West Lothian school closures and gritting
Official links for West Lothian Council in snow, ice and storms: where the council says which schools have closed, where it shows its gritters, and the Met Office warning area it is in. This page does not say whether any school is open or closed; the school and the council do.
Is my school in West Lothian closed?
Check the school's own text message, app, email or website first, then the council's official school closures page (westlothian.gov.uk).
Links checked on 18 October 2026.
Gritter tracker and gritting routes
The official page for West Lothian is a live gritter map (westlothian.gov.uk). It shows where the gritters are and which roads they have treated.
Motorways and trunk roads are not gritted by the council: Traffic Scotland (Trunk roads and motorways in Scotland).
Met Office warnings for West Lothian
West Lothian is in the Met Office's SW Scotland, Lothian Borders warning area. Every snow, ice, wind and rain warning in force there now is on weather warnings for SW Scotland, Lothian Borders. A warning is not a closure order: with red many schools close, with amber or yellow most stay open.
Who decides whether schools close
Each council runs its state schools as the education authority. In snow or a storm the head teacher and the council decide together, and in a red warning a council can close all of its schools at once; it announces that on its own website and social media.
Official guidance: School closures in an emergency (mygov.scot, Scottish Government).
Questions
Will schools in West Lothian close with a red or amber weather warning?
Not automatically: a Met Office warning is not a closure order. With a red warning many schools close; with amber or yellow most stay open and some close one by one if staff cannot get in or the site is unsafe. West Lothian is in the Met Office's SW Scotland, Lothian Borders warning area. Check your school and the council's page on the day.
Who decides whether a school in West Lothian closes?
Each council runs its state schools as the education authority. In snow or a storm the head teacher and the council decide together, and in a red warning a council can close all of its schools at once; it announces that on its own website and social media.
Where do I find out if my school in West Lothian is closed?
From the school first: its text message, app, email or website. The council's own school closures page is linked on this page.
Are the roads in West Lothian gritted tonight?
The council runs a live gritter map, linked on this page, that shows where its gritters are and have been. Councils grit their priority routes when ice or snow is forecast, so quieter roads and most pavements are not treated.
Other councils in the same warning area
East Lothian · Edinburgh · Midlothian · Scottish Borders
All UK councils' school closures pages · Gritter tracker UK · UK weather warnings
Links go to West Lothian Council and government websites and were checked on 18 October 2026. If a link has moved, search the council's website for "school closures" or "gritting". Your council not right? Find your local council on GOV.UK.