Forest bathing at Dawsholm Park

Dawsholm Park is a 33 hectare park on the River Kelvin between Kelvindale and Bearsden, and most of it is woodland. The council bought the land in 1922; the woods were once the Belvidere plantation. It became a Local Nature Reserve in 2007, and large parts are kept deliberately wild, with big old trees, fallen timber and wildflower meadows grazed by Highland cattle.

The usual way in is from Dalsholm Road, beside the recycling centre, where a wide path runs through the woods to the Bearsden Road side. The lower woods along the Kelvin, down to the stone bridge and a small stony beach, are the place to linger. Paths are mostly earth tracks that get very muddy and puddly after rain, and there are some big steps near the river, so wellies or boots are wise. The tree cover gives shade in summer and shelter in rain.