Pollok Country Park
Pollok Country Park is a large city park in Glasgow, Scotland. It covers about 146 hectares (361 acres) and is the biggest park in the city. The park lies between Shawlands, Crossmyloof and Pollok.
The land used to be part of the Old Pollok Estate, home to the Maxwell family for more than 700 years. In 1966, Anne Maxwell Macdonald gave the estate, including Pollok House, to Glasgow so it could stay a public park.
What you’ll find there:
- Pollok House and the Burrell Collection, a famous mix of art and antiques donated by William Burrell.
- A herd of Highland cattle that visitors can see.
- Lots of sports facilities, including golf clubs, cricket, rugby, riding, football fields, and allotments.
- Mountain biking trails opened in 2004 by Olympic cyclist Chris Hoy.
- The White Cart Water river flows through the park toward Paisley.
The park has won awards, including Britain’s Best Park in 2007 and Best Park in Europe in 2008.
Today the park faces challenges. By 2019 it was seen as underused, with plans to attract more visitors. In the 1990s a new motorway (the M77) was built through the south-west edge of the park, which cut off some communities from easy access. A protest camp known as the Pollok Free State camped there for a time in the mid-1990s as people objected to the road. The road cost about £53 million and led to the loss of thousands of trees.
In 2008 there was a campaign called Save Pollok Park to stop plans for a Go Ape high-ropes course in the North Wood, as many residents objected to it.
Access and getting there: The nearest train stations are Pollokshaws West and Shawlands. The park is open all year.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 07:24 (CET).