Published on June 16, 2019
A Glasgow Tripper Smartcard is THE way to get out and about this Summer! And it’s the easy and cost-effective way to get to many of the amazing parks and gardens across the city.
With over 90 parks and gardens to explore, you really are spoiled for choice when it comes to finding somewhere to head to with the kids over the school holidays, or to find that perfect bench to just sit and watch the world go by.
Here’s out top 10 green space you can reach using your Glasgow Tripper card!
1. Botanic Gardens
Just off Byres Road in the west end of the city, you’ll find the Botanics. It has something for everyone, offering tranquil woodland walks, two glasshouses (one of which is the beautifully restored Kibble Palace) and a children’s play park.
It also has lots of benches dotted throughout the park for people watching as well as lots of grassy areas too which are popular with students from the nearby Glasgow University and locals alike.
2. Kelvingrove Park
Also in the west end of the city, on the river Kelvin and beside the Kelvingrove Art Gallery, ‘KG’ as it is called by many has much to offer its visitors.
A popular spot with boarders for the skate park, it also boasts a great play park for kids, a couple of cafes and the refurbished Kelvingrove Bandstand which hosts a number of open air gigs across the year.
Climb towards the Park district on the north side of the park and you can enjoy fantastic views of Glasgow University and beyond.
3. Pollok Country Park
Only three miles from the city centre, and well served by bus, Pollok Country Park has over 146 hectares of woodland and gardens, as well as miles of paved paths.
Pollok House, an elegant 18th century mansion (open to the public) and the world famous Burrell Collection are also within the grounds of the park.
4. Queen’s Park
On the south side of the city, Queen’s Park has great trails, play parks for the kids – as well as municipal tennis courts and an amphitheatre that plays host to lots of events throughout the Summer.
You can also enjoy amazing views from the park too – as far as the Campsie Fells and even Ben Lomond on a clear day!
5. Linn Park
The city’s second largest park, it boasts an 18-hole golf course, the remains of a ruined castle that Mary Queen of Scots is rumoured to have stayed in, as well as tranquil riverside walks and woodland trails.
6. Tollcross Park
On the east side of the city, Tollcross Park has a popular children’s farm within the grounds with rabbits & birds amongst other animals.
It also has a long established rose garden with hundreds of varieties of roses within. Right next door to the park is also Tollcross Leisure Centre too, with it’s olympic-size pool, sauna, gym and steam rooms – so you might want to make a day of it and pack the cossies too!
7. Barshaw Park
Close to Paisley (yes, your Glasgow Tripper ticket covers buses across many parts of Renfrewshire too), this park has something for everyone.
Worth a visit for the mini zoo, the walled garden, the boating pond and for the more energetic – the outdoor gym.
8. Victoria Park
Visit Victoria Park to see the 300 million year old fossilised tree stumps within the Fossil Grove, or enjoy a pleasant wander around the formal floral beds at this beautiful park in the west end of the city.
It’s got plenty of grassy areas too for the kids to enjoy a good runaround.
9. Glasgow Green
Well served for buses and also a short walk from the city centre, Glasgow Green is the city’s oldest park.
Visit to admire the fabulous McLennan Arch, the Doulton Fountain – the largest terracotta fountain in the world – and to enjoy the the People’s Palace museum and its recently restored Winter Gardens. The museum looks at the social history of the city, with lots of interesting artefacts on display.
10. The Necropolis
Okay so it’s not technically a park – but it definitely is worth a visit when you are in Glasgow!
The Necropolis is where the great and the good (and most probably some not so good) are tried. It offers an interesting insight into Glasgow’s mercantile and artistic past.
Walk to the top of the hill and you will be rewarded with fantastic views across the city too. It is also very close to the Provand’s Lordship – the oldest building in Glasgow and also the city’s incredible cathedral.
So where are you heading to first?
If you need some help with the bus routes to get to any of the parks listed (or anywhere across the Glasgow Tripper SmartZone), you can visit www.travelinescotland.co.uk to plan your journey.
If you haven’t yet signed up for your Glasgow Tripper card, then here’s the link you need – click here!
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