East Kilbride – usually just known as EK – is fairly close to Glasgow, just to the South East of the city in fact, and although there is a West Kilbride too, but the less said about that the better: well at least until we get round to writing our guide to it. East Kilbride is a sprawling urban area with row after row of housing estates that all look exactly the same. Between those and the roundabouts, you need to be careful… the last tourists to go in were never heard from again. Joking apart, asides from being a maze; East Kilbride has got some brilliant attractions that make it beloved by the entirety of Central Scotland. It’s like Glasgow without the risk of getting punched as you walk past a pub (this actually happened to a friend once, outside 13th Note, Glasgow). It’s a nice, comfortable place that reminds us all of our miss-spent youths.
Visiting East Kilbride? Got Five Minutes?
East Kilbride at its most tranquil
Image Billy Millin/Shutterstock.com
We put together a five-minute guide to the place us Scots affectionately call ‘Roundabout City’ to help you get the most out of your visit!
Overall it would be fair to say EK has some beautiful little hidden gems… they’re just more hidden than in other places. Do what we do: get off at the train or bus station, jump in a taxi and hand them the address of one of the places below. The taxi driver won’t know where it is either, but at least it won’t be your problem anymore.
East Kilbride at a Glance
As we said East Kilbride (A.K.A Roundabout City A.K.A EK) has some cool little places to check out. Here are our top five, though we will cover a few more in a minute.
Even on a cloudy day the park has something to offer – it is a bit more bleak midwinter though…
Image By Katerina Kat/Shutterstock.com
It’s so easy to spend a day here with the whole family. Legend has it that it started as a Deer Park and grew from there. Now they have an 18 hole golf course, an adventure play zone, a café, a Toddler’s area, ornamental gardens. A tropical conservatory…oh yes, and its own zoo. Definitely worth the East Kilbride day trip.
You can’t pass through East Kilbride without stopping past the Village. This is the oldest part of town and has been inhabited since the Bronze Age. Weirdly, East Kilbride wasn’t designated as a New Town until 1947, when the influx of people moving to the country during WWII saw the population expand.
The Village was home to the Comyn clan until the 13th century. The castle and surrounding lands (the village as it was then) were stripped from them after a rivalry with Robert the Bruce. The lands were then passed to Clan Stewart and onwards to the Lindsays of Dunrod. If you are interested in the Village check out the Theatre or take a trip out to the ruins of Comyn castle… if you can hunt them down.
Shopping is a big part of why everyone in the Central Belt loves EK so much. When we were kids, our parents would take us to the Plaza to spend Christmas or birthday money. There’s a build-a-bear, a Disney store, lots of food places, a few casinos, some pubs, and about a billion clothing shops. There’s usually an ice rink in the centre too, oh, and a cinema. They changed the name some time ago to the EK Shopping Centre… but some of us still call Starburst Opal Fruits.
If you happen to have a swimsuit packed in your bag, or if you want to entertain the kiddies while you sip a latte, then the Dollan Aqua Centre is a great place to do it. They have the swimming pool, a relaxation area, a gym if you are that way inclined – and then an additional gym because why not? They also run mind, body and soul classes that might be good for your stress level after all those roundabouts.
Langlands Moss is a bogland moor nature reserve that forms an important natural habitat – peat. In the old days this moor would have been farmed for its peat. Crofters would cut the peat into squares then dry it out over time. Once dried, peat will burn for hours. It formed an important part of heating Village homes… and nowadays it is rightly protected.
If you are a hiker, biker, or runner, then the Langlands Moss is a great place to be. It’s also good for wildlife spotting… just take an extra jacket and a scarf.
Where to Eat, Drink and Party in East Kilbride
When it comes to nightclubs, you can lose years of your life in Crystals – but in a good way! If you want to feed the family then try the Harvester. It has a little beer garden for you to sit outside and a global menu. If more upscale dining is your thing then try the Oiishi Japanese restaurant. Since EK is such a big business town you have a lot of choice for ‘business dining’.
In terms of the best pub, the locals love the Village Inn. However, you are so close to Glasgow it is a ten minute train ride to the whole of town.
Other Notable East Kilbride Attractions
There are a number of other fun things to do in East Kilbride: some are free, some not-so-free.
Free things to do in EK:
- The James Hamilton Heritage Park is free to wander, watch out for the Loch.
- Both Langlands Moss and the Village are free to wander.
- Markethill Road has a statue of Sir Walter Scott you can visit.
Sir Walter Scott’s statue looking slightly the worse for wear.
Editorial credit: John Messingham / Shutterstock.com
No-so-free things to do in EK:
- Visit the National Museum of Rural Life. It isn’t expensive.
- Cafe Ceramico is a cool arts and crafts café kids love.
- Aerial Adventures lets you climb indoor rock walls.
Got Five Minutes Left?
We don’t just do travel guides here at Five Minutes Spare, we also do all sorts of five minute guides to help you learn, kill some time, or just have a laugh! There are all sorts of hidden gems in our pages – almost as many as there are in East Kilbride. So pop on over and have a gander… it’s all free and you might just learn something!
