I don't remember why I decided to come here, but I'm really glad I did. I hadn't been here since I saw Kings of Leon many moons ago, but something drew me back.
Bellahouston park sits south of Ibrox and is fairly easy to get to by car and public transport. There's enough parking to mean your not going to be left parked on a side street. The park itself is deceptively large, in fact it's the behemoth of Glaswegian parks. If you arrive via the subway at Ibrox you'll arrive close to the walled garden and Charles Rennie Mackintosh's house for an art lover. The walled garden is pretty if not spectacular, with flower beds bordering 4 square grass plots. Hidden to the right of the garden, accessible through a small gateway is a small art gallery and exhibition space. For a donation of £1 you can walk round a detailed history of Bellahouston and Glasgow. I'd say as someone fairly unfamiliar with the south side, the history of Bellahouston is pretty interesting. To think find out that the park (and a good section of the south side) was once a collection of just 10 or so estates is pretty mind boggling.
Moving out of the gardens you'll come to Mackintosh's house for an art lover, not designed by him, but built in the mid 20th century from a number of sketches he put together for an art lover's home and entertainment space. Unfortunately on the day of my visit the house was closed due to a private event. The sculpture garden outside is full of interesting pieces, my favourite being the foot and arch.
Walking up around the hill you'll be greeted by one of the finest panoramas of Glasgow. On a clear day like today you can see for miles, all the way out to the hills. It's made all the more spectacular when you take in the size of the rest of Bellahouston park. In the wooded area on the hill you'll find the remnants of Bellahouston house, which adds an extra layer of fantasy to the park.
Another piece of interesting Glasgow history lies in Pope Benedict's visit to the park just over 5 years ago. There's now a bench and stone section marking the spot where he spoke to almost 300,000 people. Looking out from the place where he once stood, the size of the space adds to the gravitas of the idea of his presence. What makes it somewhat amusing is that down the road there's a stadium where he'd probably he lucky to speak to 30 fans!
My visit to Bellahouston did coincide with some fantastic weather, but that shouldn't sway you from venturing out under less favourable conditions, after all it's also home to one of Scotland's best dry ski slopes ;) read more