Robroyston Park

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Robroyston Park

The park is close to Junction 2 of the M80 with entrances at Rockfield Road, Quarrywood Road and Robroyston Road.

Status - City Wide SINC and proposed Local Nature Reserve

Grid Reference NS629683

Description

Robroyston Park covers about 50 hectares of land and the northern half is designated as a City-wide SINC. This area has an attractive wild aspect which consists mainly of rough grassland, areas of wetland, a pond and planted trees. This variety of habitats makes the park suitable to support a rich diversity of wildlife, which has resulted in this area being a proposed Local Nature Reserve.

Habitat Types

Wetland
A series of pools were created in the north of the park in 1996 and a sluice system was later introduced to increase the water levels to their current state. Little grebe have been present on the pools since 1998, and in 2002 they bred successfully, for the first time in Robroyston Park. Jack snipe can also be found in the marshlands. Dragonflies, such as common darters, and common blue damselflies, can be abundant in this part of the park during the summer months.
Grassland
The large areas of wild grassland provide food for insects and small mammals, and a hunting ground for kestrels and foxes. Butterflies such as small tortoiseshell and small copper feed on the flowering plants that flourish here in the summer months. Much of the grassland is marshy and dominated by soft rush with other plants such as sneezewort, clovers, vetches, bird’s-foot trefoil and northern marsh orchid, making colourful displays.
Woodland
Robroyston Park supports small sections of broad-leaved and mixed woodland plantations. Most recently, to the east of the park oak, alder, rowan and poplar have been planted, while the woodlands in the central and southern areas consist mostly of alder, birch and willow.
Heathland
There are a few small areas of heath within the park consisting of heath rush, cross-leaved heath and various mosses. They also support many different grassland plants such as wavy hair-grass, devil’s-bit scabious and mat-grass.
Open water
The southern pond was created in the 1980s and an island was constructed in 2002 to provide a safe area for nesting waterbirds. Mute swans and mallard ducks are frequent visitors and in spring common frogs and common toads spawn in the pond.

Animal Life

Skylark Common Blue Common Frog

Skylark (Alauda arvensis) are commonly detected in the summer by their melodious song as they hover, ascend and descend in flight. They nest in the grassland.
Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) caterpillars feed on bird’s-foot trefoil. The adult butterfly is active in sunshine and at night rests head down on the flower stems of tall grasses. Common Frog (Rana temporaria) is the only frog species native to Britain and is fairly common in Glasgow. They hibernate among the grassland during the winter.

Plant Life


Sneezewort (Achillea ptarmica) grows in damp grasslands and marshes.	Water Mint (Mentha aquatica) is an aromatic herb with a pretty lilac-purple flower. It is found in wet areas, such as pond margins.	Soft Rush (Juncus effusus) is a common sight in damp fields where its large tussocks may dominate.


Skylark (Alauda arvensis) are commonly detected in the summer by their melodious song as they hover, ascend and descend in flight. They nest in the grassland.	Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) caterpillars feed on bird’s-foot trefoil. The adult butterfly is active in sunshine and at night rests head down on the flower stems of tall grasses.	Common Frog (Rana temporaria) is the only frog species native to Britain and is fairly common in Glasgow. They hibernate among the grassland during the winter.

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