Almondell & Calderwood Country Park
ENTRY
Free
WHERE
Broxburn
What it’s like
A free country park with waymarked walks, a toddler and junior play area, and room to cycle or ride horses.
There's no entry fee here, which already puts it ahead of half the places you'll be considering for a weekend out. The play area covers toddlers and juniors, so you're not stuck watching a four-year-old eye up equipment built for ten-year-olds. Beyond that it's the walking routes that do the work, plenty of them waymarked.
Cycling and horse riding both get a mention, and Route 75, the Edinburgh to Glasgow cycle path, runs through, so if you've got bikes in the boot this is a proper reason to bring them rather than let them rust in the garage. Six car parks are dotted around the site and all of them are free, with blue badge parking at the Visitor Centre.
Opening hours shift with the seasons, 9am to 5pm in summer and 10am to 4pm in winter, and the Visitor Centre shuts for lunch between 12:30 and 1pm, which is a mildly annoying detail if you time your visit around a loo stop or want to ask a question at the desk. Dogs are welcome but need to be kept under control, which matters if you've got small kids haring about near the paths.
Getting there without a car is the real catch. There's no direct public transport to the actual car parks. It works, but it's not a five-minute stroll from a bus stop, so build that into your timings if you're not driving.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- Toddlers to juniors, with walking and cycling for older kids too
- Parking
- Six car parks, free. Blue badge disabled parking at Visitor Centre
- Dogs
- Allowed but must be kept under proper control
- Getting there by bus or train
- Buses from Bathgate, Livingston and Edinburgh to East Calder and Broxburn (short walk)
- Route 75 cycle path runs through the park if you fancy bringing bikes
- No public vehicle charging points, so plan your fuel or charge before you set off
- Visitor Centre and toilets close 25-26 December and 1-2 January
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
Nothing, it's free entry.
What are the opening hours?
9am to 5pm in summer, 10am to 4pm in winter.
Is there parking?
Six car parks across the site, all free, with blue badge parking at the Visitor Centre.
Can we get there by bus?
Buses run from Bathgate, Livingston and Edinburgh to East Calder and Broxburn, then it's a short walk in. There's no direct bus to the car parks themselves.
Is there a play area for younger kids?
Yes, there's a play area covering both toddlers and juniors.
Are dogs allowed?
Dogs are welcome but need to be kept under control on the paths.
Is the Visitor Centre always open?
It closes for lunch between 12:30 and 1pm, and shuts over Christmas and New Year plus a couple of dates in October and November for staff shortages. The garden toilets stay open even when it's shut.
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