Pollok Country Park and Pollok Estate

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Pollok Country Park and Pollok Estate

The site is bisected by the B762 Barrhead Road, with Dumbreck Road and Haggs Road to the north and east.

Status - City Wide SINC

Description

At 481 hectares this is the largest Site of Importance for Nature Conservation within the City and the country park accounts for about a third of this. It is a major tourist and visitor attraction containing two museums; Burrell Collection and Pollok House, large areas of woodland and grassland and the White Cart Water. The estate area consists of extensive golf courses and a smaller area of farmed countryside.

The huge size of the site provides habitats for a wide range of animals and plants. The White Cart flows through recreation areas such as the golf courses, but also links at several points to the country park woodlands on the north side of the river, and supports unusual species such as kingfisher and otter. Mink have also been recorded along the riverbanks. Unusual plants in the park include toothwort, moschatel and broad-leaved helleborine, however in spring the eye is drawn to the much commoner bluebell and pink purslane which grow abundantly in the woodlands.

Habitat Types

Woodland
The North Wood has a remnant area of oak woodland, while sycamore, horse-chestnut, beech, elm and lime form the majority of the mature deciduous woodland in the park. Some woodland areas such as pollokhead wood, in the estate, consist of mature pines, along with deciduous species such as beech and sycamore.
Open Water
The White Cart Water runs through the park providing habitat for kingfishers and otters. The pond in the North Wood is an important breeding site for both common frogs and common toads.
Pasture
Fields within Pollok Country Park are grazed by Highland Cattle which keeps the grass low and allows very few plants to flower.
Amenity Grassland
The grass is cut for recreation on the golf courses, playing fields, cricket ground and around The Burrell.

Animal Life

Woodmouse blackcap

Wood Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) is usually the commonest small rodent in woodland. It feeds on a wide variety of items from seeds and buds to insects and earthworms. Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) is a type of warbler which inhabits woods which contain a good component of bushes and ground cover. It has a beautiful song and has been referred to as 'the Scottish Nightingale'.

Plant Life

Butterbur

Toothwort

Broad Leaved Helleborine

Butterbur (Petasites hybridus) often forms dense stands along local river banks. Its huge rounded leaves are preceded by leafless, purple-tinged flowering spikes in early spring.

Toothwort (Lathraea squamaria) is one of the unusual plants found along the White Cart Water. It is parasitic, having no green leaves, and grows on the roots of various trees, mainly poplar and lime in Pollok Country Park. Broad-leaved Helleborine (Epipactis helleborine) is an orchid with broad, oval, strongly-veined leaves and a long slender flowerhead, which grows in woodland.


Wood Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) is usually the commonest small rodent in woodland. It feeds on a wide variety of items from seeds and buds to insects and earthworms.	Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) is a type of warbler which inhabits woods which contain a good component of bushes and ground cover. It has a beautiful song and has been referred to as 'the Scottish Nightingale'.


Butterbur (Petasites hybridus) often forms dense stands along local river banks. Its huge rounded leaves are preceded by leafless, purple-tinged flowering spikes in early spring.	Toothwort (Lathraea squamaria) is one of the unusual plants found along the White Cart Water. It is parasitic, having no green leaves, and grows on the roots of various trees, mainly poplar and lime in Pollok Country Park.	Broad-leaved Helleborine (Epipactis helleborine) is an orchid with broad, oval, strongly-veined leaves and a long slender flowerhead, which grows in woodland.

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