Serviced Apartments in Livingston

Discover the best activities and attractions Livingston has to offer, and find out what makes this city a vibrant and exciting place to live or visit.

The Centre (Livingston)
The Centre is Livingston’s main indoor shopping mall and civic hub, housing a wide mix of national retailers, independent shops, cafés and services. As the town’s primary retail destination it drives significant footfall, supports local employment across retail and hospitality, and keeps consumer spending local rather than leaking to nearby cities. The Centre also functions as a meeting place and venue for seasonal events and promotions, which boosts surrounding traders and contributes to the town centre’s vibrancy.

Livingston Designer Outlet
This outdoor outlet mall near Almondvale is popular for discounted designer and high-street brands, plus a strong selection of food and drink options. It attracts shoppers from across West Lothian and beyond, making it an important tourism and retail draw that increases day-trip spending in Livingston. The outlet supports local jobs in retail and services, encourages complementary spending at nearby businesses, and helps position Livingston as a regional shopping destination.

Howden Park Centre
Howden Park Centre is Livingston’s principal arts venue, presenting theatre, music, exhibitions and community arts programmes. It enriches local cultural life by offering accessible arts experiences, workshop opportunities, and showcasing local talent—strengthening community identity and creativity. Economically, the centre draws audiences who spend on local cafés and shops, supports creative jobs, and helps raise Livingston’s cultural profile, which can attract further investment and visitors.

Almondvale Stadium (Livingston FC)
Home to Livingston Football Club, Almondvale Stadium (often known by its sponsorship name) is the focal point for major sporting events in the town. Match days generate lively economic activity—fans use local pubs, restaurants, transport and retail—creating recurring revenue for small businesses. The club and stadium also foster community pride, youth engagement through academies and outreach programmes, and boost Livingston’s national visibility through sport.

Xcite Livingston (Leisure Centre and Pools)
Xcite Livingston is the town’s major leisure and wellbeing facility, offering pools, gyms, fitness classes and community sports programmes. It plays a key role in public health by providing accessible exercise and wellbeing services for families, seniors and youth, helping reduce pressure on local health services. Economically, the centre provides local employment, supports sports clubs and events that bring visitors into town, and contributes to Livingston’s attractiveness for families and people considering moving to the area.

Explore the diverse transport options available in Livingston, from efficient public transportation systems to convenient road networks. Whether you're commuting to work or exploring the city, this section will give you an overall look at the available transportation systems.

Public Transit System
- Rail (Livingston North & Livingston South) - Two railway stations serving the town with regular ScotRail services linking Livingston to Edinburgh and Glasgow via different routes; stations provide commuter access, park-and-ride options and connections to local buses.
- Local and regional buses - Multiple frequent bus routes serve the town centre, shopping areas, business parks and neighbouring towns; services are operated by regional bus companies and coordinated with West Lothian Council timetables to provide commuter and cross‑boundary links to Edinburgh, Bathgate, West Calder and other destinations.
- Coaches and long‑distance services - Interurban coach services and regional express routes give longer‑distance connections to major Scottish cities and airports, supplementing rail for some journeys.
- Park & ride and car parks - Designated park‑and‑ride and public car parks at/near stations and the town centre support multimodal commuting; these facilities ease transfers between private car and public transit.
- Taxis and private hire - Local taxi firms and smartphone-based private hire services operate across Livingston for on‑demand trips and first/last‑mile connections.
- Airport connections - Good surface‑transport links to Edinburgh Airport and Glasgow Airport by a combination of rail + bus/coach or direct road journeys; frequent public transport and motorway access make airports reachable for most travellers.

Major Highways
- M8 - The primary motorway corridor between Glasgow and Edinburgh that provides Livingston with fast east‑west road access and links to the wider Scottish motorway network.
- A8 / A89 - Major A‑road corridors in the area providing alternative routes and links to nearby towns and the M8/M9 corridors.
- A71 - Important east‑west A‑road serving south of the town and linking communities across West Lothian and beyond.
- A899 - Principal distributor road running through Livingston that connects residential areas, the town centre and industrial/business estates to the motorway network.
- Local A‑roads (e.g., A705 and other distributor routes) - Town and district A‑roads that feed local traffic to the main roundabouts, business parks and motorway junctions.

Cycling Infrastructure
- Cycle routes and facilities - An expanding mix of on‑road cycle lanes, off‑road multi‑use paths and signed local cycle routes link residential neighbourhoods, the town centre, business parks and green spaces; these connect into West Lothian active‑travel routes and provide links to sections of the National Cycle Network, with ongoing local efforts to improve crossings, cycle parking and route continuity.

Recent and Upcoming Improvements
- Rail service enhancements and network reopenings - Past projects (such as the reopening/upgrade of cross‑Valley rail links and progressive electrification on core corridors) have strengthened rail connectivity between Livingston, Glasgow and Edinburgh, and ongoing timetable and rolling‑stock improvements continue to benefit commuters.
- Active travel and cycling investment - West Lothian Council and partner organisations have been investing in safer walking and cycling infrastructure (new/improved paths, junction upgrades and cycle parking) to encourage modal shift and improve local accessibility.
- Bus fleet and service upgrades - Fleet modernisation, timetable adjustments and targeted service improvements have been implemented or planned to improve frequency, reliability and accessibility of bus services serving Livingston.
- Road junction and capacity projects - Junction upgrades, targeted carriageway improvements and traffic‑management measures have been carried out or planned at key spots to reduce congestion on distributor roads and improve access to the motorway network.
- Town centre and transport interchange regeneration - Ongoing town‑centre redevelopment and improvements to transport interchanges aim to enhance multimodal connectivity, pedestrian environments and interchange between bus, rail and active travel.
- EV charging and sustainability initiatives - Expansion of public electric‑vehicle charging points, low‑emission vehicle policies for public transport and initiatives to support greener freight and fleet operations are being rolled out across West Lothian, benefiting Livingston road users.
- Strategic planning and funding - Local and national transport plans (West Lothian/local development plans, Regional Transport Strategies and Scottish Government investment programmes) continue to identify and fund targeted improvements to public transport, active travel and strategic road links affecting Livingston.