Admission: Free

Opening hours: Mon-Thu & Sat: 10am – 5pm; Fri & Sun: 11am – 5pm

Glasgow’s brand new Riverside Museum is now open!

Now relocated to the stunning Clyde-side landmark, the Transport Museum opened it’s doors to the public on the 21st June 2011.

The Riverside Museum now has more than 3,000 objects on display, compared with 1,300 in the previous Museum of Transport.

The museum uses its collections of vehicles and models to tell the story of transport by land and sea, with a unique Glaswegian flavour.  Here you will find the oldest surviving pedal cycle and the finest collection in the world of Scottish-built cars.  They include such world-famous makes as Argyll, Arrol Johnson and Albion.

The breadth of the collection is impressive.  It features all forms of transport from horse-drawn vehicles to buses and fire engines, and from motorcycles to caravans.  Even toy cars and prams are included.

Much loved by visitors from far and wide are the famous Glasgow trams, the ‘Subway’ station and Kelvin Street.  You can recapture the atmosphere of old Glasgow.

The Museum of Transport has been a firm favourite with generations of Glasgow children and their parents.  For an entertaining day out it really does have something for all the family.

Tel:  0141 287 5108

Admission:  Free (but some events on the Green may be ticketed)

Opening hours:  The Green is open 24 hours per day

Check out what’s coming up in Glasgow Green

By far the oldest park in Glasgow, Glasgow Green is home to a number of big events each year, and to some of Glasgow’s most prominent historical landmarks.

Glasgow Green is situated within walking distance of the city centre, towards the east end of Glasgow on the north bank of the River Clyde.  It has extensive open spaces, modern play facilities, and is home to the historic People’s Palace and Winter Gardens which allow the park to cater for all age groups whatever the weather.

History

Dating back to the 15th century, Glasgow Green is by far the oldest of the Glasgow’s parks.  The Green was initially created in 1450 when King James II granted the land to Bishop William Turnbull and the people of Glasgow, for use as common grazing ground which was it’s main use until the 19th century.  Back then the Green was quite different from what it is today, being an uneven swampy area composed of a number of “greens” including the High and Low Greens, the Calton Green and the Gallowgate Green.

The park served a number of purposes in its first few centuries; as a grazing area, an area to wash and bleach linen, an area to dry out fishing nets and for activities like swimming.  The city’s first steamie (or washhouse) opened on the banks of the Camlachie Burn in 1732.

Between 1817 and 1826, efforts were made to improve the layout of the park due to frequent flooding.  Much of the land was levelled and drained, and the Calmachie and Molendinar Burns (the latter of which is traditionally believed to be where St. Mungo baptised Christian converts in the sixth century) were both chanelled underground.  Most of the work was carried out by unemployed weavers, made redundant by the introduction of power looms.

In recent centuries, events have taken place on the ‘Green’ that continue to touch the lives of millions worldwide.  The following are just a few:

• 1732:  The Washhouse, Glasgow’s first ‘steamie’, is built in the middle of a field on the banks of the Camlachie Burn.
• 1745 – 1746:  Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) arrived in Glasgow with his army, their clothing in tatters.  Rather than have the city sacked, merchants provided them with new garments and a revitalised Prince Charles reviewed his troops on Flesher’s Haugh.
• 1831 – 1932:  Massive demonstrations on the Green associated with the Reform Bill.
• 1830 – 1914:  The Green became a favoured meeting place of suffragettes.
• 1867:  Hundreds of thousands met on the Green to hear about Gladstone’s Reform Bill.
• 1888:  Sir Henry Doulton donated a terracotta fountain to the city.  This was moved to the Green in 1890.
• 1889:  Templeton’s Carpet Factory completed.  The design of the façade is based on the Doges Palace in Venice. The façade collapsed on 1st November 1889 killing 29 women and girls.
• 1898:  The People’s Palace and Winter Gardens opened.
• 1920′s:  Football pitches and changing facilities appeared on Flesher’s Haugh.
• 1996:  Glasgow received Heritage Lottery Award of £6.6m towards the £10.2m capital cost of renewal and revitalisation of the Green.

Features

• The Doulton Fountain:  Moved to the Green in 1890 after the 1888 International Exhibition in Kelvingrove.  After a £5m refurbishment the fountain has been relocated to the front of the People’s Palace.
• The naval victories of Viscount Horatio Nelson are commemorated by the impressive grade A listed column erected by public subscription in 1806.  This was the first monument in Britain to be erected in his honour.
• The Collins Fountain:  Erected in 1881 by the temperance supporters of Sir William Collins.
• The McLennan Arch:  Designed by Robert and James Adam, the arch is a remodelling of the centre of the piano nobile of Robert and James Adam’s 1890 Assembly Rooms, Ingram Street, as a triumphal arch.  The building was demolished – and the arch was subsequently resited twice – the most recent being in 1992.
• Land and Environmental Services’ Park Rangers lead free tours of Glasgow Green.  To book a tour call 0141 287 5064

Facilities

• Play village (open 8.30 am – dusk)
• Local play area (open 8.30 am – dusk)
• Orienteering course – opens June 2004
• Clyde viewing platforms
• Heavy Horses:  stabled and exercised daily within the park
• People’s Palace and Winter Gardens
• Glasgow Green football centre
• Public toilets
• Public telephones

Events in the Park

The Green boasts a purpose built events space capable of holding major national and international events, all within walking distance of the city centre.  These include:

The Green is currently undergoing a renaissance with major investment through the Lottery Heritage Fund providing a catalyst for the redevelopment of the local neighbourhood.

Getting to Glasgow Green (View location on map)

• By train:  Glasgow Green is approximately 25 min walking time from Central Station and Queen Street Station. High Street and Bellgrove Stations are approximately a 10 min walk.
• By bus:  Various routes operate from the city centre
• By car:  Car parking is currently being redeveloped within the Green at the front of the Peoples Palace, access will be from Green Street and Greendyke Street. On street parking is also available on Greendyke street and car parks are located at Moir Street, Molendinar Street and High Street.
• By foot:  Access on foot is available via The Saltmarket at McLennan Arch, Greendyke Street, Monteith Row, Greenhead Street and Kings Drive, Adelphi Street via the St Andrews Suspension Bridge, Richmond Park via the Polmadie Bridge.
• By bike:  The park forms part of the Glasgow to Edinburgh Cycle Route, National Cycle Network Route 75.

Tel: 0141 287 2999
Email: history_and_glasgow@ gcl.glasgow.gov.uk

Admission: Free

Opening hours: Monday-Thursday 9am-8pm; Friday & Saturday 9am-5pm; closed on Sunday.

Europe’s largest reference library takes its name from the tobacco tycoon, Stephen Mitchell.

The Mitchell library was founded in 1874 and has been open to the public since 1911, it now houses over 1 million books and documents.

Wander around the spacious rooms and admire the beauty of this magnificent building.  The hallmark of the Mitchell Library is its majestic dome, which features the visage of Minerva, goddess of wisdom.

There is a huge selection of aerial photography covering most of Glasgow and it’s an excellent place to visit if you are interested in Glasgow’s history.

To make the resources of the Mitchell Library more accessible, a selection of photographs and other images of the city have been digitised.  The digitised material is of local and historical interest, featuring Glasgow’s buildings and streets as well as showing Glasgow’s people going about their daily lives.  Although the selection is a very small portion of the collection held within the library, this online collection is a great place to start browsing.

Tel

Admission:  Free

Opening Hours:  Bellahouston Park is open from dawn till dusk daily however the specific facilities within the park are subject to opening times.

Boasting formal gardens and open parkland in which to relax and take in some wonderful views of Glasgow, this extensive park has many features and facilities to tempt visitors to its grounds.  Quiet contemplation can also be had at the House for an Art Lover, and for the more active and adventurous there are extensive sports facilities, including a ski centre.

Bellahouston Park is a park in south west Glasgow, between the areas of Mosspark, Craigton, Ibrox, and Dumbreck.  It is based around Ibrox hill in the centre, with commanding views over most of the city.  Notable views include that of Ballageich hill, rising to 1,084 feet (330 m) on the southern horizon in East Renfrewshire.

History

Until the late 19th century, Bellahouston Park consisted of farmland as part of the Maxwell Estate, which also included much of the surrounding areas including Maxwell Park, Pollok Country Park, Pollok House and Haggs Castle, and also housed a riding school.

The main part of the park was acquired by GLasgow City in 1895 for the sum of £50,000, and opened to the public in 1896.  As Glasgow expanded, Bellahouston Park was surrounded to the west, south and east by housing and to the north by the “White City” stadium, built in 1928, which hosted greyhound and speedway racing (located close to Rangers’ stadium at Ibrox).  This site is now the M8 motorway and Glasgow G-Division Police Headquarters.

The park was extended in 1901 by the addition of a part of Dumbreck Lands purchased for the sum of £2,824 from Sir John Maxwell, Bart.  A further addition was made in 1903 by including the lands of Ibroxhill at a cost of £40,222.

The park has been used as a location for public events for many years, including the Empire Exhibition in 1938.  This event was attented by 12 .5 million people.  Despite this, the exhibition made a loss of £130,000.  Today, of the 200 palaces and pavilions that were built for the exhibition only the Palace of Art remains – it now serves as a Sports Excellence Centre.  A stone Peace Cairn built for the exhibition is still visible from the rock garden.  The Tait Tower was built on a hill in the park as part of the 1938 exhibition but was demolished on the outbreak of World War II.

In 1982 the park was the venue for the visit of Pope John Paul II which attracted 280,000 people and part of the ceremonial platform still remains.  In addition to many Scottish Pipe Band competitions, a visit by Billy Graham the evangelist later in the 1980s, and more recently a Coldplay concert in summer 2005.  A monument in the form of a large inscribed granite stone commemorating the 1938 Empire Exhibition currently overlooks Bellahouston Sports Centre and was unveiled by King George VI on 9 July 1937 but was subsequently relocated to where it stands today.  Long distance races, such as the Glasgow Marathon and Half Marathon pass through the park, although events to the south were restricted in the 1990′s when subsidence into old mine workings resulted in some depressions in the park surface.

Features

• House for an Art Lover: It was in 1901 that Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife Margaret entered a competition set by a German design magazine to design a ‘House for an Art Lover’.  Whilst the Mackintoshs’ entry was disqualified from the competition, the spirit and tenacity of consulting engineer, Graham Roxburgh,
  led to the building of the House.  Visitors can now see the Main Hall, Dining Room, Music Room, Oval Room and the newly added Margaret MacDonald Room that earned Mackintosh European respect.
• Walled Garden:  The garden was the original kitchen garden for Ibrox Hill House and was acquired in 1905. It is laid out as a centre for horticultural excellence displaying a wide variety of herbaceous, annual, perennial plants and the “Peter Barr” bulb and fern collection.  The centre walk has the Trial Sweet Peas which are organised annually by the Scottish Sweet Pea, Rose and Carnation Society.
• Ibroxhill:  Clothed in Rhododendrons and underplanted with a vivid display of spring daffodils, Ibroxhill affords views over much of the city and as far as Ben Lomond on a clear day.
• Sunken Garden:  Originally the basement for Dumbreck House the garden dates back to 1860. The original entrance tunnel is still in use today leading visitors into the formally laid out garden which was
  refurbished in 2005.

Facilities

The park is patrolled regularly by the Ranger Service and has a wide variety of facilities to suit all age groups.

• Paths:  An extensive network of asphalt footpaths, which are suitable for walking, cycling as well as wheelchair and pram access
• Three Play Areas
• Horseshoe Garden
• Monument for the Empire Exhibition
• Popes Wall
• Portico Entrance
• Empire Exhibition Commemorative Cairn
• Public toilets:  Present in Bellahouston Leisure Centre, Bowling Green and House for an Art Lover
• Public telephones:  Present in Bellahouston Leisure Centre, House for an Art Lover and on both Paisley Rd West and Mosspark Boulevard.

Sports facilities

• Cycling Activity Centre
• Two Bowling Greens:  These are seasonal facilities and are subject to opening times.
• 18 Hole Pitch and Putt Course:  These are seasonal facilities and are subject to opening times.  Pitch and putt equipment can be obtained at the Bowling Green area.
• Orienteering Course
• Bellahouston Leisure Centre and Swimming Pool
• An “All Weather” Hockey Pitch
• An “All Weather” Running Track

Getting to Bellahouston Park View location on map

• By rail:  Trains travel from Central Station to Dumbreck Railway Station, which is a 5-minute walk from the park
• By bus:  Various routes operate from the city centre to Paisley road West and Moss Park Boulevard
• By car:  The park is located adjacent to Junction 23 and 24 Exits of the M8 motorway and car parking is available at The House for an Art Lover off Dumbreck Road and at Bellahouston Sports Centre off Bellahouston Drive (all car parks have lighting).
• By foot:  Access points available from Dumbreck Road, Paisley Road West, Bellahouston Drive and Mosspark Boulevard.
• By bike:  The park forms part of the Glasgow to Irvine and Ardrossan Cycle Route (Number 75)

Hunterian Museum & Art Gallery

Tel:  0141 330 5431

Admission:  Free with the exception of Mackintosh House which is £3/£2 concession, but free on a Wednesday after 2pm.

Opening hours:  All 4 of the buildings are open Mon – Sat, 9am – 5pm with the exception of the Zoology Museum which is closed on Saturdays.  All of the buildings are closed on Sundays and public holidays.

Opened in 1870, the University of Glasgow’s Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery is the oldest public museum in Scotland.

The museum first opened in 1807, in a specially constructed building off the High Street, adjoining the original campus of the University.  When the University moved west to its new site at Gilmorehill (to escape crowding and pollution in the city centre) the museum moved too.  In 1870 the Hunterian collections were transferred to the University’s present site and assigned halls within Sir George Gilbert Scott’s neo-Gothic building.

The Hunterian is separated into 4 different sections, located in various buildings on the main campus of the University in the west end of Glasgow.  At first the entire collection was housed together, and displayed in the packed conditions common in museums of that time, but significant sections were later moved away to other parts of the University.  The Zoological collections are now housed within the Graham Kerr Building, the art collections in the Hunterian Art Gallery, and the books and manuscripts in Glasgow University Library.  Hunter’s anatomical collections are housed in the Allen Thomson Building, and his pathological preparations at the Royal Infirmary, Glasgow.

The Hunterian Museum
Housed in large halls in George Gilbert Scott’s University buildings on Gilmorehill, the museum features extensive displays relating to William Hunter and his collections, Roman Scotland (especially the Antonine Wall, geology, ethnography, ancient Egypt, scientific instruments, coins and medals, and much more.

The Zoology Museum
Most of the zoology collections, including those of William Hunter, are displayed in a separate museum within the Graham Kerr building, which also houses most of the University’s zoological research and teaching.  This is also open to the general public.  The insect collections are particularly important and extensive, and are the feature of some excellent recent displays.

The Hunterian Gallery
The Hunterian Art Gallery is now housed in a modern, custom-built facility that is part of the extensive Glasgow University Library complex.  This displays the University’s extensive art collection, and features an outdoor sculpture garden.  The bas relief aluminium doors to the Hunterian Gallery were designed by sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi.  The gallery’s collection includes a large number of the works of James McNeill Whistler and the majority of the watercolours of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

The Mackintosh House
The Mackintosh House is a modern concrete building, part of the gallery-library complex.  It stands on the site of one of two rows of terraced houses which were once sections of Hillhead Street and Southpark Avenue, demolished in the 1960s to make room for the University’s expansion across the residential crown of Gilmorehill.  One of the buildings lost, 78 Southpark Avenue, was formerly a home to Glasgow architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh.  The University rebuilt the form of the house (using modern materials) approximately 100 metres from the site of the original.  Due to its displacement, one door now hangs precariously above a 20 foot drop, the ground on what was once Hillhead Street having been radically excavated during the construction.  The Mackintosh House features some of the original woodwork of the old terraced house, and has been furnished entirely to Mackintosh’s design, with original decorations and furniture.

Getting there
The Hunterian is located in the West End of Glasgow just off Byres Rd, and thus is very well connected to the rest of the city via public transport.  The nearest subway station is Hillhead.

Parking
At weekends, free campus parking is available approximately 100m from the Museum and Art Gallery entrances.  Access to parking is from the Main Gate in University Avenue.  There is also pay and display parking available on University Avenue and along Kelvin Way.  Disabled parking is available within the university campus; entry is through the main gate in University Avenue.

Admission:  Free.

Opening hours:  All day, every day.  But be sensible about the times you visit the park.

Originally created at the West End Park in 1852, Kelvingrove Park is a classic example of a Victorian Park.

Glasgow’s first area of ‘common land’, used for clothes drying, sheep grazing, concerts, sports and political meetings through the centuries was Glasgow Green, in the heart of the City next to the River Clyde.  However, in the 1800′s, the foresighted Town Council of the time noticed the rapid expansion of the city, and purchased large areas of land which until then represented the Kelvingrove and Woodlands estates to be made into public parks.  The sum paid for the land was £99,569, the current equivalent of around £8 million.

The first park created was Kelvingrove, and was the first purpose designed and constructed park in Scotland.  As one of many Victorian parks created in response to the appalling conditions created by rapid urban growth, resulting from the industrial revolution, it rapidly became a considerable attraction.

Kelvingrove Park was designed by Sir Joseph Paxton, the leading landscape designer of the time and head gardener at Chatsworth House, whose other works include The Crystal Palace in London.  He also designed the Crystal Palace in London.  Its design and setting on the banks of the River Kelvin enhance and compliment the magnificent buildings which surround it, such as those of Glasgow University, the Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, and Park Circus.

Features

The Kelvingrove Park Heritage Trail comprises 35 points of interest within the park, including many of the features listed below.  It will take you approximately 1 hour 30 minutes to follow the Heritage Trail from Kelvingrove Museum to The Kelvinway Bridge.  Download the Kelvingrove Park Heritage Trail Map, and for more information about each feature of the trail you can also download the Heritage Trail Leaflet.

• The granite staircase near Park Gardens, 1854
• The Stewart Memorial Fountain, 1872:  built to commemorate Lord Provost Robert Stewart (1851-1854) and his achievement of providing the city with fresh water from Loch Katrine.
• The River Kelvin walkway: a peaceful natural haven within a densely populated area of the city, home to a diverse range of wildlife.  Some animals to look out for include the Grey Squirrel, Magpie, the Grey Heron, the Cormorant, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Blackbird, Redwing, Carrion Crow, Kingfisher, Mallard (Wild Duck), Goosander, Red Fox and Brown Rat.  The river also contains Brown Trout, Salmon and Sea Trout, and there have been sightings of otters in the past.
• Sunlight Cottages, 1901
• Statues of physicist Lord Kelvin, writer Thomas Carlyle, Field Marshall Lord Roberts and chemist Joseph Lister
• Bandstand and Amphitheatre, 1924
• Memorials to local regiments the Cameronians and the Highland Light Infantry
• The Honeyman Garden, 1972

Facilities

• Play areas for children
• Skateboard park
• Tennis Courts
• Croquet Green
• Bowling greens
• Park Ranger Information Centre:  located off  Kelvin Way, close to the tennis courts and bowling greens.
• Toilets
• Beautiful riverside walks
• Orienteering course
• Herbaceous borders
• Azalea and Rhododendron borders

How to get to Kelvingrove Park

• Underground:  Kelvinbridge Underground Station is a 5 minute walk.
• Train:  Charing Cross Rail Station is a 10 minute walk from the Park and Glasgow Central Station is approximately a 20 minute walk.
• Bus:  Various routes operate from the city centre to Sauchiehall Street.
• Car:  The Park can be accessed from the Clydeside Expressway following the signs for the Kelvin Hall, Museum and Art Gallery.  Parking is available at the Transport Museum and Art Galleries off Sauchiehall Street.
• Walking/Cycling:  Kelvingrove Park is a twenty-minute walk from the City Centre.  It also forms part of the Kelvin Walkway, which links with the Glasgow Loch Lomond Cycleway and the West Highland Way.

George Square

George Square
Glasgow
G1

Admission:  Free.

Opening hours:  All day, every day.

See what’s on in George Square

Named after King George III, George Square is Glasgow’s biggest and most famous central square.  Most celebrations including Christmas, New Year and St Andrews day will be celebrated in George Square in true Glasgow style.

George Square was laid out in 1781, part of James and Robert Adam’s emerging innovative Georgian central grid plan that initially spanned from Stockwell Street east to Buchanan Street.  For the first few years it was quite simply a muddy hollow, filled with dirty water and used for slaughtering horses.  But between 1787 and the 1820s, the square was gradually encased and lined with Georgian townhouses at its east and west ends, as well as hotels, and the square was a private garden for the surrounding townhouses.  By 1850 the surrounding area had become a centre for mercantile activity, with the Merchants House moving to the square in 1877, and after frequent disturbances and pulling down of railings by an angry and discontented mob the square became an established public space.

The square was named after George III, a statue of whom was originally intended to occupy the centre of the square.  But the chaos and concern caused to the city’s Tobacco Lords by the American War of Independence in 1776 and eventual British defeat in 1782, coupled with the King’s recurrent fits of madness had created mixed feelings toward him.  So the centre of George Square was instead used to commemorate Sir Walter Scott, the Scottish historical novelist and poet.  Notably, this was the first memorial to be dedicated to Sir Walter Scott.

Historically, the square has often been the scene of public meetings, political gatherings, riots, protests, celebrations, ceremonies, parades and concerts.  Perhaps the most famous was the Black Friday 1919 rally, when campaigners for improved working conditions (particularly protesting a 56 hour working week in many of the city’s factories) held an enormous rally, with at least 90,000 protesters filling the square and the surrounding streets.  But more recently, George Square has also been home to various protests and meetings, including protests against the Poll Tax and Iraq War, and it is also home to the annual Remembrance Day parades.

The square has also become the venue for Glasgow’s massive Christmas and Hogmanay celebrations (see photos below), and is the meeting point for many other events including the annual “Santa Dash”, 10k and half marathon runs.

Christmas lights at George Square	Glasgow’s Hogmanay at George Square

Sights within George Square

George Square is centred around a 24 metre high column features the statue of author Sir Walter Scott, erected in 1837.  The eastern side of the square is the site of the city’s Cenotaph, designed by JJ Burnet and originally built to commemorate Glaswegians killed in the First World War when it was erected in 1922 by the Earl Haig Fund.  Many of Glasgow’s public statues are situated around the square and include memorials to poets Robert Burns and Thomas Campbell, inventor James Watt, chemist Thomas Graham, generals Sir John Moore, Lord Clyde and politicians William Gladstone and Robert Peel, plus the only known equestrian statues of a young Queen Victoria and her consort Prince Albert.

Sights bordering George Square

You will find Glasgow’s main Tourist Information Centre on the south side of the square, adjacent to the former General Post Office (1878).  The east side of the square is dominated by the beautiful and ornamental Glasgow City Chambers building (1888), headquarters of Glasgow City Council.  To the North side of George Square you will find Queen Street Station, the Millenium Hotel (formerly the North British Railway Hotel), both of which date from the1840s, and the offices of Ernst & Young, which date from the 1970s.  Queen Street borders the square’s West side, and features Glasgow’s Chambers of Commerce building (1874), which was designed by John Burnet.  In 1907 two storeys were added by JJ Burnet, and these are topped by a domed tower on which is perched a ship on a globe; a reminder of the significance and importance of sea trade to Glasgow’s prosperity.

Pollok Country Park

Phone: 0141 276 0924

Admission:  Free

Opening hours:  The park is open at all times.  However facilities within the park may be subject to different opening times.

Voted the Best Park in Britain in 2007, and Europe’s Best Park in 2008, Pollok Country Park really is well worth a visit.

Pollok Country Park is Glasgow’s largest park, and the only country park within Glasgow.  Pollok Country Park has extensive woodlands and gardens, providing a quiet sanctuary for both visitors and wildlife; a bit of rural life within the city.

The Park is rich in rural history formerly being part of the Old Pollok Estate and ancestral home to the Maxwell Family, and is also home to the world famous Burrell Collection.  It has been the site of 3 castles, the oldest of which dates back to 1160.

Facilities

The Park Ranger Service is on hand to assist the public and ensure a safe enjoyable visit and is patrolled regularly both on foot and using mobile patrols.

• Clydesdale horses:  Clydesdale horses originated in the Lanarkshire area of Scotland and were bred for their power and stamina.  They were originally used as a source of power; pulling carts to deliver goods and transport people, uplift rubbish, and doing the work of tractors.  But now working horses are no longer required, and Clydesdales have become a rare breed.  Pollok park is home to Baron, Duke and TJ.  To find out more about Glasgow’s magnificent Clydesdale Horses, visit the Glasgow City Council website.
• Old stable courtyard and sawmill
• Walled gardens
• Highland cattle:  Visit the home of Glasgow City Council’s award winning pedigree fold of Highland Cattle.  The herd of Highland Cattle numbers close to 100, and can be seen grazing in the fields in Pollok Country Park.  Click here to find out more.
• Play park
• Countryside Ranger Centre
• Themed trails:  Discover the hidden delights of Pollok Country Park with the 2 themed trails: the food trail (highlights include the Wildlife Garden, avenue of lime trees and china closet) and the wood trail (highlights include pollock beech, wooden sculpture of a highland cow and wych elm chairs).  For more information and to download trail guides visit the Glasgow City Council website.
• Orienteering course
• Glasgow mountain bike circuit:  A real mountain biking experience within the city of Glasgow.  There are 3 individual circuits for riders of differing skill levels.  The separate circuits are linked, so riders can move with ease between circuits of different levels.  For more information and to find out the routes of each circuit, follow this link.
• Parkrun:  Glasgow Parkrun is a free weekly timed 5K around Pollok Park.  It takes place every Saturday at 9.30am.  To take part you must register in advance.  For more information and to register visit the Park run website.
• Riverside walks
• Wildlife garden
• Woodland walks
• Public toilets:  Present in the Old Stable Courtyard and in Burrell Collection.
• Public telephone:  Present in Burrell Collection.
• Picnic areas
• Restaurant facilities:  Present in Burrell Collection and Pollock House.

Burrell Collection

As Glasgow’s most extensive and diverse museum, the Burrell Collection is well worth a visit.  The award-winning building contains an internationally famous collection of art in the beautiful Pollok Country Park.  Bequeathed to the city by Shipping magnate Sir William Burrell in 1944, the collection includes paintings by Rembrant, Cézanne, Bellini and Sisley.  For more information read our Burrell Collection article.

Pollok House

Regarded by many as one of Glasgow’s most elegant family homes, Pollok house was built by successive generations of the Maxwell family who are known to have lived at Pollok since 1269.  The current house is an impressive 18th century mansion, filled with beautiful collections of Spanish art, antique furniture and ceramics, and an extensive library.  For more information visit the Pollok House website.

Events in the park

Pollok Park hosts various events throughout the year, including Pollok Family Day and the City of Glasgow Highland Cattle Show.  To find out what is on in the park visit our events page.

How to get to Pollok Country Park

• Train: You can catch a train from Central Station to Pollokshaws West Railway Station, which is a 2 minute walk from the park entrance.
• Bus: Various routes operate from the city centre to Pollokshaws Road.
• Shuttle Bus:  There is a shuttle bus service which operates at selected times from the Pollokshaws Road entrance to Pollok House and the Burrell Collection.  Contact the Park directly for further details.
• Car:  From the M77 exit at junction 1 or 2 and follow the signs for the Burrell Collection.  Parking is available at Pollok House and the Burrell Collection.
• Walking:  Access is available via the Burrell Walkway from Dumbreck Road or from Pollokshaws Road and Corkerhill Road.
• Cycling:  The park forms part of the Glasgow to Irvine and Ardrossan National Cycle Routes (No.’s 7 and 75).

Scotland Street School Museum

Phone: 0141 287 0500
Email: museums@csglasgow.org

Admission:  As the Scotland Street School is part of the Glasgow Museum group, admission is free.

Opening hours: Monday to Thursday and Saturday, 10am to 5pm.  Friday and Sunday, 11am to 5pm.

Scotland Street School Museum portrays the history of education in Scotland as a genuine school experience.

At the museum you can learn the story of Scotland Street Public School and the developments in education in Scotland through a combination of displays, audio-visuals and reconstructed and restored classrooms.  The three classroom reconstructions show the changing face of the schoolroom from the Victorian era through the Second World War to the classroom of the fifties and sixties.

You can listen to and read former pupils’ recollections of their schooldays.  Decade by decade, their memories cover topics such as classroom discipline, evacuation and the Second World War, school attire, special activities, playground games and the changing face of the local area.

It is also an essential destination for Mackintosh enthusiasts and all those interested in the history of design.  The museum was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh between 1903 and 1906.  The barrel vaulted cookery room, cloakrooms, and ceramic-tiled drill hall are restored to Mackintosh’s original 1906 designs.  You can also learn about Mackintosh’s stormy working relationship with the School Board and explore his design and detailing in more depth.

In addition, you might also find your family’s old school photograph on our education collection’s database.  And you can try out your design skills in the Mackintosh room on a touch-screen computer. Or you can experience what it was like to be in one of the classes of yesteryear in the Back to School role playing programme.

Tel: 0141 334 2422

Admission: Free

Opening hours: The Gardens are open from 7am until dusk daily.  Glasshouses open 10am – 4.45pm (4.15 in winter).  Visitor centre open 11am – 4pm.

The Glasgow Botanic Gardens are reknowned worldwide for their impressive tropical and temperate plant collections from around the world.

The Botanic Gardens is a large parkland situated in the West End of the city (a 5 minute walk from Hillhead underground station).  The gardens were created in 1817, in order to supply the University of Glasgow.  They were originally used as a venue for concerts and other events, until 1891 when the gardens were incorporated into the park and gardens of the City of Glasgow.

The Botanic Gardens house several massive glasshouses.  One of these,  Kibble Palace, is one of the most prestigious iron and glass structures remaining from the Victorian era.  As one of the largest glasshouses in Britain, it covers a total area of 2137 square metres.  Kibble Palace was originally designed and built by John Kibble for his private home on Loch Long in the 1860s.  However it was brought to the Botanic Gardens in Glasgow by barge along the River Clyde, and was assembled at it’s current location in 1873.  After being used as a concert venue, it was eventually used for growing plants in the 1880s.  It underwent a large-scale restoration programme between 2004 and 2006, when the palace was dismantled, repaired for conservation purposes and then rebuilt.

Within the grounds of the Botanic Gardens there are many species of horticultural and botanical interest.  Kibble Palace houses the national collection of tree ferns (including those from Australia and New Zealand).  The glasshouses also host an extensive collection of tropical plants from Africa, the Americas and the Far East.  In my opinion, the large collection of tropical orchids is simply breathtaking.  Within the grounds there is a 200 year old Weeping Ash tree, something that I feel is quite exceptional and always makes me feel insignificant.

There are also a number of nice walks by the River Kelvin, and the Botanic Gardens are a particularly nice spot for a picnic on a nice day.  The Gardens also host a number of events throughout the year.  More details of these can be found on the Glasgow City Council website here.

The Gardens are open from 7.00am till dusk daily, but the specific facilities within the park are subject to opening times.

Glasshouses: 10.00am – 4.45pm (4.15pm in winter)
Visitor Centre: 11.00am – 4.00pm
Toilets: 10.00am – 5.00pm (this may vary through the year)