I literally stumbled across this community garden. It's nestled away in a quiet street off bustling…read moreWoodlands Road and by Glasgow tenement living standards is literally an oasis of calm. Not having a garden myself, I spent half an hour resting my weary legs on one of the park benches with my coffee to go. This spot made a nice change from my usual thinking spot in Kelvingrove park. The community aspect of the garden brings Glasgow University students and locals together in growing herbs, veg and flowers. Check out the Willowbank Garden website for details about getting involved.

5 stars for bothering to have any spaces like this - however right after i got involved the same…read moresatanic pedo cult that follows me everywhere and ruins my life, sprayed toxic pesticides all round it (making it not usable for veg growing) to knowingly ruin our grow plans, and cut the grass despite a sign saying not to cause it's for wildlife. has been ruined also by the usual fake types of volunteers etc who are also part of that same conspiracy - exist just to weed ie fuck up the wildlife. and the same scum severely cut back lots of bushes, and killed a tree - lying that it'd ruin their properties foundations...yeah right, those overpriced flat rentals for that litter-strewn area of glasgow are going to go down cause a small tree is growing beside a building. it won't be the loud music coming from your homes, or the lack of free normal parking, or that the place looks like a dump complete with stumped flora etc all over to make it that bit uglier, or the overpopulation that makes the value go down. no-one in their right mind would pay that much rent to live in any flat, never mind want to buy one. note that the conspiracy always equates killing all the plants growing to somehow being the same as tidying up the place. clearly they haven't been anywhere at all (except on some organised outing, where they likely left litter indirectly or directly), since this country alone does have a lot of places considered picturesque - and one thing those places have in common is that morons don't use things like weedkillers and they don't weed the plants from the streets and roadsides. herper derper. anyway, same problems as other such gardens - not safe to grow your plants in, cause they also get vandalised or weeded or stolen.

A lovely place Be…read moreaware: Marker on map is way off (at the time I wrote this at least - Park is at the Balloch Castle in Balloch) We walked around Balloch for a while until we started walking along the Loch. It's a nice, pretty short trail leading along the Loch or through the woods. Shortly after you'll find yourself on a huge lawn in front of the Balloch Castle. There are several trails around this area to choose from. The big lawn is really a paradise for humans and pets as well. Even though it was a lovely summer day it never felt crowded and everybody had enough space to do whatever they liked. A good place to let your doggy run free. It offers lots of nice picnic spots with nice views. The Castle itself was partly under construction at the time. The lakeside right at Balloch feels more crowded, be sure to walk just a wee bit further to this park for more space and more views.

I can see the Loch, feel the sun, and there are about 8 people and a dog in my fields of vision. It…read moremay be worth paying the £6 odd train fare and a 40min train journey from Glasgow to go to a park not absolutely mobbed with people and noise. It's about a 10min walk from the train station and there's a Keystore little shop which I am guessing would be good for grabbing snack and beverage provisions. We also have GPS on two phone so not worried about getting lost...

I really enjoyed a trip to this park and it's well worth a visit. The entrance, through the…read moreimpressive gates, is on Regent Street and you can park on that road for no charge. The white war memorial is very striking and the first thing you see as you go through the gates. The old well which gave the park its name, was placed there by by the local laird John Shaw. There is a faded inscription, '1629', with his initials and those of his wife (Helen Housten). It was the original well for the residence of the Shaw family who were very influential on the development of the town; their mansion house was at the bottom of Lynedoch Street but demolished in 1886 owing to railway tunnelling. The Victoria Tower can easily be seen from the park, part of the impressive Town Hall (which was built in 1886 at a cost of over £100,000) and which must surely be one of the finest municipal buildings in Scotland. There are plenty of places to sit, and there are fine views over the town and beyond to the Clyde and the mountains of Argyll in the distance. There's a small children's play area too and some attractive flower beds and mature trees.

i would like to say the play park in the wellpark need new equipment i was in largs the other day…read moreand the play park is stunning with swings and lots of thing for the children if this was done in the wellpark it would bring people to the area.thanx

Offering a small play area for kids and a relaxing environment for adults, Westbourne Gardens…read morerepresents one of the more laid-back private garden areas in the West End. By that, I mean, you will actually see youngsters having fun minus an accompanying soundtrack of "oi you, off the grass!". The vast, fenced off area acts as an important community resource for the people of the nearby houses and contributes to the area being one of the most desirable in the city.

Mansfield Park is the name of the small recreational area on Hyndland Road/Dumbarton Road…read more It's made up of a stretch of grass, a paved area, benches and a sports court. It's a nice way to break up the bustle of the main road - but then again I'm not sure that I'd like to actually spend any recreational time there. The sports court, though, is a great amenity. It's not a full size football pitch, but it's encased by a high fence and has basket ball nets and football goals. This part actually quite impressed me - as they're joined together! Despite the fact that it's not hugely well maintained and you won't find any such things as trees or flowers; it is great to have some recreational space for the community. On Bonfire Night there were fireworks here - although I think it may have been more of an "unofficial" display!

At the bottom of Hyndland Street and along Dumbarton Road, you'll find a refreshing grassy knoll to…read moresit and relax. The courts are normally teeming with kiddos playing sports, while pups are roaming around on the grass greeting those lazing about. It's definitely no Victoria Park or Kelvingrove Park, but it's a nice wee green spot to chillax when the weather is nice and you're already in the area. I often find myself sitting with Lumberjack with our bellies full of Cafezique goodness, as we do some people watching, and I squeal when pups run past me. However, beware of topless drunk guys with Celtic tattoos on their hearts during summer days! Of note: as other reviewers have mentioned, there is a great fortnightly Farmers' Market that happens on Saturday mornings. It's the 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month, from 10am to 2pm. There I've found some fantastic fresh (and sweet!) punnets of strawberries and raspberries. We've also picked up some tasty meats and breads as well. Although they're not super cheap, the quality is definitely well worth the extra pennies. Nom!

Bearsden is probably not the first place you would expect to find Roman remains but it was home to…read moreone of 19 forts along The Antonine Wall. Up until the 1970's the Roman Baths were hidden under Victorian mansions but when these were demolished in the early 70's to make way for new apartment blocks (which are really ugly) the baths were uncovered. The baths remain the best preserved example of Roman bathhouses ever found in Scotland. Today, the baths are looked after by Historic Scotland and are open to the public 365 days a year and are absolutely free. What I like best about the Roman Baths is the fact that you can just browse them at your leisure, reading the plaques and discovering more about the culture of bath houses in Roman times. There's no barrier, no staff and no gift shop so it remains a very natural and organic feeling tourist attraction.

Being a student of Celtic Studies, I inherently dislike the Romans. Out of many years and battles,…read morethe Celts only lost to the Romans ONCE and yet, after that defeat, the Celts were to be - almost - completely integrated (of sorts) with the Romans. BOO! Nonetheless, as Eleanor points out this is a handy, informative and easily accessible historical site in Glasgow, which is completely free. So, it's a great idea for an interesting day off or somewhere to take the kids to occupy them over the summer holidays.

This garden holds a place in the heart of any Glaswegian who was born in the old maternity hospital…read morethat used to occupy the site. Some of the foundations of the old buildings are still visible in the gardens, as are the front and side porticoes. The hospital was a jumble of interconnected old buildings that had been bodged together over the years, but by 2001 they had fallen into disrepair and the maternity unit moved into a custom extension to the Royal Infirmary. The site was sold to Strathclyde University who demolished the old buildings, but lacking enough funds to build on it instead created the gardens, which opened in 2004. George Wylie's sculpture of the stainless steel nappy pin 'Monument to Maternity' forms the centrepiece of the gardens. Rottenrow is generally held to be the city's oldest street, and the name derives from 'Rath-an-Righ' - 'Street of the Kings' or 'King's Road'. It was originally a ceremonial thoroughfare leading from Cowcaddens to the sacred hill of Dun Chattan that is now the Necropolis, and later became a route used by the Romans coming into the town from the east via the Drygait (so called as it was the only route to have a bridge over the Molendinar burn instead of a ford), which connected to Rottenrow. In early medieval times, Rottenrow contained several manses and lodging houses for the well-to-do attending at Glasgow Cathedral or the University in the High Street. Thomas de Quincy, David Livingston and Thomas Chalmers are among the famous people believed to have stayed there. But by the mid-19th century many of these houses had fallen into disrepair, although some survived into the mid-20th century. The maternity hospital opened in 1860. Now the gardens provide a great addition to Glasgow's many green spaces and are a welcome oasis in the heart of the city. Whether you're looking for a grassy area for a picnic on a sunny day, or a more secluded bench for some peace and quiet, it's worth taking a breather in here. But be warned - the site is very steep and you'll need a breather if you climb the stairs all the way to the top!

This is a little oasis from the hubbub of the city, set within the footprint of a former maternity…read morehospital and surrounded by myriad University of Strathclyde buildings (the site is now part of the Uni campus). It was tranquil when I visited on Friday, though I'm sure it's busy when it's term-time at the University and would make a great spot to sit and eat a packed or takeaway lunch on one of the benches or on the wide steps at the back corner. As the site is on a steep(ish) hill, the gardens are built into terraced levels linked by paths. It's a lovely green space with flashes of purple and yellow flowers. Architectural features from the former Victorian hospital building remain, contrasting with the contemporary feel of the gardens, providing visual interest, and making the gardens feel a bit like a ruin that nature has reclaimed. There's also a piece of modern public art in the form of a giant steel sculpture of a nappy pin with a little bird perched on top, by Scottish artist George Wyllie, commemorating the site's past.

There are two entrances into Anderson Memorial Park in Largs, one on the busy Irvine Road right…read moreopposite Douglas Park, and the other on May Street. I had a little wander round here today after I'd been in Douglas Park. I'm sure the play park area is an excellent facllity for youngsters and that looks very well looked after. However, apart from that I think it's a very poor relation to Douglas Park! There are some nice mature trees and grassy areas but the flower beds could be better stocked and made more attractive. There are a few picnic tables and benches scattered about and it seems quite a pleasant and informal spot for families with young children.