Outdoor Spaces
If you feel like planning your own walking route, or just enjoying the great outdoors, why not take the family to one of East Renfrewshire's parks and green spaces. Each has something different to enjoy, such as boating, leisure walks, wildlife spotting and waterfalls.
Cowan Park, Barrhead
Cowan Park features:
- A children’s play area
- Tennis (summer only)
- A Bandstand
The park was the bequest of James Cowan of Rosshall in 1910. Rosshall is the mansion James built at Crookston, presently a hospital. His landscaped garden is now a public park.
James Cowan was born in Barrhead where his father ran a small hotel. Though he started a haulage business with one horse and cart, it grew rapidly when he became a railway contractor and he ultimately made a fortune.
Cowan Park was officially opened on King George V’s Coronation Day when a children’s treat was laid on by John & Joseph Turner of Parkhall. One woman only is mentioned in the War Memorial, Rebecca McFarlane, daughter of the Gateside Laundry manager and a nurse in the First World War. An avenue of lime trees to the left of the bandstand was gifted by provost Andrew Shanks to mark the Coronation in 1953. The Playing Field area was once Barrhead Aerodrome (1909-1911) and beyond is Dubbs Farm, once a Maxwell possession for 560 years.
Eastwood Park Giffnock
Eastwood Park includes a:
- Sport and Recreation Centre
- Function Suite
- Theatre
- Marriage Suite
- Scenic Parkland
This 19th century mansion house set in Eastwood Park is in the former estate of Lord Weir , formerly that of the Earls of Eglinton. In 1845 Thomas Smith bought land and the house was built some time after that. In 1864 the estate passed to Joseph Wakefield of Inglis & Wakefield who had taken over the Busby Printworks. In the 1880’s and 90’s the owner was David Tod of Tod & McGregor Engineering who had the house enlarged in 1893 by a bow window and new entrance. Location on map
Lord Weir bought the estate in 1914. It was described as a, "solid, Victorian mansion". Entrance gates to the park were presented to Lord Weir after 1945. Laurel and Hardy were there to open a fete after the war as well as Danny Kaye. In 1968 the estate was acquired by Renfrew County Council. The Mansion House was completely renovated and opened by Viscount Muirshiel in 1971.
Greenbank Gardens
Greenbank House is looked after by the National Trust. It's a fantastic building, built in the 1760’s with beautiful, well-tended gardens.
The Greenbank Estate in Clarkston was established in the 1760’s by "local boy made good" Robert Allason, a merchant whose family had been farmers in Mearns for generations. Robert, initially a Glasgow baker, moved to Port Glasgow and made his fortune in overseas trade. He acquired sections of land which became his country estate where by 1765 he had built the very elegant, 16 room Greenbank House.
By 1784, due to trading losses, Robert Allason lost the estate. After a number of owners, it came into the hands of the Hamilton family of East Kilbride in 1797, the last of whom was James Barclay Murdoch Young, sheriff of Paisley who died in 1957.
The last owner of Greenbank was William P.Blyth, a very keen gardener who gifted the estate to the National Trust for Scotland in 1976. Today it is a Headquarters for the National Trust and its walled garden attracts many visitors throughout the year.
Rouken Glen Park, Giffnock
Rouken Glen features a:
- A boating pond (summer only)
- Children’s play area
- Variety of woodland walks
- Walkabout trail
- Site of special scientific interest
- Walled formal garden
- Picnic facilities
- Cycling for the disabled
- Cafe, restaurant
- Garden centre
- Art gallery
The lands of Rouken Glen Park originally belonged to the Scottish Crown and then to the Earls of Eglinton. It takes its name from the old Rock End Meal Mill in the glen.
Amongst its owners were the Smith family of Glasgow (associated with Madeleine Smith of murder trial fame), the Crum family of Thornliebank and Archibald Cameron Corbett, M.P. for Tradeston, Glasgow (later Lord Rowallan) who gifted the estate, mansion house etc. to the citizens of Glasgow.
It was officially opened on 25th May, 1906 and leased to Eastwood District Council in June, 1984.
White Cart Walkway
The White Cart Walkway at Netherlee is a lovely walk where you can enjoy the attractive landscapes, wildflowers, birds and other wildlife to be found in this area.
