Rough Guide to Venues
We've got down to providing directions to the main venues we compete at during the summer. Please keep in a safe place. All directions are given as if travelling from Currie / Balerno. At some venues without proper cover or seating parents are advised to bring camping chairs (and warm clothing)!Livingston - Craigswood Sports Centre
(Coming from Balerno / A71): Head North on the dual carriageway (after the Lizzie Bryce roundabout) through Livingston. Take the Craigshill North exit at the Cousland Interchange. The slip road turns sharp left and you go underneath the dual carriageway, joining Cousland Rd. (*) Follow Cousland Rd for a couple of hundred yards. As it begins to swing round to the left, the entrance to Craigswood Sports Centre is on the left-hand side.
(Coming from M8): Leave the motorway at Junction 3 to join the A899 dual carriageway that heads south through Livingston. Head past the Houston Interchange and at the Cousland Interchange take the slip road for Craigshill North. This brings you onto Cousland Road – follow the instructions above from (*).No cover – grassy surrounds. Small clubhouse, more facilities in the Sports Centre. Usually ample car parking.
Special feature: None. But don't take a wrong turning or you'll spend half an hour exploring Livingston.
Pitreavie (Dunfermline/Rosyth)
Cross the Forth Bridge. Leave the motorway at Junction 2, Pitreavie. (Junction 2 is the third exit, since the first exit is for Deep Sea World and the second is for Rosyth/Inverkeithing). Follow the slip road / motorway spur until the large roundabout. Head right (Dunfermline) onto a dual carriageway. Go straight on at a second smaller roundabout (beside the Bank of Scotland Visa Centre) and follow the dual carriageway up to the edge of Dunfermline where you come to another large roundabout (beside the King Malcolm Hotel). Go all the way round so that you are coming back down the dual carriageway. The entrance to Pitreavie playing fields is on the left hand side just after the golf course car park. Follow the playing field road past the pavilion on to the running stadium.
The stadium has a south facing stand. Café facilities are usually available in the Pitreavie AC clubrooms. Plenty of car parking.
Special feature: When driving through the playing field keep your eyes open for cricket balls and golf balls.
Grangemouth
Take the M9 towards Falkirk (Stirling). Leave the motorway at Junction 5, Grangemouth (also sign-posted Football Traffic). Head right (Grangemouth) at the large roundabout that runs underneath the motorway. (There is also a sign for the Sports Centre at the roundabout exit.) About a couple of hundred yards go straight on at a mini roundabout. Take the next left (sign-posted) and the stadium occupies the right hand side of the road.
The stadium has a north facing stand. There is a tarmac surround for sunbathing on. The stadium has a small cafeteria.
Special feature: A wonderful view of the petro-chemical works.
Meadowbank
Most folk know where this is, but due to the (over-)charging policy of Edinburgh Council we hardly ever compete there.
The stadium has a large north facing stand, plus open seating on other sides. Facilities: Café, Limited car parking
Special feature: The bitterly cold east wind.
Coatbridge
If you know where the Time Capsule is, then take the first road on the left, about two/three hundred yards past it. If you don't know where the Time Capsule is.... take the M8 / A8 westbound. At the junction for the A725 (Bellshill / Coatbridge) there are two slip roads within a hundred yards of each other. Take the second one (immediately after passing underneath the flyover). This swings up round to the left and you will be joining (at a Give Way) the road into Coatbridge. Follow this road through a mini roundabout and some traffic lights downhill through the town. You will come to a large roundabout set at a jaunty angle. Go straight over, and over another large roundabout. At the next roundabout (where there's a large McDonalds on the right) follow signs for the Time Capsule (left). Follow this road / Time Capsule signs. There is another roundabout beside the town Centre – go straight on (underneath the railway bridge) following signs for the Time Capsule which will soon appear on your left hand side.... (now see first sentence)
No cover – grassy surrounds. Facilities: Limited café in Sports Centre. Limited (& grotty) car parking – worth arriving early.
Special feature: On a warm sunny day this is the most pleasant venue we visit. On a wet windy day it is probably the most unpleasant.
Scotstoun – Glasgow
Take the M8 through Glasgow. Leave at Junction 19, (Clydeside Expressway / Clydebank / SECC). Proceed to the end of the slip road - you will be turning right, but it's probably better to get into the centre lane (the sign post is rather misleading as it has two arrows heading right – there's only one road). On turning right keep to the left / middle to head straight along the Clydeside Expressway toward Clydebank. After about 2.5 - 3 miles you'll see a pretty little park on the right. Turn right at the next junction – signposted for the sports centre. After about 80 yards you'll come to a strange junction – turn left, up the hill and you'll come to the Sports Centre and running track.
The Stadium has a north-east facing stand. Café facilities are in the Sports Centre. Usually ample parking
Special feature: The blue track.
Ayr – Dam Park
Follow the M8 into Glasgow and join the M77 for Kilmarnock / Ayr. At the first big roundabout on the edge of Ayr turn right, into Ayr. Go straight on (the Race Course will be on your left hand side). Turn left at the lights past the race coarse. Dam Park is sharp left at the roundabout at the foot of the hill.
The stadium has a south-facing stand. Usually sufficient parking – but we'll run a bus.
Special feature: The Stand is ideally positioned to catch the sun. Suntan Factor 10 if it's sunny.
Galashiels –Tweedbank
Take the A7 to Galashiels. Follow the Hawick signs on the one-way system that skirts round the town centre, and out to the far end of Gala. At the first large roundabout on the edge of Gala go straight on (don't take the Tweedbank exit - it goes the long way round). At the next big roundabout turn left – Tweedbank Industrial estate. After about 2-300 metres there will be an opening to the left signposted for the Sports Centre, which is now visible.
There is limited cover, but no seating. There is very little parking directly beside the Sports Centre, but there is usually space alongside some of the industrial units. Café facilites are sometimes provided by the Bowling club.
Special Feature: The seating which isn't there because it was condemned a few years ago (unless it's been replaced).
Dumfries– David Keswick Sports Centre
Go down the A74/M74, and take the exit for the A701 (after Beattock) for Dumfries. On entering Dumfries follow the main road for about a mile or so until arriving at a point where it forks. The main road veers to the right – take the side road on to the left that goes straight on. At the end of this road turn left, and there will be another left turn that takes you to the stadium (and school) car park.
Special feature: Notoriously fast track for 200m races.
Open seated area - no cover, but the Sports Centre overlooks part of the home straight.
Limited Café Facilities in the sports centre, limited parking.
Greenock – Ravenscraig Stadium
(Note – This Ravenscraig is not in Motherwell!)
Follow the M8 / A8 through Glasgow, Port Glasgow and on into Greenock where it becomes a dual carriageway with several roundabouts. Stay on this road (which runs parallel to the Firth of Clyde) until you see signs for the A78 Largs. At a particularly large roundabout (which is beside a leisure pool on the left hand side) take the A78 Largs road which leaves to the left and takes you uphill away from the Clyde. Stay on this road as it eventually swings round to the right. It comes into a less built up area with some grassy parts, hills visible to the left, and the stadium is visible to the right. Turn right and right again into the car park..
As well as the stand there is concrete seating opposite, and some grassy bits if it's sunbathing weather.
Catering: Volunteers from the local club may provide some catering (they have done at Men's League).
Special Feature: High rise hell at one end, picturesque hills at the other – Scotland in a nutshell.
Inverness
Leave the A9 on the road for the Town Centre / A82 Fort William. Follow the signs for Fort William, which take you round the Town Centre and over the river (some signs are quuite small at some junctions). As you are about to leave Inverness on the A82 there is a campsite and large sports complex on the left hand side. Turn left into this area and drive round to the car park for the sports Centre.
The stadium is new, with clean changing rooms in the Sports Centre, a stand and grassy surrounds.
Catering: In the Sports Centre, or laid on by the hosting club (Men's League)
Special Feature: The immaculate turf.
Kelvin Hall Indoor Arena, Glasgow
Travelling on the M8 through Glasgow you will be required to exit at Junction 18, Charing Crass. The slip road leaves from the right hand side of the carriageway, so get into the outside lane early. As you come off the M8 onto the slip road, stay in the outside lane as it goes up to join a main road at a "Give Way" junction. Stay in the outside lane after merging onto this road, as you will eventually be turning right. Go straight through the first set of lights (No Right Turn) and turn right at the next set of lights which takes you over the M8 into Berkeley St (which is One-Way). Stay on Berkeley St until the road markings take you to a right turn into Claremont St. At the traffic lights turn left into Sauchiehall St. Stay on Sauchiehall St, through a two sets of lights (now on Argyle St) and the Kelvin Hall will be on your left (opposite the quite impressive Kelvingrove Museum on your right). The entrance to the Kelvin Hall car park is immediately after the building.
Returning. Follow the one way road round the back of the Kelvin Hall. Turn left at the first opportunity, and right at the end, which should bring you out onto Argyle St opposite the Museum. Follow this road back (left hand lane) to Sauchiehall St and you'll eventually see the signs for the M8 (Edinburgh).
Updated 8/1/02