East Kilbride was Scotland's first designated 'New Town', expanded to provide new housing for people moving from nearby Glasgow. The town used to hold a pre-Christian sacred well dedicated to the Celtic goddess Brigid, which gives the town its name. East Kilbride's original parish church was built on the site of the well, and the current church on this site dates from 1774. St Bride's Church is another notable landmark, being an example of 20th century British ecclesiastical architecture and a Category A-listed building. A statue of Sir Walter Scott can also be seen found in the town and is known locally as 'The White Man'.
East Kilbride contains a variety of parks. Calderglen Country Park has a choice of woodland walks and contains the ruins of both Calderglen Castle and Craigneith Castle. James Hamilton Heritage Park contains a manmade lake with watersports facilities and is overlooked by Mains Castle, a privately owned tower house, while Langlands Moss is a local nature reserve. The National Museum of Rural Life at nearby Kittochside gives visitors the chance to experience a 1950s working farm. Whitelee Wind Farm, the UK's largest on-shore wind farm, is located to the south and includes a visitor centre with interactive exhibitions.
There is a good range of sporting facilities in East Kilbride with the Dollan Aqua Centre, an ice rink and various golf courses in the area. The town centre has a large shopping centre and 'The Village', the oldest part of East Kilbride, is home to a variety of restaurants, cafes and pubs.
East Kilbride railway station can also be found in The Village while Hairmyres railway station sits in the west of the town. Bus services run to surrounding destinations across Greater Glasgow and several main roads connect the town to Glasgow and the M77 motorway.
