OUTLANDER, a popular fantasy show, has been partly credited for a surge in the number of visitors to West Lothian, with tourism in the county now generating nearly £300m in a year.
Outlander is the latest to shine a spotlight on West Lothian, but the county has featured widely in TV and film because its unique historical position and attractions like Linlithgow Castle.
The show – an adaptation of Diana Gabaldon’s 1991 time-travel fantasy novel – is based in 18th century Scotland, and is partly filmed around Linlithgow.
But it’s the modern attraction of shopping which really draws the crowds, with Livingston’s famous shopping centre attracting more than 10 million visitors in a year.
The centre drew 15 million visitors in 2025, the palace 85,342.
Linlithgow’s SNP councillor Pauline Orr celebrated the growth in visitors and scoffed at the direct comparison being drawn on social media.
Councillor Orr told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “You cannot compare the two.
“Visitors to Linlithgow Palace in 2025 were 85,342. That was a 4% increase on the previous year so with that assumption in mind, in the year to March 26 a figure of 88,700 would be reasonable.”
She added: “Livingston Centre is a shopping centre with a variety of well known and well attended brand names whereas Linlithgow Palace is a historical site, birthplace to Mary Queen of Scots.
“The shopping centre will attract multiple visits from the same person throughout a single year whereas a historical site won’t. Locals and visitors are likely only to visit the palace once in a lifetime and certainly only once in a year. There is a cost to enter whereas you can walk into the centre for nothing and then make a choice as to whether you spend or not. The two are just not comparable.
“Local people were rightly unhappy about the comparison made in the report and on the fact that it reflected badly on Linlithgow as a whole. ”
The council papers referred to the number of visitors to the county rather than making a distinction between shoppers and tourists.
The other big draws last year were Almond Valley Heritage Centre which attracted 145,500 visitors; the Scottish Owl Centre, 21,297 and the area’s country parks- including Beecraigs- which attracted 1.5m visitors.
A report the the Economy, Community Empowerment and Wealth Building PDSP said: “A total of £286 million was generated directly and indirectly within the local economy through visitor and tourism business expenditure contributing to local employment, business development and destination promotion.
“Visitor activity and spending supports more than 3,037 full time equivalent jobs locally.”
The report, by Stewart Ness, Tourism and Town Centre Manager, added: “Tourism in West Lothian is continuing to grow, with total visitor days up 7.6% and visitor nights up 8.9%, visitor numbers up 3% and economic impact up 10.9% in 2025 compared to 2024.
“Attractions in West Lothian are an important part of the tourism sector with day visits generating £56 million for the local economy in 2025.”
Written by Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter
