Garscadden Burn Park

The park is a 26 Hectares/64 Acres site. To the east the site is amenity grass with play facilities and to the west lies the Donald Dewar Leisure Centre. The majority of the site is a city-wide site of importance for nature conservation, with wetland, wet woodland and heathland habitat.

Where is it?

When is it open?

The park is open at all times.

History

Garscadden Estate was established in the 14th century by the Fleming family. After successive owners, the Colquhoun family took over the estate in 1644.

• In 1723 they initiated the construction of Garscadden House - completed in 1747. The owners were great planters of trees and undertook shelterbelt planting and garden creation, the remnants of which can be seen today.
• Garscadden House became the property of Glasgow Corporation in 1938 and had many subsequent tenants, including evacuees during the Second World War.
• The house was destroyed by fire in 1960.

Outstanding Features

Much of Garscadden Burn Park is a City-wide Site of Importance for Nature Conservation.

• The burn is the central feature, and is notable for supporting a healthy population of the threatened Water Vole.
• The burn flows through a broad, shallow valley, with rough grasslands and scrub, but the sandy soils support local relic areas of acidic grassland and dwarf shrub heath.
• Adjacent to the burn are large open areas of swamp and fen with many marsh species, including orchids and several rare sedges, including the impressive Greater Tussock-sedge.
• To the west the burn enters a large area of wet woodland with Alder and Crack Willow growing over rich fen and swamp vegetation.