The song was released as the third single from Misplaced Childhood on 18 November 1985 in the UK, the Netherlands, West Germany, Canada (on Capitol Records), South Africa and Australia.

[1] "Heart of Lothian" became the third Top 30 UK single from Misplaced Childhood, peaking at number 29.

The 7" and 12" formats of the single both featured a live version of "Chelsea Monday", originally a track from Marillion's debut 1983 album Script for a Jester's Tear as the b-side.

As all of Misplaced Childhood, the title track was produced by Chris Kimsey, while the live recording of "Chelsea Monday" was mixed by Mark Freegard.

The cover art was designed by Mark Wilkinson and in the background features the Dugald Stewart Monument, a well-known Edinburgh landmark.