Quiet Space

The Wildlife Garden is one of several green spaces on the University of Glasgow Gilmorehill campus. The garden is home to frogs, squirrels, a wide variety of birds and insects, and the occasional hedgehog. This peaceful spot also features artwork by local artists Louise McVey and Agnes Jones.

A walk along the banks of the River Kelvin that winds through Glasgow (9.8km, from the city all the way to Milngavie!) is a beautiful experience at any time of the year. Today, it's taken for granted that the Kelvin is thriving & healthy, a Glasgow City link to nature. Yet, it is only in recent years that the river's clean-up has supported its being such a rich natural habitat & thread of calm, right in the middle of the city.

Founded in 1451, University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest in the UK & the second-oldest in Scotland, with more (architecturally) 'listed' buildings than any other university in the UK. Originally located in the High Street in Glasgow City Centre, UofG was relocated in 1870 to its current location in Glasgow's West End. At that time, the West End consisted of countryside, farms, & country-houses of Glasgow's most wealthy citizens, & adding UofG to the area was a significant part of the city's expansion, by adding the academic elite to the location's social landscape which expanded the horizon for those who might have otherwise remained in City Centre.

Category Is Books is a Glasgow's local, independent, queer/LGBTQIA+ bookshop in the city's Southside. Everyone welcome (they're emphatic about that)! Founded & run by a couple, Category Is "hope[s] to create a space for the LGBTQIA+ community to learn about, be inspired by & share in [their] love of queer books, art, history, activism, writing & storytelling."

Not solely a public library, Giffnock Library is also a Heritage Centre, & home to the Maguire Collection - a collection of oil paintings by the famous Scottish painter, John Elliot Maguire (1866–1920). The collection constitutes the core of East Renfrewshire Council's painting holdings, & was donated to East Renfrewshire Council's Heritage Service by the artist's grandson.

Public libraries - one long-practiced 'reuse' establishment!

Public library located in the Gorbals area of Glasgow's Southside.

Garnethill Park is a beautifully-landscaped, partially-terraced public park in Glasgow City Centre's Garnethill area. Opened in 1991, the park has a large play area with wooden play equipment, small waterfalls running over rocks, low-bench seating for relaxing chats, & grassy areas with brick/cobblestone paths in between (please refer to accessibility note below). One of the park's beautiful features is its unusual lighting, made of square metal light-boxes created in a style similar to the architecture of Charles Rennie Mackintosh (a famous Scottish architect whose work can be found throughout Glasgow).

A small green space in Glasgow's Garnethill area, overlooking the M8, the West of the city, & the hills beyond. A lovely quiet space in the midst of City Centre, a nice picnic spot, & also a good alternative route to the Glasgow's West End.

Located on Sauchiehall Street in the heart of Glasgow City Centre in the Garnethill neighbourhood, CCA: Centre for Contemporary Arts is Glasgow’s hub for the arts, arts events, cultural organisations, & artists.

Located just to the north of Glasgow City Centre, the Lambhill Stables Community Garden is bordered by the historic Forth & Clyde Canal on one side & Possil Marsh Nature Reserve on the other.

The Forth & Clyde Canal that crosses central Scotland includes the Glasgow Canal which stretches across the city, & the Forth & Clyde Spur Towpath is 7.7-kilometers of green-space just a short walk (or wheelchair-roll!) to the North of Glasgow's City Centre.

A beautiful community garden which has been built by volunteers & is now enjoyed by local residents & visitors alike. Run by Heart of Scotstoun (HoS) Ltd. (a registered charity), the community garden is part of Heart of Scotstoun community centre which also has events & a café (link to the other Heart of Scotstoun listing here on Glasgow Green Map, below).

Also sometimes known (particularly internationally) as the 'Friends', the Quakers have a long history of ecology-in-action - in fact, eco-spirituality is a significant part of the faith itself, with peace as the focus of all it does.

Part of the University of Glasgow, in the West End of the city, the University Chapel was designed by Sir John James Burnet, with stained glass windows by Douglas Strachan, & it's one of the few locations in Scotland where marriages in both the Protestant & Catholic faiths can be celebrated.

Glasgow Botanic Gardens is a landmark botanical garden located in the West End of Glasgow. Just celebrating its 200th birthday in 2017, it features several glasshouses / greenhouses, the most notable of which is the iconic Kibble Palace.

Woodlands Community Garden opened in 2010, occupying a vacant site in West Princes Street. Since then, it has become an important local space where people make new friends & feel part of the community. It’s also a great place to unwind from the everyday stresses & strains of city life. Each year, around 50 households grow their own fruit, vegetables & herbs in the garden’s raised beds.

Located between Pollokshields & Govanhill neighbourhoods, The Hidden Gardens is a safe, welcoming, accessible green-space.