We’re having a break up near Glasgow, visiting some places I used to visit as a child. One such place is Drumpellier Country Park, just off the M8 east of Glasgow. It’s changed a lot. There is a fantastic new kids play area ‘crannog’, which is the perfect place for taking kids for an hour, a day or just for a picnic and a play. Drumpellier is over 500 acres of countryside, 2 natural lochs and various paths.
It’s been very well thought out… and it’s free! So really, it’s a brilliant day out with kids near Glasgow, and a brilliant way to get lots of fresh air.
Update: February 2020 – we been to Drumpellier Park with the kids on every occasion we come back up to Scotland. Sometimes twice a visit. So, here’s a quick video of our quick play at the play park from this month when it was freezing cold, and starting to sleet/snow, and, we were the only crazy people there. We lasted 10 minutes, but, thoroughly felt like we’d earned our tea when we got home!
Parking
Loads – so it’s nice and easy. Parking is also free!
Visitor Centre
We didn’t look around much, we were straight into the cafe, but we did pick up leaflets and a leaflet showing the paths in Drumpellier.
Lake, ducks, peddle boats
Surely all I need say is there is a lake with ducks – that’s entertainment for any toddler!
There are also peddle boats for hire, so great fun for slightly older kids, some toddlers and definitely adults too.
Walks
There are quite a few walks, all seemed flat to us and fairly short 1-2 miles, so only 15-30 minutes. Perfect for toddlers and kids.
There are lovely views across the lochs. It was a lovely stroll and perfect for our toddler. At 2.5 she’s great at walking and we just had Baby B in the Oyster pushchair, which coped fine with the paths, I think the stroller would have been fine too.
We also spotted this Wildlife Garden near the ranger station and visitor centre but didn’t have time to explore…
The new Crannog Play Area
This is new, and what really makes this park shine, from space. It’s fantastic, full of facilities for a huge range of kids. All ages are catered for.
- Swings – baby and ‘normal’
- Bridges
- Slides
- See-saws
- Rope bridges
- Climbing walls…
You can see the size of the crannog play area in this photo, it’s huge.
I will warn that there are some drops, with slides and fireman a poles etc so toddlers and younger kids do need an adult with them. At one point Toddler H got a fright when an older child ran past and suddenly startled and backed away without looking, very near one of these drops. So it’s fun for all ages, but with toddler supervision.
Picnics
We saw picnic benches dotted around so you don’t have to take you’d picnic blanket to enjoy views and have lunch.
Cafe
They do lattes, teas, sandwiches, paninis. All the usual, and all at really good prices, paninis were £3-something.
They also sell kids lunch boxes which caused a tantrum in our case, but that happens quite often in cafes if we’re only getting a drink.
There are seats inside for eating/drinking from the cafe and some benches out on the terrace too.
It’s also worth noting that in the cafe, is the visitor reception desk which also sells all sorts of kids toys – buckets and spades, spikey balls… Things kids love and get the “I wants” for. There is no avoiding it when you walk into the cafe so you are warned!
Verdict
Overall we had a brilliant afternoon, a short walk, a long play, which we didn’t expect, and a latte in the cafe.
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