West Pier Tavern, Scotland's Close, Bo'Ness

The West Pier Tavern, located at Scotland's Close in Bo'ness, dates back to 1711 and likely incorporates earlier elements, with numerous alterations made over the years. The north gable was remodeled in the early 19th century, and the building was extended to the west and south before being converted into a library between 1978 and 1980 by Falkirk District Council. This former tavern is a two-storey, four-bay structure situated on a corner site, constructed of rubble with raised margins and quoin strips. It features a cill course on the first floor and a moulded eaves course.

On the north elevation facing Waggon Road, the gabled façade includes a pilastered and pedimented doorpiece located off-centre to the right at ground level, flanked by windows in the adjacent bays, with two larger windows on the first floor. A modern extension is attached at the outer right.

The east elevation, facing Scotland's Close, has a ground floor featuring a boarded timber door positioned right of centre, with two windows in the bays to the right and an additional timber-louvered opening to the outer left. A timber forestair leads to a first-floor timber door with a lintel inscribed '17 FMG MR 11' to the left of centre, alongside windows in the flanking bays and another window at the outer right.

The south elevation presents a gabled front with a low modern extension projecting to the left. It retains remnants of an early to mid-18th century chimney piece, which features a massive lintel supported by a rounded corbel, and a small aumbry, likely a salt box, immediately to the left at ground level. There is also a roll-moulded chimneypiece on the first floor, salvaged from a demolished house to the south.

The west elevation showcases the slated rubble of the 1978-80 extension. The building features a 12-pane glazing pattern in replacement timber sash and case windows, modern pantiles with a slate easing course at the eaves, and coped margined squared rubble stacks with cans on the north side. The skew is flat and ashlar-coped, with scroll skewputts on the north and a crowstepped gable on the south.

Inside, some of the first-floor rooms retain panelling, along with fine plasterwork ceilings, cornices, a buffet niche, and a carved chimney fire surround.