Life in the Raws: Memories of a Shale Oil Village

While canvassing for the Scottish independence referendum in 2014 Neil Findlay made a discovery. Visiting the home that used to be his grandparents’, he was shown a plywood panel where John ‘Jock’ Findlay, his grandfather, had written his life’s tale.

This is Jock’s story. Jock grew up and grew old in the West Lothian village of Pumpherston - a village dominated by one industry, shale oil mining. In his own words he describes the good times, and the hard times, of living and working in Pumpherston. This is a story about a Scottish industry, a village and, most of all, a community.