East Kilbride
East Kilbride is a town in the Central Belt of Scotland, some 8 miles southeast of Glasgow, with a population of 75,310 in 2020. It's notorious for its "New Town" architecture, yet its main attraction is the Museum of Rural Life. In Gaelic Cille Bhrìghde means the church of St Bride or Brigit, probably the 6th century Irish saint rather than the 5th century Scottish one.
Understand
editHousing in post-war Glasgow was a bleak mixture of slums and craters, so five "new towns" were built rapidly to rejuvenate the Central Belt. Four of them were on greenfield sites, East Kilbride being the first from 1947. It was followed by Glenrothes, Cumbernauld and Livingston, while the fifth was built onto the existing town of Irvine. These fulfilled an urgent need for housing but demonstrated all that is wrong with crass central planning. A sixth town, intended for Stonehouse south of Hamilton, fortunately was never built. However East Kilbride has preserved some attractive countryside along the Rotten Calder valley, the moors of Lanarkshire rise to the south, and a couple of miles out is the Museum of Rural Life.
Get in
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Long-distance public transport to East Kilbride usually involves travelling via central Glasgow. By road the usual approaches are M8 from Edinburgh, M74 from Carlisle and M77 from Kilmarnock, to join A725 / A726. From central Glasgow you'd probably follow A730 onto A749.
By plane: from Glasgow Airport (GLA IATA) take the bus to Buchanan station then bus or train to East Kilbride as below.
1 East Kilbride railway station has trains every 30 min from Glasgow Central, taking 35 min. They run from 6AM to 11PM and also stop at Hairmyres at the northwest edge of town, convenient for the University Hospital. The station is a terminus, with a ticket office and machines, waiting room, news stand and toilets. There is step-free access to the sole platform.
Bus: The bus station is in the main shopping centre. First Glasgow Bus 18 runs every 10 min from Glasgow Sauchiehall St and Central Station via Rutherglen to East Kilbride, taking an hour, and continues to Greenhills Shopping Centre. Night Bus N18 runs this route in the early hours of Saturday and Sunday.
Bus 201 runs every 15 min from Airdrie via Coatbridge, Motherwell and Hamilton to East Kilbride and Hairmyres Hospital.
Get around
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JMB Bus 31B runs hourly M-Sa from the bus station to Stewartfield (for Museum of Rural Life) and Carmunnock.
Taxi firms are Kelvin Kabs (+44 1355 241212) and Mo's (+44 7967 756772).
See
edit- 1 National Museum of Rural Life, Wester Kittochside Farm, Philipshill Rd G76 9HR, ☏ +44 300 123 6789. Daily 10AM-5PM. Part of National Museums of Scotland, with museum, farmhouse and working farm. Open all year but wear wellies and other outdoor gear, and don't bring a dog. Your ticket is valid for a year. Adult £10, conc £9, child £7.
- 2 Calderglen Country Park, Strathaven Rd G75 0QZ, ☏ +44 1355 236644. Daily 10AM-4PM. Extensive park with zoo, tropical plant conservatory, ornamental gardens, nature trails and walks along the glen of the Rotten Calder. Adult £4, child £2.
- 3 James Hamilton Heritage Park on Stewartfield Way north of town, surrounds a 16-acre loch, and has a watersports centre, adventure playgrounds and cafe.
Do
edit- 1 Dollan Aqua Centre, Brouster Hill G74 1AF, ☏ +44 1355 260000. M-F 7AM-10PM, Sa Su 8AM-5:30PM. 50 m swimming pool with flumes and sauna. The building, opened in 1968 (pictured at head of this page) resembles Darth Vader surfacing.
- Cinema: the Odeon is in the Shopping Centre.
- 2 Village Theatre is on Maxwell Drive.
- Football: East Kilbride FC play soccer in the Lowland League, the fifth tier. Their home ground is in Calderglen Park near the zoo.
- Rugby: East Kilbride RFC play down in the amateur leagues at Calderglen Park opposite the soccer pitch.
- Golf: nearby courses are East Kilbride GC, Cathkin Braes, Kirkhill, Torrance House, Langlands, Bonnyton, Mearns Castle and Cathcart Castle.
- Carmunnock Highland Games are held on King George V football ground in Carmunnock, two miles north of East Kilbride. The next are probably on Sun 25 May 2025, tbc.
Buy
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- 1 East Kilbride Shopping Centre (EK). M-W, F Sa 9AM-6PM, Th 9AM-8PM, Su 10AM-6PM. Scotland's biggest undercover shopping centre
Eat
edit- Main St has Tinto Tapas, Oishi, Mata Hari, Kathmandu, La Dolce Vita and Zucca.
Drink
edit- Town centre has Hudsons (below), The Hay Stook (JD Wetherspoon), Montgomerie Arms, Barocco and Mo Chara.
- Hudsons, 14 Cornwall St G74 1JR (within shopping centre), ☏ +44 1355 581040. Daily 11AM-midnight. Friendly central pub, Free House. Pub quiz Wednesday, open-mic Thursday, DJ Friday and Saturday, and big-screen sport.
- Jackton Distillery makes whisky and gin, tours available.
Sleep
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- Premier Inn have three hotels strung along the bypass: Nerston Toll northeast edge of town, Central a mile southeast of the railway station, and Peel Park further west.
- Ramada is along Queensway the south bypass.
- 1 Torrance Hotel, 135 Main St G74 4LN, ☏ +44 1355 225241. Inexpensive small hotel near railway station. B&B double £100.
- 2 Holiday Inn Glasgow - East Kilbride, Stewartfield Way G74 5LA (near jcn A727 & A726), ☏ +44 333 3209328. Decent budget chain hotel west edge of town. B&B double £100.
- 3 Crossbasket Castle, Stoneymeadow Rd G72 9UE, ☏ +44 1698 829461. Upscale spa hotel in a restored 17th century castle, caters for many wedding parties. B&B double £400.
- 4 Macdonald Crutherland House, Strathavon Rd G75 0QJ, ☏ +44 344 879 9039. Country House hotel, rooms are disappointing. B&B double £100.
Connect
editAs of Nov 2024, East Kilbride and its approach roads have 4G from O2 and Vodafone, and 5G from EE and Three.
Go next
edit- You're likely to travel via Glasgow but don't just rush through, it's a great destination in its own right.
- See Scotland's other twentieth century "New Towns" to decide if these were any better: Glenrothes, Cumbernauld, Livingston and Irvine.
- Head west to the Ayrshire coast. Ayr has the birthplace of Robert Burns in Alloway, and Ardrossan has ferries to the charming Isle of Arran.