Category guide
Parks and gardens in Scotland
Country parks, play parks and green space for running off energy, free of charge.
Parks are the reliable default — free, usually with a playground, and forgiving if the visit only lasts twenty minutes before someone's had enough.
The bigger country parks on this list often have a loch, a visitor centre or a café attached, so it's worth checking what else is on site before you go if you want to make more of the day.
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Glasgow And Clyde Valley
Tollcross Park
Large Glasgow park with gardens, a children's farm, and playground.
Angus And Dundee
Camperdown Country Park
Large park with wildlife centre, play park, woodland walks and open space.
Loch Lomond And Trossachs
Balloch Castle Country Park
Large park with castle ruins, woodland walks and play areas near Loch Lomond.
Glasgow And Clyde Valley
Victoria Park Glasgow
Family park with fossil grove, play park and gardens.
Glasgow And Clyde Valley
Strathclyde Country Park
Large park with loch walks, cycling paths and adventure playgrounds.
Aberdeen And Aberdeenshire
Duthie Park
Large Aberdeen park with play areas and the Winter Gardens glasshouse.
Glasgow And Clyde Valley
The Kelpies & Helix Park
Large public park featuring the iconic Kelpies horse-head sculptures, playgrounds, cycling routes and lagoon walks.
Glasgow And Clyde Valley
James Hamilton Heritage Park
Country park with large loch, beach area, watersports and playground in East Kilbride.
Ayrshire And Arran
Dean Castle Country Park
Large park in Kilmarnock with castle museum, woodland walks, animals and playgrounds.
Highlands
Strathpeffer Square
Small Victorian spa village green with play area, cafes and short walks nearby.
Moray And Speyside
Cooper Park, Elgin
Riverside park in the centre of Elgin with play areas and open lawns.
Aberdeen And Aberdeenshire
Haddo Country Park
Estate parkland with lake, waymarked trails and a play area near Haddo House.
Aberdeen And Aberdeenshire
Aden Country Park
Country park near Mintlaw with a farming museum, adventure playground and woodland trails.
Aberdeen And Aberdeenshire
Hazlehead Park
Large park with a maze, animal enclosure, play areas and woodland walks.
Angus And Dundee
Crombie Country Park
Reservoir-side country park with woodland walks and a play area.
Scottish Borders
The Hirsel Country Park
Estate parkland near Coldstream with a lake, walled garden and waymarked walks.
Glasgow And Clyde Valley
Chatelherault Country Park
Former hunting lodge above the Avon Gorge with woodland trails, adventure playground and Cadzow oaks.
Glasgow And Clyde Valley
Dalzell Country Estate
Woodland estate on the River Clyde in Motherwell with walking trails and an arboretum.
Glasgow And Clyde Valley
Palacerigg Country Park
Large Cumbernauld country park with native wildlife enclosures and waymarked woodland trails.
Glasgow And Clyde Valley
Strathaven Park
John Hastie Park in the centre of Strathaven with a boating pond, play area and putting green.
Glasgow And Clyde Valley
Lanark Loch
Loch-side recreation ground with fishing, pitch and putt and a play area.
Glasgow And Clyde Valley
Cathkin Braes Country Park
Hilltop country park on the edge of Glasgow with mountain bike trails and panoramic views.
Glasgow And Clyde Valley
Cleland Country Park
Small country park with a loch, woodland walks and a play area near Motherwell.
Glasgow And Clyde Valley
Cuningar Loop Woodland Park
Riverside woodland park in Rutherglen with trails, a bike track and a beach on the Clyde.
Glasgow And Clyde Valley
Biggar Park
Town park with putting, bowling, pedalos and bumper boats on the pond, plus a children's play area.
Glasgow And Clyde Valley
Drumpellier Country Park
Coatbridge country park with a loch, visitor centre, café and wildlife displays.
Ayrshire And Arran
Rozelle Park
Woodland park and estate in Alloway with walking trails and a remembrance woodland.
Ayrshire And Arran
Eglinton Country Park
Large country park near Kilwinning with a walled garden, tournament bridge and woodland trails.
Ayrshire And Arran
Howard Park
Park in the centre of Kilmarnock with play areas and open lawns.
Scottish Borders
Wilton Lodge Park
Riverside park in Hawick with play areas, walled garden and a local museum.
Glasgow And Clyde Valley
Bellahouston Park
Large Glasgow park with woodland, a walled garden and play areas, home to the House for an Art Lover.
Glasgow And Clyde Valley
Queen's Park and Glasshouse
Large south-side Glasgow park with a flagpole viewpoint, glasshouse, pond and playgrounds.
Edinburgh And Lothians
Almondell and Calderwood Country Park
Wooded river valley park near Broxburn with waymarked trails, a visitor centre and a viaduct crossing.
Edinburgh And Lothians
The Meadows
Huge open park just south of Edinburgh's Old Town, with play areas, tree-lined walks and open space for games.
Fife
Pittencrieff Park
Dunfermline's much-loved free park, gifted to the town by Andrew Carnegie, with peacocks, glasshouses and play areas.
Fife
Lochore Meadows Country Park
Free country park near Lochgelly built on reclaimed mining land, with a loch, watersports, play areas and cycling trails.
Fife
Letham Glen
Free wooded glen in Leven with a nature trail, small animals, a miniature railway and play areas.
Fife
Ravenscraig Park
Clifftop park in Kirkcaldy with the ruins of Ravenscraig Castle, sea views and woodland walks.
Moray And Speyside
Grant Park
Award-winning Victorian park in Forres, with a floral clock, play areas and views up to Nelson's Tower.
Moray And Speyside
Isla Bank Park
Riverside park in Keith beside the River Isla, with play areas, a golf course and open grass.
Outer Hebrides
Lews Castle Grounds and Woodland Gardens
Free woodland gardens surrounding Lews Castle in Stornoway, with waymarked walks and mature trees.
Perthshire
MacRosty Park
Riverside park in Crieff with play areas, sculpture trails and open grass beside the River Earn.
Aberdeen And Aberdeenshire
Victoria Park, Aberdeen
Free Victorian park in Aberdeen with a palm house conservatory, play areas and formal gardens.
Aberdeen And Aberdeenshire
Union Terrace Gardens
Recently redeveloped free garden in the heart of Aberdeen, with play areas, event space and city views.
Angus And Dundee
Forfar Loch Country Park
Free country park around Forfar Loch, with a circular path, play areas and watersports.
Angus And Dundee
Magdalen Green
Free riverside park in Dundee with a play area, bandstand and views over the Firth of Tay.
Highlands
Whin Park
Free riverside park in Inverness with a play area, model boating pond and miniature railway.
Scottish Borders
The Haining
18th-century estate in Selkirk with a lake, woodland and parkland, opened to the public as a free green space.
Scottish Borders
Hay Lodge Park
Riverside park in Peebles beside the River Tweed, with play areas and an outdoor swimming pool.
Dumfries And Galloway
Dock Park
Free riverside park in Dumfries beside the River Nith, with play areas and open grass.