A hidden gem which your Julia Donaldson loving little ones will love to visit!…read moreWe call this Gruffalo Wood because of the Gruffalo-themed carvings dotted near the entrance of the Loch. The Loch itself is fairly small, taking only 15-20 mins to walk around. There is lots of nature and wildlife to explore here from toadstools to frogs to wild raspberries to dragonflies... We met a particularly large, and bold, swan today whilst feeding the ducks! On our last visit we stumbled across hundreds and hundreds of baby frogs migrating across the pathway to the Loch. This has become a regular location for us to visit with our little Julia Donaldson fan. There is a play park at the far end of the Loch from the little car park off Kilmardinny Avenue and if you need something to eat or liquid refreshments after your walk there is a recently opened Waitrose with a lovely cafe minutes away by car or foot!

We visited here after discovering Gruffalo Wood through Ali's review :)…read more My friend was visiting with her 6 and 3yr old girls and we took A in his pram. We really enjoyed walking round the loch in the sunshine, the path is pretty easy going for littles and the pram alike, and there are a few places to stop along the way and see the ducks or discover the awesome carvings. We couldn't find the play park, perhaps a little sign would help, but we asked someone and soon found the little path leading up to it. There were some different play areas to explore including an awesome rope swing that the adults enjoyed too! We had a great, free day out and it worked well to tire out the kids. Would highly recommend.

A lovely park between Greenock and Gourock with fantastic views across to the mountains of Argyll…read more There are children's play areas, a skateboard park, and two grass football/rugby pitches. There is also a pavilion with toilet facilities and a cafeteria. A popular place for strolling to admire the views. There are also various events staged here from time to time, like firework displays. It's very close to the Fort Matilda railway station, too, though you can scarcely see it from the park.

Again, loved going there for a walk, and it is bit small, but great for wee children, as it is big…read moreand well enclosed away from the road. Great for the kids to play football around the green. The views are great. Even there is a wee play park provided for the kids. And there is a cafe with selections of foods/ drinks as well. it is a nice place to go out for a day. Even the views across the Clyde are still beautiful

When my sisters, their children and I arrived at Finlaystone Estate, we were perturbed to see signs…read moreinstructing us to pay £4 each to wander around the gardens. Bit of a rip off, we thought. However, Finlaystone is a beautiful, privately owned estate with stunning views of the River Clyde and Dumbarton beyond. My two year old niece and nephews' faces lit up when they saw the children'tsplay area. So did mine to be honest; it offered a massive wooden pirate ship, train with several carriages, climbing frame, swings, chutes and a few quite realistic looking Native American teepees. Not to mention a Flying Fox which I discovered appeared to be designed for children as I got stuck halfway, my legs dangling in the air. Now the little shop on the estate which sold a small selection of drinks, confectionery and toys, was overpriced. But I guess they have to fund the park somehow. And it seems to me every penny spent on the estate is an enormous benefit to the community.

Are you the parent of a toddler? Are you stressed? Then my five point plan is guaranteed to improve…read moreyour life. 1) Pack your little terror into your car; 2) Drive to Langbank; 3) Part with four pounds; 4) Release child from car; 5) Sit back with a good book while he/she roams free in the grounds of this estate. Finlaystone provides everything a child could want. Wooden pirate ships/climbing frames, a full sized wooden train to manoeuvre, swings, twirly chutes; you name it, Finlaystone has it. Set in spectacular grounds which offer incredible views of the Clyde on a clear day, Finlaystone is also a cracking spot to go for a stroll in clean and safe surroundings. The gardens are meticulously maintained, while a small on-site coffee shop is also offered. Best of all, given it's virtually impossible to visit here without a car and the fact you have to pay to get in, you can almost guarantee there will be no Buckie-glugging unsavouries booting your child off the swings. Well worth a visit.

This lovely big area of parkland adjacent to Larkfield Road in Gourock used to be called 'Darroch…read morePark', but was renamed by the council some years ago. The lower slopes are great for walking amongst the trees and neat flower beds. The park staff seem to keep everything looking lovely and I enjoyed a stroll there a week or two ago. The Gourock Burn flows down the west side of the park and there is a 'Swan Pond' as well. Further up, there's a bowling green and tennis courts. There are marvellous views to be had across the Clyde from the top!

I've been coming here for years as it's literally a few minutes from my house. It's a wonderful…read morearea for dogs to run around in and normally very quiet unless it's a very sunny day or is the weekend. Nature lovers can come here and Bird Watch as it's a Nature Reserve. Cyclists, Runners and Walkers use the park as a trail as it goes all the way past Mar Hall. Just watch out for dog poop, it's not generally picked up.

Not that it feels it but this is a small woodland, in Erskine beside the Erskine Bride on the edge…read moreof the River Clyde. There's a number of woodland walks, a few trails take you down to Erskine beach, where the old Erskine Ferry used to cross. There's lots of picnic areas and seats to rest at. The walk has circular paths or you can walk around the edge. There's a network of about 2 miles (3km) trails, all ideal for easy walking and cycling. The paths are wide and smooth, so great for buggies too but be prepared for a few short moderate slopes.

Kelvingrove Park in Glasgow has paved paths through large grassy areas and sculptures spattered…read morethroughout the park. I liked one lioness/panther sculpture in particular that had been presented by a John S. Kennedy, not sure what the S stands for. The paths could be confusing on first attempt, though I found I could consult my phone to help me find which path to take. A number of critters were out in the greenery the few times I walked through in July 2019. The hotel where I was staying had a small parking lot that was first-come first-serve, so I did most of my exploring on foot. Kelvingrove Park was one option if I wanted to take in the nature of Glasgow and did not want to walk along the street.

I ended up here on a vacation when I needed an easy place to get to from downtown Glasgow; yet…read morewanted to feel like I "got away from the city". There is SO much here: wooded trails, skatepark, a playground, bandstand, monuments, duck pond, tennis courts, and the art museum. I spent 2 hours wandering around and covered 4 miles (with stops) and didn't quite see all of it.

A perfect park to take kids to! Not only is the circular…read morelandscaping of the park user-friendly but also very pleasing to the eye. There's two circles to it - an inner and an outer. The outer is a hilly grass area with benches, and the inner is a well-equipped and fenced in large kids playground - such a set-up is perfect for adults to sit back and watch the kids whilst allowing them the independence to run around freely. And because of the fencing, the worry of them running off too far is eliminated. Another bonus is that it's never as busy as the Kelvingrove or Botanics. The grassy area is also perfect to let dogs have a nice sniff around - though probably only suitable for smaller dogs. All in all, it's a perfect escape from the city buzz on Byres Road, and a great way to entertain the wee-uns.

This is my local park, although I confess that I don't visit it that often. But it's a nice place…read moreon a sunny day and it has a great swings area that is very child-safe. Since the old pavilion was converted into a nursery there's always a lot of child activity in the park, so consequently it is very popular with parents who have small children. It's a bit too close to Highburgh Road to be very peaceful, but it's a nice place to sit and get some sun in the summer months.

Friendly, helpful people in the interesting Visitor Centre and the gift shop was handy for some…read moresmall gifts to take home. We quite liked the cafe too and sat outside to have a snack at the wooden picnic tables, but under cover as it was unfortunately very wet that day. (There's a big enclosed courtyard) Plenty of free parking in the big car park.

Eglinton Country park Centre is a great wee place to visit with the kids. The park itself is vast…read moreand offers great walks and play areas. There is lots of wildlife to see aswell. I am doing the Race for Life here next month and really looking forward to it.