BURROWSTOUNNESS, or BORROWSTOUNNESS, a sea-port town of West Lothian, situated on the Forth, 18 miles west from Edinburgh. It is a small town, and continually enveloped in smoke from the numerous salt-works and coaleries that are near it; but is a place of considerable trade, and has a very commodious harbour. The town-house is built in form of a castle, and stands behind a great reservoir used for cleansing the harbour when it is much choked with mud and sand. — Next to Leith, Borrowstounness was the principal trading town on the Forth before the canal was finished between it and the Clyde; and it is still much frequented by shipping: its exports in salt and coals are very great, and it has also several vessels employed in the Greenland fishery.