Cardonald Murals. Bellahouston Park. The Great Forest.

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As it was a day of sunshine and showers I thought I would have a solo trip a couple of weeks ago to Bellahouston Park. One of my favourites for views. Three gable end murals sit close to each other on Paisley Road West just across the road from these flats and near the junction for Mosspark Boulevard.

The first is for Winnie Drinkwater. The first female to hold a commercial pilots licence... anywhere. And she went on to be an aeronautical engineer... also one of the first females to get into that profession... anywhere. And she came from Cardonald. Hence the mural.

The next gable end down and only a minutes walk further on is the new 'Still Game' mural. A popular Scottish comedy about two pensioners and their friends based in a Glasgow housing estate. The very first episode of which took place in South Nitshill ( Whitriggs Road) then moved to hi rise flats in Maryhill. The pub they drank in was in Ruchill. And their local Paper Shop was in Townhead. The golf course episode they played on was located in Knightswood and this district was also the setting for many other episodes as well. (For distance views over the city type scenes along with Maryhill canal basin outdoor views.) Victoria Park was the location for the park bench episode... so they definitely got in their 10,000 healthy steps a day going round that lot. More than I do every day.

The third mural in this area is another gable end one a minute away. At the junction of Paisley Road West and Mosspark Boulevard. A traditional Scottish piper image. An image known world wide, especially at international football matches and weddings but outside of that... and the Scottish tourist industry... not what we generally wear. I've only put on a kilt on three occasions in my life... all for weddings... then immediately back into the hire shop again afterwards. And very few if any Scottish football fans wear one to their local football matches. Rangers, Celtic, Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen, etc. Not a single kilt on show there.... or on the street in general life normally.  

An older mural I liked on a previous trip, seen from Cardonald Cemetery. Schoolkids obviously but brilliant.

I then parked the car on Mosspark Boulevard to go into Bellahouston Park and was lucky here as they were just installing the fences for the Summer Season of Concerts. 27th of June to 4th July 2026. Major music acts so I was glad I missed that just by lucky chance as it would have been mobbed. 30,000 to 80,000 folk predicted. Look at the woods here, above. This is my concert hall. And it's always been free. The first world wide web... Evolving and brewing magic over many millions of years. Infinitely complex and beautiful. All I need. The great forest.

A flying grizzly bear. Shouldn't be able to do it...fly that is...as aerodynamic as a fridge freezer or a washing machine with wings... but nobody told the bumblebee.

The bee meadow at Bellahouston Park. Common Spotted Orchid. Funnily enough all the bees were elsewhere.

I found them all in the walled garden instead. No wind, plenty of flowers, easy commute between plants.

The complexity of flowers.

High Rise Flats from the Walled Garden... which is next to C.R Mackintosh designed 'House for an Art Lover.'

I like this aspect of it. Pretty.

And this side is ok as well...

But I've always thought this side was not. Reminds me too much of deck access estates and brutalist architecture. If I lived here... seeing this everyday... I'd be depressed...

so I thought...

I'd change it... 

with some tasteful additions...

 Much better... a house that's always happy to see me.

Even the tame elephant that wanders around the vast plains of Bellahouston Park thought it was an improvement... and came over to see it...

 Suits a forest environment better I think. Free the Bellahouston Forest Elephant #  Boo. Give it a companion at least. Chains are for children...

Mosspark view.

Cardonald view.

The tower and the raven.

Much further up Paisley Road West there are other murals.

Cat and dog.

The colours of June.

This is probably one of the most beautiful 5 minute films you will ever see in your lifetime. And the most profound. Will we save the planet? Is that still an option? And if this is a teaspoon... does it get even smaller than this? Is there any end point for living things?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1JiJhWkM9M&list=RDf1JiJhWkM9M&start_radio=1

Govan Mural Trail. Elder Park. River Clyde Waterfront. Glasgow Attractions.

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A solo trip to Govan a few days ago as I'd spotted from a bus a couple of murals there I hadn't photographed before. The last time I visited Glasgow's underground system (The subway) was a few years ago. Since then white barriers have been erected, both at Govan and Partick (and I presume throughout the city subway system) and the sloping seats on both platforms have been made more comfortable to sit on waiting for a ride to arrive. (You used to slide off them very easily) . £1:75 return with my over 60s ticket but worth it as it's a full half hour walk on foot over the new swing bridge from Partick bus station to Govan yet 5 minutes by subway. And it was hot for Scotland, about 24c/25c predicted. ( 28c today as I write this.) The barriers are a new safety feature, keeping folk from falling onto the live rail or in front of a train, something I did think about at Hillhead Station on Byres Road, when it was mobbed years ago and the narrow middle platform there had trains and live rails on both sides of it, unlike here, with two wide platforms and trains only running in the middle section.

If visitors are already down at the Riverside Museum ( transport of every kind on display) and Tall Ship Glenlee, both seen here, it is easy now to walk across this pedestrian bridge and visit Govan. From the Riverside Museum central Govan, The Govan Stones, Elder Park and Fairfields Shipyards are all less than 30 minutes walk away. Although to visit them all and the murals and the RM takes around 3 to 4 hours at an easy pace. Plenty of seats here for a rest as well though.

As soon as you are over the swing bridge a short walkway leads along the River Clyde to  Govan Old Church where the Viking Era hogback stones are kept. Govan is an ancient settlement so before Glasgow got going as a city, (a church, one street, and a few cows back then) Govan was the place to visit for anyone sailing up the river: Ancient Kings, Viking warlords, local bigwigs. 

Given the violent times many are buried here around this church. Seen above in photo, the mouth of the River Kelvin flowing into the River Clyde and small boat flotilla. Photo below, Glasgow Harbour modern apartments, viewed  from the Govan walkway. which leads into the back of the church.

You can do a circular walk here as the front entrance of Govan Old ( church) leads onto Govan Road and many interesting period buildings there. Alternatively other murals on the Partick side exist at Eastvale Place just the other side of the Clydeside Expressway, ten minutes walk from the Riverside Museum but heading north, then Byres Road, the new University of Glasgow Plaza, Botanic Gardens and Kelvingrove Park and Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. All under an hour's interesting  and varied walk away. Glasgow can be a walking city and a delightful one. Or seen by bike, electric or otherwise. A tour of the West End I did a post on a couple of months ago.

For this post though the main focus is on Govan. A sign for Govan Old (church) and Fairfield Shipyard Museum, both free entry, (donations box only) Both are worth visiting.

Govan old church. Various excavations have been carried out in this area around the graveyard as the findings are of national importance and the TV series Time Team has visited this site for TV programmes in the recent past.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Team
 

 Govan itself is a mixture of new and old buildings with an underground station and adjacent bus station hub at its heart. Although gentrification is slowly taking place here it still looks and feels like an old working class district, (same as Partick,) and there's not many districts left in Glasgow that have that distinct feeling.

Part of the reason for that is the traditional old Scottish stone tenements  which still stand in both areas in large numbers, dating from the late 1800s early 1900s period and still lived in today by local families. Looked after, with some maintenance work, they could easily last another 100 years.

Ten minutes walk further along Govan Road in the direction of Linthouse sits Fairfield Shipyard museum. ( these two photos, above, are a few years old) Worth a look inside. Free entry as well. BAE systems still has working shipyards in this vicinity operating on the river, but best viewed from Glasgow Harbour on the other bank.

And directly across the road from Fairfield Museum is the green and leafy Elder Park. Last time I was here it was a few years ago in winter with a cold bitter wind blowing and grey skies overhead. I was not impressed by it. A stark and brutal place that day. Bare trees. No life. Freezing cold. This time however I fell in love with it. Colourful baskets around the entrance, local children playing in the broad grass meadows, summer growth in full swing. A medium sized park.

Elder Park view. From the gates of Elder Park, seen above, you can see one of the murals on Govan Road already but as I walked through the park first we will go that way.

Elder Park in June. Children playing football in the distance. This land was a gift from Isabella Elder the wife of the shipyard boss who did a lot of charity work in the area and had the title 'Lady' not from handed down peerage but bestowed by the local community for all the efforts she put in on their behalf.

She gifted this park and local library for their lasting benefit. Info here.

You could smell the roses in the rose garden before you could see them. The statue to Isabella Elder. (and her husband John as the park is in his memory. Like a lot of workaholic Victorian pioneers he died early.) Just behind this statue you can see one of the gable end murals and another gate leading out the park onto Langlands Road.

The first mural. 'Being a parent'  I'm calling this one. You can also see a local shop.

Local Shop frontage. Sir Alex Ferguson, football manager, who came from Govan and learned his man management skills working in the local pubs here as a young man. A useful education in how to handle folk I'd imagine.

A smashing little display in a nearby window from a few years ago. Forgot to check if it was still there this time.

My attention being grabbed by one of the new murals I was here to see. Still in Langlands Road. Another by Rogue One. ( Bobby McNamara) I'm a big fan of his work and his realistic style. Isabella Elder with her local library ( five minutes walk from here) her roses and her bees for company. The same artist also painted the boy and oak tree mural in Arden a few posts ago. He also did the Candleriggs mural and many others I've liked.

Two local Govan icons who made a big impact and lasting impression on the area.

And back across Elder Park I went, past this park pond, to find another cracking gable mural on Govan Road.

This time to a young Mary Barbour, leading organizer of the Govan Rent Strike protests then later a political pioneer, this time painted by muralist Jeks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Barbour

Heading back along Govan Road, just at the Fairfield Shipyards main gate and these colourful modern flats....

Is this unusual metal sculpture...then down this nearby street where Fairfields main gate is. Elder Street and Taransay Street leads to a bunch of other murals in a different impressionist style...

Which leads you back again to the Govan Walkway and the swing bridge to Partick.

One other notable mural in Govan is the daffodil girl. ( Daffodil King.)Ten minutes walk east in the other direction along Govan Road past Govan Cross heading towards Kinning Park. This one by artist Smug, another of my favourite gable end muralists.

And nearby, still on Govan Road, the old press buildings. Passed on the way to Daffodil girl. As you can see here built 1890, like many of the red sandstone buildings in both Govan and Partick, constructed  1880s to 1930s period when the city was expanding both in size of city boundary and population.

So there's plenty to see in a walk around Govan for locals or tourists.

Mermaids. Fairfield Museum detail.

The Pearce Institute on Govan Road. Cat A listed building and community hub. built early 1900s.

University of Glasgow from Govan Old Church Walkway. Lush summer growth in mid June. A butterfly and bee meadow.