Livingston was the second surviving son of Sir James Livingston, 2nd Baronet, of Glentirran and Bantaskine and his wife Helen Campbell, daughter of Sir James Campbell, 2nd Baronet, of Ardkinglass, Argyll, and was baptized at Falkirk on 29 July 1722.
[1] He joined the army in the Royal Scots Fusiliers and was 2nd lieutenant in 1742, captain in 1751 and major in 1758.
[2] In 1772 Livingston was returned as Member of Parliament for Argyllshire in the interest of John Campbell, 5th Duke of Argyll.
Samuel Johnson met Livingston when he visited the Duke and after hearing his "vague" conversation, observed “‘a mighty misty man, the Colonel”.
In 1780, the Duke required the parliamentary seat for his brother Frederick, so Livingston stood down, and did not try to enter Parliament again.