I live in Ek and agree that largely it is a shitehole, with no services/shops/facilities unless you go dahntancenner (down the town centre to the uninitiated).
I live in the 'bought hooses' in Stewartfield which is marginally less depressing as its the nearest side to civilisation, although full of nothing but Noddy boxes.
However, it paints a picture of South Lanarkshire when EK is considered 'moving up in the world' to the rest of the regions inhabitants. Toilets like Blantyre, much of Hamilton, Lesmahagow, Larkhall etc are all incredibly depressing places. No wonder teh population of tehse places appears to permanently drunk.
I also find the train from Central to Edinburgh lets you see some f ucking hovels of the first order.