The new town of Livingston is an outpost on the Stagecoach Megarider Plus zone and it was on a Sunday morning I left Dunfermline bus station. The journey took one hour and terminated at the entrance to the vast Almondvale Shopping Centre. After a quick breakfast at McDonald's, I set off to explore the 10-mile circular route I had pieced together online.
Some people may think the purpose-built post-war settlements are not the most exciting places to visit but they often contain excellent path networks. Furthermore, these places didn't emerge in the middle of nowhere and often adjoin older villages and other places of interest. I had previously followed the river as far as the Almond Valley Heritage Park which contains the Scottish Shale Oil Museum. This industry was a feature of Lothian landscapes for over a century until it ended in 1962. Only one plant ever existed in Fife. The Burntisland works closed as far back as 1896, although the village built to house workers and the connecting railway line can still easily be traced today. The modern museum is part of a complex largely aimed at families and the only way to explore the industrial exhibits is to pay full admission to the park (currently £9.50). However, I didn't grudge a single penny as the tale is a fascinating one. Growing up as a Fifer, I had little grasp of the scale of the shale oil industry across the water. Nor did I learn until much later that my mother's grandad hailed from Midlothian and started his working life as a shale miner, as did his three brothers. The development of deep-sea drilling and enormous oil tankers inevitably changed the method of sourcing the liquid black gold but the domestic shale scene was extended by large government subsidies during WW2 in an attempt to secure a guaranteed supply of fuel. Eventually this had to give way to economies of scale.
The museum route formed the first part of today's walk, passing through the original Livingston village around which the new town was constructed. Subsequent family research revealed my maternal grandad had a sister who died aged 6 in the children's hospital that was situated here. The traditional inn and surrounding buildings are painted white and I explored the old churchyard before encountering a curious stone circle. I then broke away from the River Almond, following the Lochshot Burn path up to Eilburn Reservoir. This body of water was a pleasant spot with people fishing and enjoying picnics. I made my way up to the railway line and the next three miles were spent paralleling the tracks on a tarmac walkway. I was never going to complain about a trek in close proximity to trains! I passed by Livingston North Station and the next stop on the line was Uphall. At this point I swerved away to follow the course of an old mineral line that served the shale oil plant at nearby Pumpherston. An industrial link to the past. The highlight of this stretch was the impressive 9-arch Camps Viaduct across the River Almond. The 75-foot tall structure offered nice views across the surrounding countryside but I had to leave the railway path here in order to follow the river back to Livingston town centre.
The walkway was well signed and largely followed the banks of the Almond. I passed a sewage works before making a little detour through the village of Mid Calder. It had a couple of rustic pubs but I had to press on as I wanted to be back in Livingston for the start of Scotland's first match in the Women's Football World Cup. I found a connecting path back to the river and encountered a tidy little stadium - Livingston Rugby Club. As I approached the town centre I could sense a few droplets of rain in the air and I cut across the Asda car park to enter the huge shopping centre at the opposite end to where I started. The complex is a quarter of a mile long and while I'm the very opposite of a shopaholic, I can see the attraction for Fifers making their way out here. The rain came on just as I entered the sanctuary of the supermarket. Good timing! I walked the entire length of the mall, exiting at the far end and seeking out Wetherspoons, where I ordered a pint of ale and found a stool with a view of the TV.
'Spoons generally don't do music and sports commentary. The match was being shown without sound but I could live with that. It had been a great achievement for the Scots to qualify for the tournament. The crucial fixture had taken place at Falkirk and I'd briefly thought about heading through. However, an unlikely combination of results was required and I gave it a miss. Lo' and behold, the matches panned out in Scotland's favour and the ladies were in the finals in France. Our opening game was against a strong England side and the Scots soon found themselves 2-0 down, the first goal the result of a controversial penalty awarded by VAR. The ball was blasted against a defender's arm from close range and a spot-kick awarded. A ridiculous direction for football to go in. Scotland pulled one back late on but ultimately to no avail. The same scoring pattern occurred in the next group match against Japan. There was still a chance to go through as one of the best third-placed teams by beating Argentina in the final group match. I actually watched this one at home on iPlayer after a night out in Edinburgh. Not knowing the score, I was delighted to see the ladies race into a three-goal lead with just 20 minutes left to play. Home and hosed! - or so I thought. The roof fell in and the South Americans netted three times to level the match and send the Scots home.
Anyway - I digress. The Livingston walk was an interesting day out and a visit to the town is recommended. It was actually built across the county boundary of West and Mid Lothian. Aerial maps reveal a strip of trees along the dividing line. Nowadays the whole place is administered by the West Lothian Council Area, which I guess is more practical.
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