Beecraigs Country Park

The largest of West Lothian’s County Parks, Beecraigs is a great place to visit, with miles of woodland trails, animal attractions, and a large range of leisure activities from horse riding to archery.

Nestled in the Bathgate Hills, the park is popular with families. Of special interest is the animal attraction centre which manages a variety of native Scottish breeds. Walk down the Sunderland Walkway to see the animals grazing in the fields or visit the viewing shed for a closer look. You can see Red Deer, Highland Cattle, Belted Galloway Cattle and Hebridean, Blackface and Shetland sheep.

Beecraigs Country Park is widely used for walking, cycling and horse riding. Explore miles of surfaced forest tracks and surfaced and unsurfaced paths. Mountain bike trails range from easy to severe, and there’s a dedicated skills area where you can hone your technique. There are nine orienteering courses, graded in skill level, and you can hire the target archery course or the pioneering course. There’s even a secure dog area for your furry friends.

Beecraigs Loch, partially built by German POWs in the First World War, is a lovely spot surrounded by woodland. The 20-acre loch is stocked with Rainbow Trout and anglers can fish from one of the boats accessed from the main pier.

The adventure play area is always a hit with the kids, and you can refuel in the Hideaway Café which serves breakfast, lunch and essential ice creams. If you want to barbeque, you can bring a disposable one (provided you only use it on the designated stands) or you can hire one from the visitor centre - we recommend you book in advance.

The visitor centre has all the information to help you make the most of your visit. If a day’s not enough, there are good camping and caravanning facilities, or you can book into one of the lovely Little Lodges.