It is located on a steep hill overlooking the River Almond and Calder Wood, around 15 miles (24 km) west of Edinburgh.

James was well connected and married Eleanor, the only daughter of Sir Archibald Douglas, Regent of Scotland.

They were moved along drove roads from all parts of the country, including some of the islands, to trysts or markets held in Crieff and Falkirk.

Huge herds of cattle would come across fords or bridges over the River Almond before crossing the Pentland Hills to West Linton.

[5][6][7] Meanwhile, Mid Calder also lay on the main turnpike road from Edinburgh to Glasgow, adding a steady flow of east–west traffic to the seasonal influx of drovers heading south.

Output declined with the discovery of liquid oil reserves around the world in the early 1900s, but shale mining only finally ceased in 1962.

The "bings" that characterise oil shale mining elsewhere in West Lothian have largely been flattened around Mid Calder and the land reclaimed for recreation, industry and housing.

[8] Another major factor leading to Mid Calder's current prosperity has been the dramatic growth of nearby Livingston, now the second largest settlement in the Lothians and whose main shopping centre is only a mile to the west.

In 2005, Mid Calder was subject to unwanted publicity when it became the first place in Britain to issue an ASBO in a village-wide crackdown on the anti-social behaviour of drunken teenagers.

Mid Calder, along with the rest of West Lothian, is an SNP and Labour marginal seat.

Mid Calder community centre (with a public hall and meeting rooms) is located on Market Street.

[citation needed] The nearest station to Mid Calder is Livingston South on the Shotts Line which is 1.6 miles (2.6 km) away.

Mid Calder is served by regular bus services connecting it to other parts of West Lothian and Edinburgh.