If you have a couple of hours to unwind in the sunshine or fancy a brisk walk on a cold winter’s day, then head over to Glasgow Botanic Gardens. Started from a collection of 3,000 plants by the local botanist Thomas Hopkirk, the gardens are now a public space spanning 20 hectares along the banks of the River Kelvin. It costs nothing to enter, so grab some snacks and head to Glasgow’s favourite chilling spot to relax among the flowerbeds.
Book onto a free guided tour to learn more about the park’s history and collections. Details of times and dates are posted on the website, so it’s worth checking before you head out. If you’d prefer to take things at your own pace, feel free to explore the gardens for yourself. Make sure you check out the elegant Victorian glasshouses which host a large collection of exotic plants from Africa, Asia, Australia and – of course – New Zealand! The aromatic Herb Garden and the World Rose Garden are well worth a look too.
For a longer walk, you could try the Heritage Trail starting from the Visitor Centre – a charming 90-minute walk which leads you through all of the garden’s points of interest. You can download a map before you go or pick one up from Kibble Palace, the largest glasshouse. As well as an in-depth history of the gardens and arboretum, this walk will lead you past some hidden treasures. Check out the beautiful collection of nineteenth-century marble sculptures as you walk through the glasshouses, and make sure you stop at the Weeping Ash Tree, transplanted from the original Botanic Garden in 1918 to make it the oldest plant in the collection. When you’ve finished exploring, grab a bite to eat from the tearooms in the former curator’s house.
It takes 40 minutes to walk to the Botanic Gardens from Glasgow city centre. If you’re pressed for time, you can get buses from around Glasgow or jump on the underground – Hillhead Underground Station is 5 minutes away. Driving is also an option, with some free and some paid on-street parking in the vicinity.
