About six miles outside of Glasgow, in East Renfrewshire, Rouken Glen Park covers a massive 143 acres of land. Steeped in history, the park dates back to 1530, and has been open to the public since 1906. It was even voted the UK’s Best Park back in 2016.
Rouken Glen Park is a perfect spot for quiet contemplation, with beautiful woods and gardens to explore and a big boating lake to admire. However, the main attraction is arguably the impressive waterfalls found dotted around.
Somewhere between natural and man-made, these spectacular water features were somewhat rearranged (and enlarged!) a couple of hundred years ago, when they were used as a means of power by Victorian textile workers. The remains of the textile works are still there, including iron beams and exposed wooden boards.
In the summer months, the walled garden is open Monday to Thursday 10am–6.45pm, and Friday to Sunday 10am–4.30pm (or 10am to 3pm in the winter). The Pavilion Visitor Centre is open 9am-5pm in the summer, and 10am–4pm in the winter. The park is accessible from Whitecraigs train station, which is just 20 minutes from Glasgow Central.