SCHEDULE 14A

                                 (RULE 14a-101)


                            SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

                  Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of
                       the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

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                            WESTMORELAND COAL COMPANY
                            -------------------------
                (Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    (Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if Other Than the Registrant)

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                -----------------------------------------------
                Westmoreland Announces Results of Tender Offer;
                 Confirms May 12, 1999 Shareholder Meeting Date
                -----------------------------------------------

Colorado Springs,  CO - April 8, 1999 -- Westmoreland Coal Company (OTC Bulletin
Board:  WMCL)  announced  the results of its tender offer for up to 1,052,631 of
its 2,300,000 outstanding  depositary shares, each representing one quarter of a
share of Series A  Convertible  Exchangeable  Preferred  Stock,  at  $19.00  per
depositary  share. The tender offer expired at 5:00 pm April 7, 1999.  1,683,903
depositary  shares were  tendered in  response  to the offer.  Westmoreland  has
accepted for payment (and thereby  purchased)  1,052,631  depositary  shares and
paid First  Chicago  Trust Company of New York,  the  depositary  for the tender
offer (the  "Depositary"),  $19,999,989 in full payment for the shares purchased
in the offer.  Because the number of shares tendered exceeded the maximum number
of  shares  offered  to be  purchased  by the  Company,  a  proration  factor of
approximately  62.5%  will be  applied  to all  shares  tendered.  As a  result,
shareholders who tendered shares can expect to have  approximately  62.5% of the
shares  they  tendered  accepted  for  purchase.  Holders of  depositary  shares
tendered  and  accepted  will receive  payment as soon as  practicable  from the
Depositary.  Shares not accepted due to the proration will be promptly  returned
to the holders.

The Company also reported  that,  because of the one day extension of the tender
offer necessitated by technical difficulties with the Depository Trust Company's
Automated Tender Offer Program previously reported,  the date for Westmoreland's
shareholders'  meeting has been  rescheduled  from May 11 to May 12,  1999.  The
change in meeting date was necessary in order to remain in  compliance  with the
Master Agreement among the Company, certain of its subsidiaries, the UMWA Health
and  Benefit  Funds,  the UMWA and the  Official  Committee  of Equity  Security
Holders, which facilitated the dismissal of the Company's bankruptcy case.

Certain  information  required  by the  Rules  of the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission  ("SEC")
Westmoreland  Coal Company (the  "Company")  and the following  Directors of the
Company  may be deemed  to be  participants  in the  Company's  solicitation  of
proxies for its upcoming meeting of stockholders:  Pemberton Hutchinson, William
R. Klaus, Thomas W. Ostrander, Christopher K. Seglem, Edwin E. Tuttle, Robert E.
Killen and James W. Sight.  Employee participants may include Gregory M. Daniels
(Vice President Human Resources and President, Virginia Division of the Company)
Paul W. Durham (Assistant General Counsel and Assistant  Secretary),  Charles H.
Finkenstadt,  Jr.  (Corporate  Secretary),  R. Page  Henley,  Jr.  (Senior  Vice
President,  Acquisitions  and  Development  and  Government  Affairs,  President
Westmoreland  Coal Sales  Company),  Robert J. Jaeger  (Senior Vice President of
Finance  and  Treasurer),  Diane  S.  Jones  (Manager,  Business  Development  &
Corporate  Relations),  Larry W.  Mikkola  (Controller  of the  Company and Vice
President Westmoreland Resources), Christopher K. Seglem (Chairman of the Board,
President and Chief Executive  Officer),  and Theodore E. Worcester (Senior Vice
President of Law and Administration,  General Counsel and Assistant  Secretary).
Subsidiary Director  participants may include Clyde Joseph Presley and Ronald W.
Stucki.  Subsidiary  employee  participants  may include Edward J. Demeter (Vice
President  -  Distribution,   Westmoreland  Coal  Sales),  W.  Michael  Lepchitz
(President and General Counsel,  Westmoreland  Energy,  Inc.),  David W. Simpson
(President,  Westmoreland Resources,  Inc.) and Gregory S. Woods (Executive Vice
President,  Westmoreland Energy, Inc.). The above named individuals collectively
beneficially own approximately  1,536,078 shares, or approximately  21.0% of the
Company's outstanding common stock (excluding shares of common stock that may be
obtained upon conversion of the Company's  Depositary Shares).  Such individuals
also collectively  beneficially own approximately  48,650 Depositary  Shares, or
approximately 2.1% of the outstanding  Depositary Shares,  which are convertible
into 83,094 shares of the Company's  common stock.  For a description of certain
other  interests  of  the  foregoing  individuals,   please  see  the  Company's
preliminary proxy statement for the upcoming stockholders meeting filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on April 1, 1999.


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           For further information contact Diane Jones (719) 442-2600