West Linton is a town and civil parish in southerly Scotland, on the A702. It was formerly in the region of Peeblesshire, however considering that local government re-organisation in the mid-1990s it is now part of Scottish Borders. Much of its citizens are commuters, owing to the town's distance to Edinburgh, which is 16 miles (26 kilometres) to the north eastern. West Linton has a lengthy history, and also holds an annual standard celebration called the Whipman Play. The village of Linton is of ancient origin. Its name originates from a Celtic aspect (cognate with the contemporary Irish Gaelic linn, Scottish Gaelic linne, as well as modern Welsh "Llyn") implying a lake or pool, a pool in a river, or a network (as in Loch Linnhe, part of which is called An Linne Dhubh, the black swimming pool, or Dublin, an Anglicisation of dubh as well as linn, implying black pool) and also the Gaelic "dun" Welsh "hullabaloo"), for a fortress, fortified place, or army camp (pertaining to the modern-day English community, using the Saxon "tun", a ranch or collection of homes), as well as is evidently ideal, as the village shows up to have been surrounded by lakes, swimming pools and marshes. At one time it was called Lyntoun Roderyck, identified perhaps with Roderyck or Riderch, King of Strathclyde, whose territory included this area, or with a regional chieftain of that name. The Scottish Gaelic version of the name is a partial translation, Ruairidh being a Gaelic type of Roderick. The prefix "West" was obtained several centuries later to clear up the difference from East Linton in East Lothian.