Livingston

Livingston is a large town in West Lothian in the central belt of Scotland, built as a "New Town" from 1963.

In the 12th century a Flemish man, De Leving, built a fortified tower (long gone) and the settlement of Levingstoun or Livingston grew up around it. In the 19th C West Lothian became urbanised when the shale oil industry developed, but the Livingston area remained farmland until the 1960s. Then five "new towns" were built rapidly to relieve congestion in Glasgow, four of them on greenfield sites (East Kilbride, Glenrothes, Cumbernauld and Livingston) while the fifth was built onto the existing town of Irvine. Livingston was laid out on a grid, with A899 running north-south and A705 running east-west, and a chequerboard of residential estates. These include Livingston Village, Bellsquarry, Craigshill, Howden, Dedridge, Ladywell, Knightsridge, Murieston, Adambrae, Deans and Eliburn. The town has expanded to engulf Polbeth, West Calder, East Calder, Mid Calder, Uphall and Pumpherston, and the population is some 56,000. It was run by a development corporation (a "quango") until 1997 then local government transferred to West Lothian; Robin Cook was its MP from 1983 until his death in 2005.

• Almond Valley, Millfield EH54 7AR, +44 1506 414957. Daily 10:00-17:00. Mostly for pre-teens, with museum, farm and narrow-gauge railway. Rides & slides & animals. The railway is 762 mm gauge, hauled by a rinky-dinky industrial diesel, and runs weekends April-Sept plus daily in summer school holidays. Adult £9.50, child £7.50.
• Cairnpapple Hill., 3 miles north of Livingston, is a 4000-year old ritual complex with Bronze Age and early Christian tombs. The burial chamber has been roofed over by a modern concrete dome but you can shimmy in. It's open daily April-Sept 09:30-17:30, adult £6.
• Torphichen Preceptory., 3 miles northwest of Livingston, has been a religious site at least since the Bronze Age. In medieval times it was a base for the Knights Hospitaller of St John of Jerusalem, providing shelter and treatment for pilgrims. In 1298 Edward I of England was injured by his own horse before the Battle of Falkirk and was treated here. It's open daily April-Sept Sa Su 13:00-17:00, adult £2.

Almond Valley, Millfield EH54 7AR, +44 1506 414957. Daily 10:00-17:00. Mostly for pre-teens, with museum, farm and narrow-gauge railway. Rides & slides & animals. The railway is 762 mm gauge, hauled by a rinky-dinky industrial diesel, and runs weekends April-Sept plus daily in summer school holidays. Adult £9.50, child £7.50.

Cairnpapple Hill., 3 miles north of Livingston, is a 4000-year old ritual complex with Bronze Age and early Christian tombs. The burial chamber has been roofed over by a modern concrete dome but you can shimmy in. It's open daily April-Sept 09:30-17:30, adult £6.

Torphichen Preceptory., 3 miles northwest of Livingston, has been a religious site at least since the Bronze Age. In medieval times it was a base for the Knights Hospitaller of St John of Jerusalem, providing shelter and treatment for pilgrims. In 1298 Edward I of England was injured by his own horse before the Battle of Falkirk and was treated here. It's open daily April-Sept Sa Su 13:00-17:00, adult £2.

• Walk the Almond Valley. The best of it is downstream: use the car park on Pumpherston Rd (by the bottle bank) and follow the riverside trail. From the weir this follows a feeder sluice to the Union Canal, which spans the valley by an impressive aqueduct.
• Deer Park Golf and Country Club, Golf Course Road EH54 8AB, +44 1506 446699. Daily 06:30-21:30. Country club with spa, swimming pool, ten-pin bowling and golf course: yellow tees 6193 yards par 72. 18 holes £15 pp.
• Escape Livingston, 11 Beveridge Square EH54 6QF, +44 330 133 1620. F-Su 10:00-22:00. Escape games: teams of 2 to 12 are locked in a room and have to solve a series of riddles, clues and puzzles to escape within the hour. £35 for 2, £42 for 3, £48 for 4, £55 for 5 and £60 for 6.
• Watch football (ie soccer) at Livingston FC, Almondvale Stadium, Alderstone Rd EH54 7DN. They play in the Scottish Premiership, the top tier of Scottish football. Their home ground is the 9000-capacity Almondvale Stadium aka "Tony Macaroni Arena".
• Vue Cinema is a multiplex in the main shopping mall at Almondvale Ave.
• West Lothian Highland Games are held on the last Saturday in May in Meadow Park in the nearby village of Bathgate. The next event is expected to be on Sat 30 May 2020 but tbc.

Walk the Almond Valley. The best of it is downstream: use the car park on Pumpherston Rd (by the bottle bank) and follow the riverside trail. From the weir this follows a feeder sluice to the Union Canal, which spans the valley by an impressive aqueduct.

Deer Park Golf and Country Club, Golf Course Road EH54 8AB, +44 1506 446699. Daily 06:30-21:30. Country club with spa, swimming pool, ten-pin bowling and golf course: yellow tees 6193 yards par 72. 18 holes £15 pp.

Escape Livingston, 11 Beveridge Square EH54 6QF, +44 330 133 1620. F-Su 10:00-22:00. Escape games: teams of 2 to 12 are locked in a room and have to solve a series of riddles, clues and puzzles to escape within the hour. £35 for 2, £42 for 3, £48 for 4, £55 for 5 and £60 for 6.

Watch football (ie soccer) at Livingston FC, Almondvale Stadium, Alderstone Rd EH54 7DN. They play in the Scottish Premiership, the top tier of Scottish football. Their home ground is the 9000-capacity Almondvale Stadium aka "Tony Macaroni Arena".

Vue Cinema is a multiplex in the main shopping mall at Almondvale Ave.

West Lothian Highland Games are held on the last Saturday in May in Meadow Park in the nearby village of Bathgate. The next event is expected to be on Sat 30 May 2020 but tbc.

The core of Livingston is an extensive shopping area, bisected by Almondvale Avenue. The area east of the avenue is Livingston Centre and has more eating places. West side is the Designer Outlet; Vue Cinema is here. Together they have over 250 stores, generally open M-W F 09:00-19:00, Th Sa 09:00-20:00, Su 10:00-18:00. These 250 are relentlessly the same as each other and as any other retail unit in the country, not least by lying empty: as of mid-2019 only about half the units are occupied.

There's no stand-out, but lots of budget places in the main mall of Almondvale, with others in the villages of Uphall and Mid Calder.

• La Vita Viva, 35b Main St, Mid Calder EH53 0AN, +44 1506 885138. M-W 12:00-14:30 & 17:00-21:00, Th-Sa 12:00-22:00, Su 12:00-21:00. Small restaurant with good selection.
• Tony Macaroni, The Hub, Almondvale Cres, Livingston EH54 6QX, +44 1506 410505. M-F 12:00-21:30, Sa Su 09:00-21:30. Large Italian restaurant on two levels.
• Hong, 149a Uphall Station Rd, Pumpherston EH53 0PB, +44 1506 441832. Daily 16:30-23:00. Basic Chinese, sit in or take away.
• Sapphire, Units 2 & 3, Bankton Centre, Murieston (next to South rwy station, +44 1506 417272. Daily 16:30-23:00. Basic Chinese, eat in or takeaway.
• Imperial Palace, 14 Marrfield Terrace, Uphall Station EH54 5PY, +44 1506 438656.
• Khushis, 15 Bank St, Mid Calder EH53 0AS, +44 1506 884514. Su-Th 16:00-22:00, F Sa 12:00-23:00. Cheap and cheerful place, byob.
• Zaika, 1 Follyburn Place EH54 6BF, +44 1506 461561. Daily 16:30-22:30. This is nowadays just a takeaway.
• Frankie & Benny's, Unit 10 Dedridge N Rd, Livingston EH54 6XG, +44 1506 465420. Su-Th 09:00-21:30, F Sa 08:30-23:00. Budget chain eatery.

La Vita Viva, 35b Main St, Mid Calder EH53 0AN, +44 1506 885138. M-W 12:00-14:30 & 17:00-21:00, Th-Sa 12:00-22:00, Su 12:00-21:00. Small restaurant with good selection.

Tony Macaroni, The Hub, Almondvale Cres, Livingston EH54 6QX, +44 1506 410505. M-F 12:00-21:30, Sa Su 09:00-21:30. Large Italian restaurant on two levels.

Hong, 149a Uphall Station Rd, Pumpherston EH53 0PB, +44 1506 441832. Daily 16:30-23:00. Basic Chinese, sit in or take away.

Sapphire, Units 2 & 3, Bankton Centre, Murieston (next to South rwy station, +44 1506 417272. Daily 16:30-23:00. Basic Chinese, eat in or takeaway.

Imperial Palace, 14 Marrfield Terrace, Uphall Station EH54 5PY, +44 1506 438656.

Khushis, 15 Bank St, Mid Calder EH53 0AS, +44 1506 884514. Su-Th 16:00-22:00, F Sa 12:00-23:00. Cheap and cheerful place, byob.

Zaika, 1 Follyburn Place EH54 6BF, +44 1506 461561. Daily 16:30-22:30. This is nowadays just a takeaway.

Frankie & Benny's, Unit 10 Dedridge N Rd, Livingston EH54 6XG, +44 1506 465420. Su-Th 09:00-21:30, F Sa 08:30-23:00. Budget chain eatery.

• Brucefield Farm, Brucefield Industrial Estate, Rutherford Square EH54 9BU, +44 1506 417788. M-Th 09:00-23:00, F-Su 08:00-23:00. Family-friendly carvery, does takeaway.
• Lime Kiln, Almondvale Boulevard EH54 6QT, +44 1506 410661. Daily 09:00-10:00. Family-friendly but erratic eating place.
• Beefeater Restaurant & Pub is within the Premier Inn at M8 jcn 3, open daily 07:00-23:00.
• Livingston Inn, 2 Main St Livingston EH54 7AF, +44 1506 413054. Su-Th 12:00-23:00, F Sa 12:00-00:00. Pleasant old pub with food, has rooms.
• Harvester on Almondvale Ave is a chain pub with food open daily 09:00-20:00.
• The New Year Field, Unit 1, Livingston Designer Outlet, Almondvale Avenue EH54 6QX. Daily 08:00-00:00. JD Wetherspoons pub with food

Brucefield Farm, Brucefield Industrial Estate, Rutherford Square EH54 9BU, +44 1506 417788. M-Th 09:00-23:00, F-Su 08:00-23:00. Family-friendly carvery, does takeaway.

Lime Kiln, Almondvale Boulevard EH54 6QT, +44 1506 410661. Daily 09:00-10:00. Family-friendly but erratic eating place.

Beefeater Restaurant & Pub is within the Premier Inn at M8 jcn 3, open daily 07:00-23:00.

Livingston Inn, 2 Main St Livingston EH54 7AF, +44 1506 413054. Su-Th 12:00-23:00, F Sa 12:00-00:00. Pleasant old pub with food, has rooms.

Harvester on Almondvale Ave is a chain pub with food open daily 09:00-20:00.

The New Year Field, Unit 1, Livingston Designer Outlet, Almondvale Avenue EH54 6QX. Daily 08:00-00:00. JD Wetherspoons pub with food

Good signal everywhere. The larger pubs and hotels have free wifi.

• Edinburgh and Glasgow both rate as must-see.
• Linlithgow has an impressive ruined medieval palace, birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots, and the coast is attractive around Blackness Castle.
• To discover if they made a better job of Scotland's other four New Towns, see East Kilbride, Glenrothes, Cumbernauld and Irvine.