There is a certain sense of duality about East Kilbride. Certainly, the town on the fringes of Glasgow’s great suburban reach was Scotland’s first new town, and has attracted the commuter to its meticulously planned and oft-mocked assembly of roundabouts and cul-de-sacs. But East Kilbride is not just this new town; old East Kilbride, just along the road from its younger sibling, dates back to Roman times, and takes its name form the Saint Bride, the Irish saint whose County Kildare monks brought Catholicism to the area. Like many places in Scotland and Ireland – Kilmarnock, Kilpatrick, Kilbowie – the ‘kil’ in Kilbride is a giveaway of its ecclesiastical roots, and is an anglicisation of the gaelic ‘cull’, meaning church or grave. Contemporary East Kilbride grew quickly during the post-war housing crisis. The Second World War had left Glasgow’s tenement housing bursting at the seems, and the hitherto modest village of East Kilbride became the first to be redrafted and re-imagined as the start of Britain’s boom in constructing new towns. Just eight miles from Glasgow’s city centre, and with an excellent road and rail transport infrastructure, East Kilbride lured skilled workers to its residential neighbourhoods. The town centre is dominated by a network of six shopping malls which link to form one gargantuan shopping centre. Commerce adding to East Kilbride’s charms as one of Glasgow’s commuter towns, and a safe haven to raise a family. Scotland’s sixth largest town’s modest past as a sedate rural farming village has long since evaporated, swallowed by the expansion of modern living. But its evolution does not appear to be halting any time soon; South Lanarkshire Council have sanctioned a £400 million budget to redevelop East Kilbride’s town centre in a project which will again transform the town in the next ten years.
Budget
Premier Inn Glasgow East Kilbride (Peel Park) *book online*
Premier Inn Glasgow East Kilbride Central *book online*
Classes
Estate Agent
Bensons Estate Agents
Premier Property Services
Golf Club
Shops
Garage Street Shoes
Retro
Neville Stores
Cycle Lane
Village Music
Angela’s Hobby Ceramics
Athelite
Lady G
Aladdins Ltd
Places to Stay near East Kilbride
Torrance Hotel (0.15 miles)
Welcoming traditonal village hotel in walking distance to Scotland's largest undercover shopping and leisure centre in East kilbride. East Kilbride has many local attractions including Village Theatre, Golf Courses, Ten ... More
Bruce Hotel (0.30 miles)
Adjoins one of Scotlands largest shopping Arcades ..The Plaza.. and is surrounded by numerous restaurants and bars and the Hotel has its own Nightclub. Relax in the exquisite Cocktail Bar and dine in our Four ... More | visit website
Premier Inn Glasgow East Kilbride Central (0.64 miles)
Premier Inn Glasgow East Kilbride Nerston (1.02 miles)
Premier Inn Glasgow East Kilbride (Peel Park) (1.10 miles)
Crutherland House Hotel (1.64 miles)
The MacDonald Crutherland House Hotel is a superior first-class hotel. The Hotel is located on 37 acres of grounds close to all major routes for business and tourism. This is an excellent ... More
Holiday Inn Glasgow East Kilbride (1.96 miles)
If you are searching for East Kilbride hotels or indeed Glasgow hotels for your next short break in Scotland, the modern, fully air conditioned and Wi-Fi enabled Holiday Inn Glasgow-East ... More
Carnbooth House Hotel (3.25 miles)
Dunard Guest House (3.46 miles)
Situated in Cambuslang in a quiet, child-friendly street, our large Victorian style detached house with private enclosed gardens and free off-street parking is within walking distance of local restaurants, shops ... More
Busby Hotel (3.56 miles)
The Busby Hotel, in the southern outskirts of Glasgow, is comfortably arrived at by road, rail or air. The hotel allows easy access to the commercial centres of Glasgow, East ... More
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