Situated just beyond the West End of Glasgow along the path that follows the Kelvin River is Dawsholm Park. It’s primarily a woodland Park used by the many dog walkers of Glasgow – on any given day you will encounter a couple dozen of highly mobile and excitable pooches.
The park consists of a dense and diverse woodland, path walks by steep river banks, wide open green space, nature trails and mountain bike runs. At the west side of the park there are 2 large fields, one with an apple and pear orchard, the other used to accommodate a small herd of Highland cattle. Here you can also see quite a lot of red deer (an increasingly common site in urban green spaces in Glasgow) poking their heads from behind the trees and rhododendron bushes.
The space is also used by local schools, bringing 5-12 year old kids to learn about the flora and fauna in the little ‘camps’ dotted around the park.
As a dog owner, I love this park, as I can spend an entire morning meeting other dogs and dog owners, with Winnie darting about and engaging in playful rough and tumble with her canine chums! But it’s also good for a stroll or for more serious walkers who can follow the river path onto Milngavie and the start of the West Highland Way, the hill walkers path to Fort William.
Summer brings about the wildness in the park, beautifully unkempt and sprawling with abandonment.
