Very clean on the edge of The Meadows. There are swings, slide, and climbing structure. Lots of…read moreparents and young children. Did not see any snack counters.

Ok, so I'm obviously not a five-year old child anymore. (I can type and spell and use words like…read moreincongruous, though I haven't had the opportunity yet). But I like play parks. There comes a point when people stop making fun things for you. I mean, I'm in my early 20s, so people give me clothes and books instead of water-guns. Which is totally valid. But I think every now and then people should give their friends bouncy balls and hoola-hoops and frisbees. Seriously. So, this playpark is not half as cool as the one on the Meadows, but it's in a quieter less crowded part of the park. They have slides and monkey bars and all sort of fun things. I've many a time seen children having fun on them. (I've also seen older teenagers having fun on them. At night. With beer). If you feel like you're tired of being 20, maybe have a visit. If you're a parent, then take your children there, 'cause that's where it looks like the party is.

A hidden gem which your Julia Donaldson loving little ones will love to visit!…read moreWe call this Gruffalo Wood because of the Gruffalo-themed carvings dotted near the entrance of the Loch. The Loch itself is fairly small, taking only 15-20 mins to walk around. There is lots of nature and wildlife to explore here from toadstools to frogs to wild raspberries to dragonflies... We met a particularly large, and bold, swan today whilst feeding the ducks! On our last visit we stumbled across hundreds and hundreds of baby frogs migrating across the pathway to the Loch. This has become a regular location for us to visit with our little Julia Donaldson fan. There is a play park at the far end of the Loch from the little car park off Kilmardinny Avenue and if you need something to eat or liquid refreshments after your walk there is a recently opened Waitrose with a lovely cafe minutes away by car or foot!

We visited here after discovering Gruffalo Wood through Ali's review :)…read more My friend was visiting with her 6 and 3yr old girls and we took A in his pram. We really enjoyed walking round the loch in the sunshine, the path is pretty easy going for littles and the pram alike, and there are a few places to stop along the way and see the ducks or discover the awesome carvings. We couldn't find the play park, perhaps a little sign would help, but we asked someone and soon found the little path leading up to it. There were some different play areas to explore including an awesome rope swing that the adults enjoyed too! We had a great, free day out and it worked well to tire out the kids. Would highly recommend.

A wonderful piece of national heritage that deserves a visit from you. It was saved from complete…read moredisintegration by the intervention of Prince Charles, and deservedly so. In this house there are some unique and priceless pieces of Chippendale furniture and some equally rare Axminster carpets. I also loved the big orrery in the entrance hall; I've never seen one that size before. The restoration has involved a lot of local craftspeople and the house & estate still employs over 200 locals to keep things running, The house tour (you have to book) is fascinating, as they explain not only the history of the place, but tell you about the conservation methods that were used. I particularly like the way they avoid roping off parts of the room to stop you walking on the carpet, but instead have custom-made carpet runners printed with the actual design of the carpet they cover so that the image of the room is not compromised. The estate is vast too, with a hedge maze, arboretum, walled garden and plenty of walks to keep you and the kids occupied for a few hours. The cafe is pretty decent, and the shop has some upmarket tourist items that are a definite cut above the norm - as are the prices, mind. Dumfries House is run by a trust, it's not managed by any national heritage body, so everything you see on the estate is due to their own efforts and the artisanal skills that they are training young folks in. Love it.

I'm so stupid. Why haven't I visited Dumfries House before when it's on the doorstep just 20 mins…read morefrom Ayr and less than an hour from Glasgow. It's free for visitors to park the car and roam this stunning huge estate 365 days a year til dusk. I wrongly thought the house was pretty much all there was to see and now I'm kicking myself for making that mistake. I won't give everything away here. Check out their online presence to find out a little more and if walking is your thing bring some stout shoes. There's a maze, a cafe, an afternoon tea venue at weekends (a must book), a fine dining restaurant and so much more. Oh yes I musn't forget the two playparks, the Robert Adam bridge, the gobsmacking walled rose garden and all manner of cleverly crafted follies. I almost forgot the house full of chippendale and lovingly restored. Go spend the day. That Duke of Rothesay Prince Charles fella is a local hero around these parts for saving Dumfries House at the eleventh hour and opening a seldom seen gem for the public. Highly recommended!

Warm friendly staff, good food friendly atmosphere'. If you are in the area well worth a visitread more

Perfect location for a walk around the lake, nice little cafe to take refreshments if required. I…read morewould certainly drop in again in passing. Water sports and fishing available on or around the lake. Plenty of wildlife about also.

So with excitement we drove here from East Kilbride. It took an hour and a half to get to the…read morelocation and then we saw the queue of cars!! It took 40 minutes to get through to the car park and the rain was lashing down. I would definitely advise coming early to skip through to a parking space and not do a snails pace wait to it. The rain had thankfully dispersed by the time we were out and about. We paid £7 admission and got a map of the site. It was not the clearest map and it was really difficult to tell which way to go! We just went for it, and I think it worked out for the best. Loved all the weirdness and got some lovely photos of the experience. I would never have heard of it if it hadn't been for Yelpers last year raving about it. So thank you!!

I've been planning a visit to the Garden of Cosmic Speculation at Portrack House for some years…read more The place only opens once a year for just five hours and the entry fee of £7 is shared between Maggies Centres charity and the Scotland Garden scheme who organise the event. This year I got my wish and despite it being a bit of a damp day the rain held off for most of our stay. Boy was i glad I wore my hefty walking boots and waterproof trousers. There was much mud to navigate and a pair of walking poles wouldn't have gone amiss to traverse some of the slippery hills. The Garden of Cosmic Speculation was well worth the drive to Dumfries and Galloway. There were some basic refreshment facilities but we took a picnic and a big flask of coffee. Well behaved dogs are welcome, there are loos and portaloos (be ready to queue) and the parking is very well organised. Not wheelchair friendly and a bit of a challenge in places for the less able. Hugely recommend a visit! If you're feeling impatient why not visit Jupiter Artland in Edinburgh or the Crawick Multiverse near Sanquhar in Dumfries and Galloway, as they share the same garden designer Charles Jencks.

Excellent country park not too far from the city of Edinburgh. Vogrie has a lovely children's…read moreadventure playground, and a miniature railway which runs during the summer. There are lovely woodland walks and a decent cafe in the old Vogrie House. Or bring a picnic and relax in one of the barbecue areas. If you want to have a barbecue you have to book in advance. Some nice sculptures in the grounds too. We love the big chairs and the big tricycle! Our children always love a visit to Vogrie Park, and several of the after school clubs we know of always make a visit there part of their holiday club programme, and there's enough to keep adults happy too!

Vogrie is a great park for all the family maintained by the council…read more Vogrie is a large park with walks through woodland area and grassed areas. There are play parks,picnic area and a BBQ area. Vogrie house sits within the grounds and has a cafe in the summer time. Children love Vogire it is a very safe place for them to run around and play, needless to day it can get very busy in the school holidays. Vogrie host a summer open day in August each year which has shows, stalls, competitions, a train that takes you around the park etc etc. Other attractions are the big chairs which are giant sizes and the big trike sculpture.

A perfect park to take kids to! Not only is the circular…read morelandscaping of the park user-friendly but also very pleasing to the eye. There's two circles to it - an inner and an outer. The outer is a hilly grass area with benches, and the inner is a well-equipped and fenced in large kids playground - such a set-up is perfect for adults to sit back and watch the kids whilst allowing them the independence to run around freely. And because of the fencing, the worry of them running off too far is eliminated. Another bonus is that it's never as busy as the Kelvingrove or Botanics. The grassy area is also perfect to let dogs have a nice sniff around - though probably only suitable for smaller dogs. All in all, it's a perfect escape from the city buzz on Byres Road, and a great way to entertain the wee-uns.

This is my local park, although I confess that I don't visit it that often. But it's a nice place…read moreon a sunny day and it has a great swings area that is very child-safe. Since the old pavilion was converted into a nursery there's always a lot of child activity in the park, so consequently it is very popular with parents who have small children. It's a bit too close to Highburgh Road to be very peaceful, but it's a nice place to sit and get some sun in the summer months.

I love this place so much! Whenever the sun decides to make a rare appearance I'm in the car and on…read moremy way for a lazy walk around the loch. The loch itself is huge. It has a fab path all the way around for an easy walk in the sun or there are plenty of little paths into the woods surrounding if you're feeling a little more adventurous. With loads of green space on all sides, even on the busiest days this park, Drumpelier can accommodate every need. Whether that be a picnic, a five-a-side game or even fishing, you won't feel anything but relaxed here. If you haven't packed a lunch there's a little cafe in the main building which unfortunately I've never tried. I just love a picnic!!! It also has a great play park at the far end of the car park, suitable for all ages. This area can get a touch busy on the sunnier days but I've never been and felt like we've waited long for my little one to have a go on the swings or in the sandpit. It's really dog friendly here too. I've found myself losing an afternoon on a trip with my hair baby just chatting to other dog owners on the way round. If you're finding yourself looking for somewhere to while away a sunny day then get in the car and head here. Don't forget the picnic basket!

Gorgeous country park with several large lakes, lots of walking paths and two large playgrounds…read more Picnic tables and a cafe on site but lots of open space to throw down a blanket and enjoy your own food, too. There are paddle boats in the summer months and lots of swans, geese, ducks and other water foul.

This is a place that I didn't think I could do because of climbing hills but It's not all that bas…read moreas you can walk on the lower ground and still get a good view of things. I didn't climb any high hills for a bigger view, that's something I can go back to the Pentland Hills and do another day. Just walking about in the forest was pretty cool, i like that kind of thing plus it was so relaxing and peaceful. There was a sign that I passed, it was funny because someone altered the sign and it said "no parking, pissing place only" lol hehe. Did you knew that Amy Soldiers do exercise in Pentland Hills with firing there guns, a sign posted for warning, just in case you get a bullet in you bum. A great atmosphere at the Pentlands as everybody would pass you and say hello, it was nice, everyone was enjoying there day out. Ideal for walking your dog's or just hanging out with family/friends. Would consider going back again sometime very soon. https://socialsandi1.com/2018/08/05/pentlandhills-regional-park/

Wilderness, Waterfalls, Rivers and Raccoon's (well, maybe not these ;-) )…read more I was looking for a place to enjoy a nice afternoon stroll and which should be in proximity to Edinburgh city. Well, I am so lucky to live in a town surrounded by "mountains" which are called the Pentland Hills. There are several lakes/ water reservoirs in the Pentland Hills Regional Park which are accessible using several walking routes. We walked towards the Glencorse reservoir. A good start or end for the journey is the Flotterstone Inn and the Information centre nearby. Take your rucksack, get good walking boots, warm clothes and off it goes. Follow the paths which are clearly marked and you can't get lost. You might even pass an occasional waterfall! For the travelers without a car, you can hop on a bus and get off at Flotterstone Inn (but be careful - buses are a rare occurrence and you could be stranded) Lovely place!

I have a great fondness for this ram statue! Often when driving to or from Scotland we stop in…read moreMoffat for a meal and usually park near to this wonderful ram (it is surrounded by parking spaces in the middle of the main street). This statue was sculpted by William Brodie (1815-1881) and presented to the town by the local businessman William Colvin in 1875 to commemorate the town's thriving wool trade. Other notable works by Brodie which can still be seen today include his marvellous 'Hercules', a bronze statue in Portmeirion, North Wales. The Moffat Ram sits on top of the Colvin Fountain whose water was used by men and animals for drinking. There were once iron cups for men to fill from the water spouts whilst the animals drank from the filled bases the lower ones for dogs and the higher ones for horses! The ram was constructed without ears and a myth (apparently without any foundation) circulated for long afterwards that Brodie committed suicide when he realised his mistake!