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The David Livingstone Centre

165 Station Road, Blantyre G72 9BT , Scotland
0844 493 2207
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Ranked #1 of 1 attractions in Blantyre
Type: Historic Sites
Owner description: There are storeys of stories about David Livingstone, the famous Scottish explorer and missionary, in this birthplace museum of his life and work.... more » Owner description: There are storeys of stories about David Livingstone, the famous Scottish explorer and missionary, in this birthplace museum of his life and work. Housed in Shuttle Row, a tenement which the Livingstones shared with 23 other families, this historic attraction is packed with items relating to his explorations in Africa. These range from letters and navigation equipment to his gruesome medical kit and hippo and lion skulls! It also gives a fascinating insight into the living and working conditions of 19th-century Scotland.We have children's quizzes and regular events to help keep little ones entertained, along with a sandy playpark and 20 acres of parkland and woodland. Located on the banks of the River Clyde, we are the starting point for some beautiful walks.Our tearoom is run by Motherwell College, providing lunches every weekday from 11am-2pm. Unfortunately the tearoom is not open on weekends. « less
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50 reviews from our community

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Date Rating
Glasgow
1 review
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 May 2013 NEW

I recently visited the centre with 25 children from my class and two other adults. By the time we left we were all very much impressed by the centre and it's staff. We split into two groups and each group had a guide who took us through the exhibition. Although it may not be high tech, this was very much... More

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Stavanger, Norway
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
5 attraction reviews
Reviews in 16 cities Reviews in 16 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 May 2013 NEW

If you have any interest of colonial history or of David Livingstone at all, you have to visit this place. I've been to it's opposite in Livingstone, Zambia, and being able to visit this place makes the round complete. The park is lovely, the old buildings where he lived is beautiful, the "jungle walk" is fun, and the only small... More

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Contributor
13 reviews 13 reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 May 2013

The exhibition was really great giving an insight into the life of David Livingstone, covering his early family life, family connections and upbringing and David Livingstone's Christian Faith. Maps, drawings, letters and equipment were all on display as well as lit tableau depicting his life. Not of these lit tableaux seemed to work. There was a lot of things for... More

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Glasgow
Contributor
18 reviews 18 reviews
13 attraction reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
24 helpful votes 24 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 April 2013 via mobile

As a NTS card holder I decided to try out the centre with my childminding kids, aged 12, 10, 4 and 1 years old. The staff were very good and very helpful. The centre itself is maybe a little run down, not as good as the other national trust properties. The children enjoyed themselves and the older ones did the... More

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Wishaw, United Kingdom
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
77 helpful votes 77 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 April 2013

We went along for the special compass challenge. The kids had great fun and the staff could not have been more helpful.

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Hamilton, United Kingdom
Senior Contributor
27 reviews 27 reviews
20 attraction reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 April 2013

Went with my two older kids and to say they were bored was an understatement !! We joined NT and this is our local site so we went along as we had hear great things. Went into the shop for tickets and a guide book but turns out they don't produce one !! So over to the house we go.... More

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AlisonR300, Manager at The David Livingstone Centre, responded to this review
9 April 2013

Dear Suntoucher, I am very sorry your children were bored on their recent visit to us. We normally pride ourselves on keeping children engaged and entertained, so this is disappointing to hear. We have a number of quizzes and activities for primary school age children, but unfortunately nothing aimed at older children. This is something we will look into. We... More

Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
Senior Reviewer
9 reviews 9 reviews
4 attraction reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 April 2013

My partner and I visited the centre on Saturday 6th April 2013. We paid £13-00 admission (£6-50 each) and were given a laminated A4 sheet of paper with details of the entrance and lay out of the exhibition. The exhibition takes you through the building where David Livingstone and his family lived whilst working at the mill. You can visit... More

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AlisonR300, Manager at The David Livingstone Centre, responded to this review
9 April 2013

Dear Marian, I am very sorry you found your recent visit disappointing. I hope I will be able to explain the background behind some of the issues you had with the Centre. Like many historical attractions, we have suffered in recent years from financial difficulties, and have come under threat of closure. This has left us unable to maintain and... More

scotland west
Top Contributor
54 reviews 54 reviews
12 attraction reviews
Reviews in 21 cities Reviews in 21 cities
44 helpful votes 44 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 March 2013

the centre is only 10 mins and a short walk from glasgow centre if you go by train as we did we thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the centre and were enthralled for 2 hours by the exhibition. the story is far more interesting than we had even thought - an amamzing tale of a tough, tough but decent and... More

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Blantyre. Scotland
Contributor
19 reviews 19 reviews
14 attraction reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 30 January 2013

As a local it's easy to say that it is a great place to visit but it certainly is. You can enter the house where Livingstone was born and a chance to visit the dark room where pictures almost come to life. If you like anything about exploring and especially about Africa this is the place to see. The African... More

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Barcelona, Spain
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
4 attraction reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 January 2013

An ideal place to visit. David Livingstone was a very interesting man. The attraction was very informative the staff were lovely. Went as a group with children. They loved it. Highly recommended for all.

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