Pollok Country Park

Overview

The park is Glasgow's largest park and the only Country Park within Glasgow. Its extensive woodlands and gardens provide a quiet sanctuary for both visitors and wildlife.

The park is rich in rural history formerly being part of the Old Pollok Estate and ancestral home to the Maxwell Family. The park is also home to the world famous Burrell Collection.

Pollok Country Park has been successful in achieving a Green Flag Award in 2016. This has been retained every year since 2012. The Green Flag Award is the benchmark national standard for quality parks and green spaces.

Where is it?

What can I do there?

The park ranger service is on hand to assist the public and ensure a safe enjoyable visit and is patrolled regularly both on foot and using mobile patrols.

• Old Stable Courtyard and Sawmill. - Currently undergoing refurbishment and is closed to the public.
• Walled gardens.
• Play park.
• Countryside Ranger Centre.
• Wildlife garden.
• Woodland walks.
• Orienteering course. Maps can be purchased on site from the Manager's Office, Knowehead - 100m west of entrance to the Burrell.
• Highland cattle.
• Riverside walks.
• Picnic areas.

Also within the parks grounds you can find

• Burrell Collection
   
• Pollok House:
  • Note. Restaurant facilities are available at both the Burrell Collection and at Pollok House.
     
• Public Toilets:
  • Old Stable Courtyard. -  Currently undergoing refurbishment and is closed to the public.
  • Burrell Collection.

When is it open?

The park is open at all times, however the specific facilities within the park are subject to opening times.

Transforming Pollok Country Park

This project aims to transform the park from an asset rich but under utilised historic park into a world class civic destination that is enjoyed more and more often by its citizens and visitors to the city.

 The objectives of the project are to:

• Improve orientation of attractions within the park and the park within the city
• Increase usage by communities surrounding the park and remove barriers to access
• Improve access
• Support an integrated day out in the park offer
• Improve the management and care of the park's heritage assets

Works to deliver an Active Travel Management Plan in Pollok Country Park are ongoing. This Plan seeks to improve access to and within the park by promoting public transport and pedestrian links, modifying private car access and vehicular routes within the park, and improving connectivity to local areas.

The planning application is now available to view here (Reference Number 20/01352/FUL).

Parking charges are being introduced to Pollok Country Park between 10am-6pm Monday to Sunday from the 6 April 2022. The intention behind this is to encourage a modal shift to active travel where possible, which will be further supported by a free electric shuttle bus operating in the park from the 28 February 2022. New parking tariffs will apply from 2 April 2023, Monday - Sunday between 10am - 6pm, at a tariff of £5.00 for 4 hours and £10.00 for all day. You can pay using Ringgo (see signage for instructions) or via Pay and Display machines.

Pollok Stables and Sawmill

Glasgow City Council's bid to the UK Government's Levelling Up Fund for the Pollok Country Park Stables and Sawmill project has been successful, with the award of just over £13million to the project. You can find out more information on our website.  In line with the UK Government's Levelling Up Fund criteria, a copy of the Pollok Stables and Sawmill application form can be accessed  here [1Mb]. Please note that some sections of the application have been excluded as they contain commercially sensitive and / or personal data.

Pollok Fold of Highland Cattle

Established nearly 200 years ago by the Maxwell family. The Pollok Fold were brought down from the highlands of Scotland to graze the ground within Pollok Country Park which was heavy in clay making it had to grow crops.

Known worldwide for their large set of horns on both male and females, their thick shaggy coat of hair, coming in all colours from the original black to the popular red, yellow and white. Their docile nature is second to none, but they are very protective of their new-born offspring.

Running 30 pedigree breeding females and 3 adult bulls, we calve mainly from March until June. Spending all year outside due to their double coat of hair, they can always be spotted in the fields within Pollok Avenue.

The cattle graze alongside our conservation programme, encourage tourism locally and internationally and work as part of our programme to promote education.

We attend 9 shows per year to showcase the quality of cattle born in Pollok Country Park, many of these can be trace back to the 1900's.

Keeping only a handful of females each year to ensure the bloodlines don't die out we sell our cattle all over the world, with many in recent years going across to Ireland and Europe.

Semen collected from our Bulls has been exported to Australia and America.

Herbaceous Garden

Welcome to Pollok's perennial herbaceous garden. Situated in this part of the gardens is an array of herbaceous plants that die back to the crown of the plant after every growing season. These plants remain alive and healthy at ground level during the colder months and regrow during the spring and summer. Our herbaceous garden is a great place to see thriving wildlife during summer months as many of these plants are particularly attractive to different varieties of bees, wasps and butterflies.

Veg plot

All of the produce grown here in the vegetable garden is propagated and brought on from seed by staff in the glasshouses or sown directly into the soil. The garden is comprised of all main vegetable groups from cruciferous to root vegetables. Each year the garden is harvested, and the produce is collected by local charities and foodbanks across the southside of the city. Our vegetable demonstration garden is fertilised annually using manure sourced from our own cattle to ensure rich and nutrient dense soil for the best crop.

As we know this summer  of 2023 has been very wet and at times challenging to grow good veg. The team at Pollok Country Park have produced another year of a good crop and have shared with a number of local charities.

Travelling to Pollok Country Park

Pollok Country Park is located in Glasgow's Southside, and benefits from excellent active travel and public transport links.

Walking and Cycling

The main park entrance at 2060 Pollokshaws Road now has improved surfacing and separation between pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles. Through the restriction of car movement through the park, pedestrians and cyclists can now also enjoy priority access on the main park routes including Pollok Avenue.

Pollok Country Park is an ideal place to visit by bike and can be easily reached by Route 7 and 75 of the National Cycle Network, which run through the park, or by using the local link routes. Visitors also have the opportunity to visit with their bike via the nearby rail and bus stations.

Visitors are welcome to make use of covered cycling racks in front of the Burrell Collection and at Pollok House. Bikes and e-bikes will also be available to hire within Pollok Country Park as part of the NextBike Cycle Hire Scheme. The NextBike stations will be located in front of the Burrell Collection, with the normal NextBikes due to be installed in Spring 2022 and e-bikes in early Summer 2022. Hire costs are displayed on the docking stations and can also be found online.

Public Transport Provision

The nearest train station to the park is Pollokshaws West which is a one-minute walk from the park's main entrance at 2060 Pollokshaws Road. Upon exit from the train station, turn left onto Pollokshaws Road/B769, and walk until you see the park entrance on your left.

There are several bus routes serving the immediate vicinity of the park, with the 3 McGills Bus Service being the most direct service from Glasgow City Centre, with a journey time of 18 minutes.

There is a new free to use electric shuttle bus running in the park from 28^th February 22 which links the entrance at Pollokshaws Road entrance to Pollok House and the Burrell Collection. 

The shuttle bus will operate Monday - Sunday and runs a half hour bus service starting at the Pollokshaws Road entrance bus stop at 10 am and finishes at 6.15 pm (last pick up at Burrell bus stop).  Please note, the bus does not operate between 12.30 pm and 1.30 pm.  To view the full timetable click here.

Call Traveline Scotland on 0871 200 22 33 or visit travelinescotland.com to plan your trip.

Car Access, Parking and Electric Vehicle Charging

Car access can be obtained via the main park entrance at 2060 Pollokshaws Road (accessed via Junction 2 off M77 at Silverburn) or via Lochinch Road (past Haggs Castle Golf Club). Please note there will be no access through the park for public vehicles.

There are two main public car parks within Pollok Country Park, The Burrell Collection Car Park located via the Pollokshaws Road entrance and The Riverside Car Park at Pollok House located via Lochinch Road entrance.

Accessible parking bays are provided in front of the Burrell Collection.

New parking tariffs will apply from 2^nd April 2023, Monday - Sunday between 10am - 6pm, at a tariff of £5.00 for 4 hours and £10.00 for all day. You can pay using Ringgo (see signage for instructions) or via Pay and Display machines.

National Trust for Scotland members and paying visitors to Pollok House will be exempt from parking charges when they display a free parking ticket obtained from Pollok House.

There will also be Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers located at three destinations within the park, which will be live from early 2023.

• The Burrell Collection car park (7kW charging spaces and 22kW accessible charging spaces)
• The Riverside car park at Pollok House (7kW charging spaces)
• Nether Pollok Pavilion (7kW charging spaces and 22kW charging spaces)