Eliburn Park

Route length: 1.2km (1.6km if walking additional woodland section)

Estimated duration: 20-30 mins

Travel: Parking is available at the Car Park at the Football Pavilion. The nearest train station is Livingston North at Carmondean, operating between Edinburgh and Glasgow on the Bathgate Line.

Points of Interest/History/Heritage

1. Eliburn Football Pavilion and Car Park - the football pavilion and pitches are home to Livingston United Football Community Club, a self-funded football club supporting local youth involvement and league matches.
2. Reservoir - the reservoir at Eliburn was initially known as Deans Reservoir and was created by damming the Nell Burn in the first decade of the 20th Century by the Pumpherston Oil Co Ltd, in order to supply the nearby shale oil works at Deans. West Lothian is steeped in mining history, with many nearby villages expanding as a direct result. The Shale Mining Museum at Almond Valley Heritage Centre archives this history in great detail and is a great day's visit. Records from the museum detail further works to raise the embankment, walls and waste weir were carried out in 1934. No longer required for supply purpose when the shale oil industry closed, the reservoir and surrounding woodlands now provide a home for wildlife and opportunity for recreation and coarse fishing.
3. Fishery - Eliburn Reservoir currently operates as a 4-acre coarse fishery. Although there are many fisheries across West Lothian, Eliburn is one of the only offering coarse fishing for carp, roach, bream, rudd, perch and more. The first Angling Club for Eliburn was formed in 1949 and the reservoir is currently owned by West Lothian Council and managed in partnership with West Lothian Coarse Angling Association (WLCAA). The area is very popular with fishermen and other visitors enjoying the woodland paths and tracks. There are several wooden fishing platforms dotted along the water edges from where the fishermen cast. Fishing is temporarily paused during July when on still days, dozens of large carp can be seen swimming just below the surface during spawning season. Season and day tickets are available online from WLCAA.
4. Farming to woodland - farming the fertile soils of the valley of the River Almond was once the main land use in the area and parts of the current woodland were created as shelterbelts to surround the fields. An extensive network of paths and tracks criss-cross the woodland to the west if you would like a longer walk. Look out for silver birch, hazel, rowan and sycamore and explore through the seasons to discover spring flowers and trees heavy with autumnal seeds and berries.
5. Dam and slipway - part of the original structure of the reservoir construction with the spillway returning any overflow water from the reservoir downstream to the Nell Burn.
6. Eliburn Old Wood - the woodlands around Eliburn are part of the 'Old Wood' that has surrounded Eliburn for centuries and would have extended much further in the past. Classed as Long-Established Woodland of Plantation Origin (LEPO) on the ancient woodland inventory, there has been a woodland there since early 1800's. The woodlands have been managed over the years and include areas of conifer grown to harvest and mixed woodland with a diverse understory of fern. The woodlands to the east support tall Scots pines, western hemlock, spruce and fir, interspersed with oak and beech.
7. Wildlife - the reservoir and surrounding area are home to a variety of wildlife. The woodlands support a variety of tree species together with areas of scrub, bramble and fern. Listen for the song and social calls of woodland birds including woodpecker, wren and tree creeper. Look out for eaten cones and seeds, the signs of small mammals like squirrels and field mice habitat. Magnificent otters have also been seen dipping in and out of the water. The water is also home to many bird species including swans, ducks, moorhens and coots. Locals enjoy feeding the resident birds, but please do remember to feed seed and only a little at a time so as not to encourage unwanted small mammals like rats.
8. SUDS Pond and bridge - the little waterfall area viewed from the bridge where the water tumbles over the boulders and where children and dogs often paddle is actually a Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS), slowing down and filtering the water from the burn before it enters the reservoir.
9. Play Area - a great focal point for local children offering a variety of play options for children of all ages and abilities with swings for wheelchairs available.
10. Nell Burn Path - Eliburn Park has the advantage of many paths linking to surrounding communities. From this point, you can join the Nell Burn path traversing Livingston from north to south. Head north towards Dechmont or branch off to Carmondean and Livingston North Railway Station and south to the National Cycle Network 1 following the Lochshot Burn to Livingston Village and River Almond Heritage Centre and branching off to the lovely Peel Park.