Soap was a smelly business. The main ingredients were tallow (animal fat) and sea kelp. The demand for tallow was such that it was imported from overseas, and the port at South Queensferry was ideally placed for this as well as for delivery of kelp from the Hebrides.

It has a boat club, a beach, some brightly painted buildings, great food and an ancient fortress overlooking the town. The tongue-in-cheek comparison between Blackness and St Tropez, proclaimed on the wall of the Lobster Pot in the centre of the village, seems entirely reasonable!

Operating two landmark West Lothian venues, a busy programme of performing arts events, and an ecosystem of local cultural life – Reconnect Theatres is keeping the magic of theatre alive in West Lothian. I went behind the scenes to find out how they do it, and what we as the local community can do to support them.