- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 19, 2026
Make Friends in Livingston, from Almondvale Park to Howden
Livingston has more children and fewer over-65s than Scotland overall, and its Saturday parkrun starts in Almondvale Park by the shopping centre.
55,800+
usual residents of Livingston at Scotland’s 2022 census (NRS)
19%
of Livingston’s people are children under 16, against 16% in Scotland (Census 2022)
16%
of Livingston residents are 65-plus, under the Scottish 20% (NRS 2022)
Livingston runs in Almondvale Park
Livingston parkrun, which starts in Almondvale Park beside the town centre and drew 274 finishers in October 2026, is a lively way to make friends in Livingston. Lanthorn Library in Dedridge, back in the renovated Lanthorn Centre since January 2025, lists a book group, an adult colour club, Tea n’ Blether and board games. Pair up for either with a Livingston woman from Gofrendly.
Livingston, briefly answered
Is there still a swimming pool in Livingston?
Livingston’s town-centre pool, Xcite Livingston, closed in August 2023, and the site is now earmarked for new homes. Public swimming now takes place in the 20-metre pool at Inveralmond Community High School in Ladywell, run by Xcite, which also has a sports hall and racquet sports for Livingston residents.
What groups meet at Lanthorn Library in Livingston?
Lanthorn Library in the Lanthorn Centre, Dedridge, lists a Book Group on Thursday evenings, an Adult Colour Club and Tea n’ Blether on Tuesdays, and board games and a jigsaw challenge whenever it is open. It returned to the renovated centre in January 2025, in Livingston.
What is Howden Park Centre in Livingston?
Howden Park Centre in Howden is a theatre and arts venue with a bistro and bar, and the permanent base of Firefly Arts. It is run by Reconnect SCIO on a lease agreed until 2035, with council support for its programme, giving Livingston a local stage for shows and arts activity.
Where do Livingston mums find friends of their own?
Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, connects Livingston mums, and women without children, with others close by, with messages before meeting. With so many under-16s in the town, a Saturday parkrun in Almondvale Park, with or without the children, is an easy shared plan.
Livingston, a young West Lothian town
In the Livingston locality nearly 19% of residents are under 16 and only about 16% are 65 or over, a younger mix than the national one, and about 26% of households are social tenants. A town full of young families keeps people busy, but if your friendships have ended up forming around the children, carve out one thing that belongs to you alone and guard it.
Being surrounded by school-gate hellos can still feel lonely. Howden Park Centre in Howden is a theatre and arts venue with a bistro and bar, home to Firefly Arts, and Almondell and Calderwood Country Park has a free visitor centre with a conservatory and garden. Livingston’s town-centre pool closed in 2023, so public swimming now takes place at Inveralmond Community High School in Ladywell, and Beecraigs and Auldcathie parkruns are both within ten kilometres for a change of route on Saturday mornings. Places to start:
1
Almondvale Park and Livingston parkrun.
2
Lanthorn Library in the Lanthorn Centre, Dedridge.
3
Howden Park Centre, theatre and bistro.
4
Almondell and Calderwood Country Park.
5
The pool at Inveralmond Community High School, Ladywell.
LOCAL TIP
Sit in on Tea n’ Blether at the Lanthorn Library and next time there may be a familiar face waiting.
How to
Livingston: four ways to meet people beyond the school run
1
Drop in for board games or a jigsaw at Lanthorn Library.
2
Join the Book Group at Lanthorn Library on a Thursday evening.
3
Try Beecraigs Country Park parkrun near Linlithgow for a change of scene.
4
Catch a show at Howden Park Centre with a Livingston woman from Gofrendly.
Feeling alone, and how long friendship takes
Livingston page: who it is from
Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja, Gofrendly’s co-founders, wrote this Livingston page, which our editors reviewed, for women in a young town who want friendships that are about more than the children.
Friendship looks different at every stage
More guides for women in this area – each with its own local advice.
Friendship looks different at every stage
More guides for women in this area – each with its own local advice.
Find women near you
See who’s nearby and say hi — it’s free to start.