Not many people know about this, even one tour guide I met hadn't heard of it. At the top of Kelvingrove Park, near the University, sit two tudor-style cottages, built for the 1901 Glasgow Exhibition. They were built by the Lever Brothers (of Persil and Fairy, and Sunlight Soap fame), as an exact replica of the houses that make up Port Sunlight village, the town built for their workers, complete with cinema, art gallery and railway station, near Liverpool.

The Glasgow houses (Port Sunlight Cottage) were intended to be an example of how houses in Glasgow would be built from then on, but this never happened, and now they stand alone, looking quite out of place amongst the sandstone of the city. They are now private residences.

It's a beautiful walk up through the park to get to the houses, and it leaves you within easy reach of the Transport Museum, the Kelvingrove museum and art gallery, and the West End.

You can see more at
tinyurl.com/3dap2j

Just outside Glasgow University, G12, at the top of Kelvingrove Park.
If you are on the Glasgow tour bus, get off at the Kelvingrove museum and walk up from there.

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Hogganfield Loch is a local nature reserve. It's a shallow loch with a wooded island and there's an adjacent marshland reserve. There's free parking and a tarmac path around the loch allowing easy access. It's particularly interesting for bird-watchers as it has a large population of varied wildfowl often with rarities and all easily visible. It's popular with migrants and wintering birds including whooper swans.

Hogganfield Park
Cumbernauld Road
Robroyston
Glasgow
G33

The park lies 5km northeast of Glasgow city centre and is is bounded to the north and west by Cumbernauld Road (A80) and by Avenue End Road (B765) to the east. No railway station very close but lots of buses pass by.

www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/Parks_Outdoors/Parks_gardens/hogganfieldpark.htm

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It's a big, accessible green space with good paths largely through mixed woodland which also features an early ringwork if you're in to archaeology. There are also gardens. Look out for kingfishers along the White Cart Water. There's a programme of family events and the kids will like the heavy horses and the highland cattle herd. There are also mountain bike courses through the woods for beginners to advanced level.

And if it rains, the Burrell Collection is on site - marvellous antiquities and art and entry is free. Or you could visit Pollok House, an 18th century mansion house in the care of the National Trust for Scotland. Both venues have restaurants.

If going by car, park by Pollok House rather than by the Burrell if you want to avoid parking fees.

Pollok Country Park
2060 Pollokshaws Road
Glasgow
G43

www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/Residents/Parks_Outdoors/Parks_gardens/pollokcountrypark.htm

Nearest train station Pollokshaws West

Buses 45, 47, 48, 57

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The tip about the view from the top of Queens Park is fine, but Ruchill Park is even better. 360 degree panorama of the city, including the canal and Firhill Basin, Partick Thistle's ground (Firhill Park) is more or less below your feet and you can see half the game for free. Half is probably quite enough these days!

You also get a view down the river to Erskine Bridge, Dumbarton Rock and the Old Kilpatrick Hills, which are largely obscured from Queens Park.

A much less salubrious part of Glasgow, of course, than Queens Park.

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