By Aditya Soyanke
“People make Glasgow Greener” – this tagline by the city council of the city of Glasgow speaks for the cities interest in maintaining its parks and gardens. Spring is here and the best way to enjoy the fleeting warmth we get is to go outdoors and bask in sunlight. What better way to enjoy the weather than to visit the lush greens of the city. Glasgow is famous for the balance of modern architecture and the environment conscious green spaces maintained throughout the town. There are a number of famous parks around the city for a lazy stroll or spending your weekend having a picnic with family. Here are my top recommendations to check out for your dose of spring green.
- Kelvingrove park:
Spanning across an impressive 85 acre, Kelvingrove park is a sight to behold. The park was designed in the mid 18th century by Sir Joseph Paxton, Charles Wilson and Thomas Kyle. It is one of the major tourist attractions for those who come to visit the city of Glasgow along with being a local favourite hangout leisure spot. It also sports an impressive piece of architecture in the form of the Kelvingrove museum. You get the opportunity to indulge in arts, history, and culture while your stroll to the park as you can visit the museum on the property.
Kelvingrove is built around the curves of a big hill that houses Glasgow’s Park District. Another reason would be the many fluffy friends that you will spot in the park as it is a popular dog walking space.
Three subway stations are within walking distance of the park, the closest being Kelvinbridge to the north via the Kelvin Walkway, with Hillhead to the northwest and Kelvinhall to the west also within walking distance, as are Exhibition Centre and Charing Cross railway stations to the south and south-east, respectively. Buses run frequently along Argyle Street, Sauchiehall Street, and Great Western Road, which run parallel to the park to the north and south.
- Pollok country park
One of the scenic beauties of Glasgow that has even got featured a number of times on the silver screen in Outlander, Pollok Country park is one of the must visit spots of Scotland. Spanning over 360 acres of land, it is definitely one of the largest park in Scotland. Sports like cycling and bike riding can be enjoyed by sport enthusiasts here with three different difficulty levels – green circuit, blue circuit and the red circuit.
Pollok Country Park is a great site to visit by bike, as it is easily accessible via the National Cycle Network’s Routes 7 and 75, as well as local connecting routes. You can also ride your bike to Pollokshaws West station on the Glasgow Central to Barrhead and East Kilbride lines, or to the Shawlands and Pollokshaws East stations on the Cathcart Circle line, which are also 5 minutes away.
- Queens park
It was built in the mid-nineteenth century and was designed by Sir Joseph Paxton, a renowned landscape architect, with design adjustments by John Carrick, a city architect. A renovated play area and a bandstand in a historical setting have been added to the park. A historic glasshouse, a big pond, and a Scottish poetry rose garden are among the park’s highlights. There are spectacular views of the city and beyond from the park’s primary viewpoint.
Situated near battlefields, the Queens park is one of the attractions that will leave you stunned with its beautiful ponds and birds in it. if you enjoy sitting on a bench looking at the swans and ducks playing around, this might be the spot for you. If you are lucky, you might witness a concert as there are people playing instruments at the park sometimes. Concert or not, you cannot miss out on the ice creams sold at the stall in the park because the cone with the flake in it will make you fall in love.
So what are you waiting for? Put on your sporty shoes and get to exploring before the sun goes back into hiding!
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