Our little big adventure really did not want to end at Tannoch Loch. After leaving Tannoch Loch, we got back in the car and started heading home, but then we saw Drumclog Moor Car Park and something in me said, wait, why are people parking here? What is actually around here? So we drove past, then reversed and decided to have a look. I am glad we did because this little decision took us somewhere we had completely missed earlier in the day. There was a map, so this time we actually stood there and looked at it properly, and that was when I realised there was something else around Mugdock Country Park that we had not seen: Mugdock Reservoir. Remember how I told you we had gone looking for Mugdock Castle earlier and somehow ended up at Craigend Castle instead? Well, apparently we had been walking around Mugdock without fully understanding just how much was around us. This time, with the map in front of us, we could see the reservoir and decided to walk towards it. 

When we got closer, I could see the water properly and honestly, it was lovely. Some sections were fenced and protected, which I completely understand because this is a working reservoir and not somewhere you should simply wander wherever you want. But we found a section where we could get a much better view, and I was immediately taking photographs. I was also a little nervous because I had to walk across some of the metal structures and, as much as I appreciate human intelligence, I still have that little voice in my head asking, "Are you sure this thing is going to hold you?" I was very conscious of every step I took on those metal sections, but then I stopped and looked around and thought about what I was actually standing on. This wasn't just some random structure. It was part of a Victorian engineering project that had been designed more than 160 years ago to bring clean water to Glasgow. The whole thing suddenly felt much bigger than the pretty view I had been photographing. Mugdock Reservoir was constructed between 1855 and 1859 as part of the Glasgow Corporation Water Works and the Loch Katrine water supply scheme. The scheme was driven forward by Glasgow's Lord Provost Robert Stewart and designed under the direction of the engineer John Frederic La Trobe Bateman, who had identified Loch Katrine as the right source for Glasgow's growing need for clean water. The water traveled from Loch Katrine through an enormous system of tunnels, aqueducts and other infrastructure before reaching Mugdock Reservoir near Milngavie. The original aqueduct was around 26 miles long, and much of it was constructed using gravity, meaning the water could make its journey without being pumped all the way from the Highlands. Mugdock therefore became an important storage reservoir at the end of this remarkable system. Queen Victoria formally opened the first Loch Katrine scheme in 1859, and it became fully operational in 1860.

I am glad you all are enjoying these day-trip posts, but did you know that on the day we visited Bishop Loch, we also stopped by Lochend Burn? The entrance was just in the opposite direction.

To be honest, we originally headed over because I was hungry and looking for something to eat, but since we were already nearby, we thought, why not? It was the perfect opportunity to see what was there and enjoy somewhere new. It is not a massive location, so it took far less time to explore, making it a fantastic, breezy addition to our day.

Once we had sorted out something to eat, we decided to have a wander around Lochend Burn and see what it had to offer.

We started from the Bishop Loch gateway area, crossed towards the distinctive red steel footbridge over the M73, and followed the paths along Lochend Burn before looping back the same way. The full walk took just under an hour at an easy pace, with plenty of stops along the way to take in the surroundings.

Tucked away on the boundary between Easterhouse and North Lanarkshire, Lochend Burn is a peaceful watercourse that plays a vital role in connecting the local landscape. If you are already visiting Bishop Loch, crossing over to explore these quiet trails is a no-brainer.

Yesterday, I visited Sighthill Park and it felt like an endless journey while sitting in one spot.

Not because something huge happened.
Not because life suddenly changed.
But because for a few hours, I sat in the middle of nature, people, noise, sunlight, birds, trains, conversations, and human behaviour, and I simply observed life happening around me.

I planned an ice cream date for myself.

Three flavours.
One park.
One chair.
One long evening with nature and my thoughts.

So I headed to Sighthill Park in Glasgow for what I thought would just be a peaceful outdoor personal picnic and alone time. But somehow the day became much more than that.

Arriving at Sighthill Park

The weather was beautiful.

Not too hot.
Not too cold.
The kind of weather that makes Scotland feel softer.

The sun kept disappearing and returning again throughout the evening, changing the entire mood of the park every few minutes. One moment I had my sweater on because the breeze became cool, and the next moment the sunlight returned with warmth pressing gently against my skin until I had to take it off again.

I did not arrive early.
I entered into the evening hours instead.

And honestly, I think evening is one of the best times to experience this park in summer.

People become slower.
The light changes.
The sounds change.
Everything begins to soften.

I walked around Sighthill Park for a while, taking photos before finally finding a comfortable spot to sit and relax.

At some point I let my hair out completely free and just sat there breathing in the day.

The Beauty of Sighthill Park

There is something very calming about Sighthill Park.

The greenery feels almost unreal.

Scottish grass is honestly so green that sometimes it looks painted by hand. Like somebody carefully coloured every inch of it.

The trees moved constantly with the wind, waving their leaves as though they were alive and speaking to each other.

The grass danced.
The birds circled the sky.
The sun stretched itself across the field.

And beside the park, trains kept passing.

That became one of my favourite parts of the evening.

The sound of trains moving beside nature creates such a strange but comforting feeling. Every time one passed, it interrupted the silence for only a few seconds before the park returned to calmness again.

By the third train, I had started looking forward to hearing the next one.

Watching People Exist

One thing parks teach you is that human beings are endlessly interesting.

You sit still long enough and eventually life walks right past you.

Teenagers gathered around the playground laughing loudly, screaming each other’s names, joking, pushing each other around, running, and trying to enjoy the warm weather before night came.

Some people rode bikes through the pathways.

An elderly woman walked slowly in front of me taking one careful step at a time.

A lady walked past listening to music through her headphones, completely inside her own world.

Three teenage girls walked together enjoying the weather, smiling and talking.

A woman dressed fully in black walked behind me while pressing her phone.

A couple passed in front of me — the girl wearing a butter yellow cardigan and grey pants while the boy beside her wore all black and smoked while they quietly discussed something and smiled together. They looked peaceful.

Three older men later sat not too far away from me. They looked like they were in their late 40s or early 50s. They had food with them and honestly it looked like their own version of a picnic.

They sat together quietly.
A kettle sat beside them.
One of them later walked around picking trash from the area.

That moment stayed with me.

Because parks only remain beautiful when people decide to care for them.

My Thoughts While Sitting There

While sitting in that park I found myself thinking deeply.

I stared across the field wondering:

Who first imagined this place?
Who drew the original plan?
Whose dream was this?

Did somebody once sit at a table designing pathways, ponds, benches, playgrounds, and trees hoping one day strangers would come there searching for peace?

And then another thought came into my mind:

How many people die without seeing their dreams come true?

The park made me think about life in a strange way.

Nature slows your thoughts down enough for questions to finally surface.

A Call With My Sister

While I sat there, I was also on call with my sister (sometimes) while she prepared to travel and buy a few items before going home.

And while talking to her, I realised something important again:

I genuinely enjoy my own company.

And I do not think that is a bad thing.

People sometimes act as though enjoying solitude means loneliness, but they are not the same thing.

You can enjoy people and still deeply enjoy yourself too.

Birds Everywhere

The birds at Sighthill Park were extremely active.

I saw seagulls everywhere around the ponds.
Hundreds of black birds covered parts of the park.
Birds flew overhead constantly, making sharp, quirky sounds across the evening sky.

There used to be two swans in the ponds during previous visits, but this time I did not see them.

Honestly, I think the seagulls chased them away.

Swans seem peaceful.
Seagulls seem like professional troublemakers.

And the benches proved the birds had fully claimed ownership of the park.

Many benches were covered in bird droppings.

At one point I even laughed to myself, thinking:

“These birds are probably taking revenge on humans. You people litter nature all year and now suddenly during summer you want to enjoy the park? No way.”

That was my inner thought speaking.

But while watching the birds, I also started thinking spiritually.

How do birds know when to migrate?
How are those instincts built into them?
Who taught them?

Nature always reminds me that creation is far too intentional to simply exist by accident.

The sky above me looked like painted cotton candy.
Blue.
White.
Soft.
Never competing with anything.
Just existing beautifully.

My Childhood Memory Returned

At some point I turned sideways on the chair trying to become more comfortable and started watching the road beside the park.

Then suddenly a childhood memory returned to me.

When my classmates and I walked home from primary school, we used to play a game while walking beside the road.

The first person to point at an approaching car owned the car.

“My car!”
“No, my car!”
“That one is mine!”

And somehow a walk that should have taken 10 minutes turned into almost an hour because we kept waiting for more cars to claim.

Funny how tiny memories stay hidden inside your mind for years waiting for one random moment to return.

Ice Cream and Radio Conversations

Then I paused to enjoy my second ice cream.

When I opened it, it was smashed.

So I flattened it out, crushed some Pringles onto it, and used the wooden stick from the ice cream to eat it anyway.

Honestly?
It tasted good.

Then I turned on my radio.

One discussion on the radio talked about prostate cancer and whether all men should eventually be screened or if testing should focus mainly on men with family genetic history.

And somehow that conversation mixed into the atmosphere of the park too.

That is the strange thing about public spaces.

Everyone arrives carrying their own life, worries, health concerns, relationships, memories, and stress into the same shared environment.

Teenagers, Chaos, and Concern

As evening continued, the atmosphere around the playground became more intense.

Some teenagers played in ways that honestly felt disturbing rather than playful.

I watched boys aggressively grabbing girls by the neck.
One girl looked visibly uncomfortable.
Another teenager seemed heavily drunk despite looking only around 12 or 13 years old.

At one point four teenagers approached me. One boy had blood all over his hand and was extremely intoxicated. Drunk, he asked me for a “fist bump,” but I refused and told him to please leave.

When he tried lingering around me, I told him I was a police officer and would call the police if he did not leave immediately.

A teenage girl of about 13 years quickly dragged him away.

But later I watched from a distance as this young girl struggled to manage him while he staggered around the park unable to stand properly. They later sat down on a bench close to me and she sat on his leg, trying to get him to calm down and he immediately started rubbing her vagina area. I was so disappointed. 

And honestly, I felt deeply sad watching her.

Children are supposed to still be children.

Instead she looked emotionally exhausted trying to carry responsibilities far too heavy for her age.

Throughout the evening I kept asking myself:

When did childhood become so rushed?

I saw another boy and girl caressing and kissing in the park and I was worried for them; they are way too young to have this as their focus. They vaped and all had phones. Some looked intoxicated. I do not think there was any of them who were up to the age of 16 in that gathering.

The Park Began Feeling Different

The longer I sat there, the more the park transformed from peaceful scenery into a mirror reflecting society itself.

Some teenagers were kind.
Some looked completely lost.
Some looked vulnerable.
Some looked aggressive.
Some looked neglected.

I watched another young girl cry while a boy comforted her nearby.

Another teenager appeared injured.

One girl with a broken arm urinated on herself while walking towards me; she was embarrassed and told her friend she was leaving and left immediately.

And honestly, I became increasingly concerned for many of these children.

Their behaviour did not feel normal.
It felt like many of them were carrying burdens far beyond their age.

Yesterday, being Sunday, the Glasgow sun did something truly miraculous. It didn't just shine; it wrapped the entire city in a warm, golden embrace that had everyone flocking outdoors. Walking through the city, my inner child was absolutely screaming with joy. I seriously wish this weather could stay like this forever! I had such an incredible time that I couldn’t wait to get back, open my laptop, and share it all with you.

If you are looking for a perfect walking trip in Glasgow where you can get a massive dose of nature without actually leaving the inner city, you need to lace up your trainers and head exactly where I went today.

I walked for hours, easily clocking over 11,000 steps. Because I spent my entire afternoon trekking through beautiful trails, I officially decided: no gym for me yesterday! Nature provided all the cardio I needed.

Here is everything you need to know about Glasgow’s ultimate hidden haven called Hamiltonhill Claypits LNR.

The Essentials at a Glance

• Address: 250 Ellesmere St, Glasgow G22 5LZ

• Hours: Open 24 hours

• Highlights: Dogs allowed · Picnic tables · Playground · Fully accessible pathways

Happy New Year, everyone! Welcome to 2026. This is officially my first travel post of the year, and I’m so excited to kick things off with a gem I found right here in Glasgow.

If you missed my New Year’s post, I hope your year is starting off with peace and clarity. For me, it started with a trip to Hogganfield Loch (also known as Hogganfield Park). It wasn't a hard decision to head there; it popped up while I was browsing maps for nature spots, and the photos and Google reviews looked so promising. After church, I grabbed my gear and headed out—and let me tell you, it was the best decision.

When I arrived, the first thing I noticed was how popular this place is! The car park was jam-packed. I had to circle around for a bit waiting for someone to leave, so keep that in mind if you're visiting on a weekend. There’s a cute little kiosk selling coffee and snacks, and honestly, business was booming today. Even though the sun was out, don't let those photos fool you—it was freezing.

Once I stepped onto the path, the cold really hit me. It was one of those crisp winter days where the sun shines but the air bites. The loch was nearly frozen over, though not thick enough to walk on. Before I took in the full view, I was drawn to the birds.

The variety of birds here is remarkable. The loch’s shallow waters and surrounding habitats attract a huge range of bird life throughout the year. In winter especially, you’ll see Whooper Swans, sometimes arriving all the way from Iceland, and Common Goldeneye Ducks bobbing on the water. There are also Great Crested Grebes, Goosanders, Tufted Ducks, Gadwall, Wigeon, Teal, and more mixing with the usual mallards and swans. In the grassland and marshy edges, warblers and buntings make themselves heard in the warmer months, and woodlands host tits, blackcaps, and willow warblers when spring and summer arrive. Over 150 bird species have been recorded here, including occasional rarities, so birdwatchers will find plenty to enjoy. I saw two people with professional cameras taking photos.