conditions.
If you visit a wooded site, we are asking all visitors to:
Always follow signage and do not breach path closures
Stay well away from work areas
Choose an alternative route if your way ahead is blocked
From Saturday 1 March 2025 Beecraigs Country Park is removing the red zone restrictions but some wooded areas within the Park remain out of bounds.
Forestry clearance works will continue over the coming months across many woodlands in West Lothian; stay clear of timber stacks and do not climb on these please.
Almondell & Calderwood Country Park
Based around two adjoining estates (Almondell and Calderwood) and with a history going back 340 million years to the time of the Carboniferous swamps, this area has much to offer its visitors.
Left undeveloped and unspoilt, Calderwood is a complete contrast to Almondell. This natural woodland, located on a plateau bounded by the Linhouse and Murieston Waters, is home to a wealth of wildlife. Roe deer, fox, heron and woodpecker all make their homes here, while the many oak and hazel trees provide food for the squirrels and wood mice. For this reason Calderwood has been designated a Site of Scientific Interest (SSSI).
The Visitor Centre at Almondell & Calderwood Country Park is the ideal place for talks, presentations, small-scale conferences and meetings. It can also be cleared and used for practical workshops or classes.
The general purpose room has a comfortable capacity for 30 people. There is ample parking close to the Visitor Centre and the building is wheelchair accessible.
A range of refreshments are available to purchase from the Visitor Centre.
The hire cost for 2025/26 is £16.90 for the first hour and £15.25 each subsequent hour.
Woodland Management
Most of the woods were planted as part of Henry Erskine's Almondell Estate and now form part of Almondell & Calderwood Country Park. In order to maintain the woods and public access in a healthy state for future generations, woodland management work is needed. A Woodland Management Plan was approved by, and grant assistance secured from, Scottish Forestry under their Woods In and Around Towns (WIAT) programme. Planned forestry work inevitably causes disruption in the Park but once restored will breathe new life into the woods. Information is also available in the Visitor Centre and a reference copy of the Almondell Woodland Management Plan is available at reception.
A great start has been made to the replanting of the woodland along the South Drive. Over 150 volunteers of all ages, including pupils from East Calder and St Paul's Primary Schools, the Young Police Volunteer Group, a group undertaking their Duke of Edinburgh badge and the Friends of Almondell & Calderwood, all lent a hand to plant and protect 2000 oak, silver birch, alder, sycamore and Scots pine trees. More tree planting events are planned. Ornamental trees will be planted along the drive to give Spring and Autumn colour, with fruiting trees and shrubs along the edge of the Calderwood Development. Trees will be planted in gaps in the former Larch Wood as well as allowing young trees to grow up naturally from seed in the soil.
Work has re-commencing for the final phase of the Woods In and Around Town (WIAT) project and will continue until Christmas. Various section of internal paths will be closed for a few days at a time. Further details can be found within this map. Almondell Path & Woodland Works - WIAT project (PDF, 278 KB)(opens new window)
The path along the former Larch Wood has been completed, and the renewal of the path from the North Drive to the Mandela Bridge has also been upgraded. The landscaping of the North Car Park is still underway. Tree safety work followed by path improvement works are planned along the canal feeder to Powies Path as per notices on site.
Please take care and heed the safety notices or directions from the contractors.
Mobile sawing unit demonstration
In May 2021 a mobile sawing unit demonstration ran at Almondell with pupils from local primary schools attending and enjoyed seeing and learning about woodlands.
Grants and Funding
All the above projects would not be possible without the grants and other funding from NatureScot Better Places Green Recovery Fund, Scottish Forestry's Woods In and Around Towns Grant, planning contributions from Stirling Developments Ltd and West Lothian Council's Capital Fund.
