Livingston: The Place the Scots go shopping!

Welcome to the five-minute guide to Livingston… the town with the best shopping districts in central Scotland. It used to be East Kilbride, but then the Plaza changed its name and Livingston came in with the double whammy. There is a Designer outlet, then there is the not-so-designer outlet. Something for every budget, so to speak.

Image: SevenMaps/Shutterstock.com

So apart from shopping, what does Livingston have going for it? Well, it is the largest town in West Lothian and was designated 2New Town” status in 1962, and is the fourth post-war one.  It’s a really nice drive out to get to it from Glasgow and the west, it’s actually made up of half a dozen smaller villages that merged, and it is one of our New Towns.

The New Towns (note the capitals) were built specifically from the ’40s to the ’60s, just to make room for all the people that were displaced after the war. We older Millennials in Scotland still remember stories from our grandparents. During the war, the government threw up lots of pre-fabricated houses for them. These were made from corrugated iron and were built to house the people who were bombed out of their city homes. The New Towns were places these people could be put safely, without ghettos springing up. Some of them did fall into slums despite the best efforts of the government… but at least the worst of the tenement slums were gone.

So… Clans of Livingston. Clan Livingston was probably the most important. MacLea (also Lee, Lea, Leigh) were important in the area, and both clan Binning and clan Cairn are known to hail from here. The Livingston clan actually owned the Almond Castle in the area, also Saltcoats castle and probably everything else, too. They were arguably the most powerful of the lowland clans. It is no wonder the New Town was named after them.

So – forget about history for a moment. If you were spending a little time in the West Lothian area, what should you go and see? Let’s find out…

Livingston Does Have More Than Shops

If you were passing through Livingston and you wanted to kill some time – what are the top sights you should see?

Shopping!

Editorial credit: Tana888 / Shutterstock.com

Although Livingston has more than just shops to it, they are a good place to start. Take your pick of the three malls.

Craigshill Shopping Mall – this is where you go for the cheaper stuff, the day-to-day buys and the groceries you may well later not use.

The Centre – This is where you go clothes shopping on a modest to middling budget.

Livingston Designer Outlet – Is always busy but not many people buy anything. If you want the best gear, go here.

Editorial credit: Tana888 / Shutterstock.com

Almond Valley

The Almond Valley is a great place to take the kids in Livingston. They run regular events all throughout the year and have a great adventure playground complex. They advertise as a farm, museum and discovery centre and that’s kind of the best way we think there is to describe it. For instance, one of their ‘exhibits’ in winter is a lantern-lit garden where you can light a lantern of your own. It’s really magical and beautiful.  If you need somewhere to host a kid’s birthday party this is probably the most popular place in the area.

The Five Sisters Zoo

The Five sisters is a small animal zoo and adventure play area that is technically in West Calder, but we think that is close enough to Livingston to count. It falls into the category of a great day out with the kids and is open all year round at weekends, and through the week on school holidays. They now have Snow Leopards… you probably won’t be able to handle the cuteness.

The Zoo not only has an abundance of inhabitants but also some impressive statues too.
Image: Euan Brown/Shutterstock.com

The Howden Park Centre

If cultural entertainment and the arts are more your style, then you may want to visit Howden Park. This is the place to catch a show, hire a corporate suite, or catch the pantomimes regularly shown every festive season. It’s a reasonably big venue that regularly hosts famous bands, performers, and entertainers. If you are spending time in Livingston it is always worth seeing what is on.

Almondell and Calderwood Country Park

A favourite on Trip Advisor, this country park has free car parking, a lovely variety of walks, riverside footpaths, picnic areas, and cycling tracks. It’s a pretty area that we suggest you take advantage of if you find yourself in the town centre and in need of some forest bathing. This area is tucked away down the valley, affording a bit of natural privacy. It’s a popular area in the summer, on the occasional hot day we have here.

Where to Eat, Drink, and Party in Livingston?

If you are in town with the family then don’t panic, there is a Frankie and Benny’s to take care of you. There’s also a Tony Macaroni for a decent family meal and good portions.  For finer dining try the Terrace Restaurant on Almondvale Crescent. It has a fair few five star reviews.

If you are looking for the best bar in town try the Parrafin Lamp, although the Tower Bar has more quizzes and games. The Dreadnought in nearby Bathgate is where the locals go to dance but you had better like rock and roll…

Other Notable Livingston Attractions

Some of the other things to do in Livingston include:

• Taking the tour of the Matugga Distillery – adults only, please.
• Visit the Dedrige Baptist Church, presumably because you feel guilty about the distillery tour… kids welcome.
• Go visit the Tony Macaroni Arena… because that’s what Livingston Stadium changed its name to. You can’t see us right now but we are shaking our heads in disgust.

If You Are A Sports Fan Then…

You are in luck as the town is well served with sporting attractions both for the participant and the spectator. Livingston is home to two swimming clubs, the Livingston & District Dolphins and the Aquanauts of Livingston so if you fancy moving here and like a competitive swim you will be well served. There is also a Hockey Club (Livingston and West Lothian) Hockey Club, which has both men’s and women’s teams and even has coaching available for younger players. There is also a Rugby Union Club which plays at a decent level (currently the 6th tier) and Basketball and Track and Field clubs.

Livingstone FC

The biggest sport in the town is Football and Livingstone FC play their home games here. Those with longer memories and knowledge of the game will remember them as Ferranti Thistle who then became Meadowbank Thistle who then relocated to the town in 1995-6 season. Their current home is the Almondvale Stadium and you can usually pay at the gate unless they are playing one of the “Old Firm”. They were promoted to the Scottish Premier League in 2018-19 and were Scottish League Cup winners in 2004 beating Hibs 2-0 in the final.

There is also a Scottish Junior Football team Livingstone United who play in the  SJFA East Region Super League. They play at Station Park, although if you fancy watching a game do bear in mind there are no seats.

Any One For Cricket?

Yes, they even have a Cricket ground with a permanent pavilion and a bar and social facilities. They play in the East of Scotland Cricket Association and their 1st XL sometimes includes professional players and it has a successful women’s team. It has even featured on Sky Sports!

So there you have it a great place to visit whether you are a shopper or a sports fan.

Still got Time to Kill?

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