Yesterday we visited Mugdock Country Park, and before we did, we had to check whether we had actually been there before. We searched on our phones and searched my blog, and as I always say, if I don't remember visiting a place, then for now, my conclusion is that I haven't visited it. Well, I was wrong. We had actually been to Mugdock before, but we had never really explored the country park itself. We had gone on a date to one of the restaurants within the park, and I remember enjoying the meal and wandering around the lovely garden centre beside it, but that was about it. So this time we decided to visit Mugdock properly. Like always, I woke up feeling that I couldn't let this holiday pass without getting outside and enjoying God's creation. I got ready and spent some time reading blogs, we ate and eventually headed out. The funny thing is that we have driven along the road leading to Mugdock several times. It is one of those places that is close to the city but somehow feels far away from it, and I really like that about it. When we arrived, I realised we were back in the same area we had visited before. That first time it had been raining, so we stayed around the restaurant, but this time we went further into the park. There is a visitor centre, cafés, shops, a garden centre, gallery spaces, open grounds, woodland and plenty of paths, so there was quite a lot to look around before we even started our walk. We also ended up having one of those random conversations with a man we had never met before. He was joking about his wife wanting him to retire because, according to him, she already had plans for the two of them to be going shopping together all the time. It was such an ordinary conversation, but I actually enjoyed it. Sometimes little moments like that make an outing feel warmer. We walked towards the new playpark, and I immediately understood why families would enjoy this place. The playground was officially opened in June 2026 and has been completely upgraded, with an owl play structure, slides, rope climbing, swings, a zipline, a frog seesaw, a tipi carousel and other features inspired by wildlife found around Mugdock. It is enclosed, spacious and feels like a place where children can actually run around and enjoy themselves while parents can relax nearby. We then continued walking, enjoying the views and taking in the surroundings. At some point we realised we had taken a different route from the one we had been told to take. We had spoken to an older couple who told us it would take around 20 minutes to get to the castle, and because we were in Mugdock Country Park, we naturally assumed they meant Mugdock Castle. We were wrong again. We eventually found ourselves at the ruins of Craigend Castle instead. I am going to save the proper history of Craigend Castle for another post because there is quite a bit to say about it, but for now, just know that Mugdock has more than one historic castle site and our little wrong turn took us to Craigend. The ruins were covered in vegetation and barricaded, so we couldn't get as close as we would have liked, but I still took some photographs and enjoyed seeing it for myself. And honestly, this is where I had to be honest with myself about the park. Mugdock is beautiful, but I didn't feel that immediate connection I have felt in some other parks. I have visited places that gave me butterflies and made me stop and stare, and I think once you've experienced that kind of beauty, it can affect the way you see another place. It doesn't mean the place isn't beautiful. Sometimes you've simply seen something that affected you differently. Maybe that was what happened to me yesterday. I was happy, I enjoyed myself and I appreciated being there, but I didn't have that feeling of being completely taken by the place. Still, I think Mugdock is lovely. I especially like the fact that you can enter the park for free and have so much space to enjoy. You can walk, hike, run, cycle, walk your dog, picnic, explore the woodland, follow trails, look out for wildlife, visit the historic areas, stop for something to eat or simply sit somewhere and enjoy being outside. The park is also clearly a place for people of different ages. I saw quite a few older people walking around, and I genuinely loved seeing that because people deserve safe and welcoming places where they can simply go outside, move around and enjoy their lives. We visited on a weekday, so it wasn't particularly busy, although I imagine it is much livelier on weekends and during events. One thing I will say, though, is about dog owners. We saw dog mess left on the ground in places where children and other visitors were walking. If you choose to have a dog, please be responsible enough to clean up after it. Pick up after your dog. It really is that simple. Everyone should be able to enjoy the park without having to watch where they step.
Now, about the zoo. I almost entered, I really did. I walked through the front door and immediately knew this was not going to work for me. I cannot stand the smell of animals. I don't even go near the animal food section in Tesco because of the smell, so imagine me walking into a zoo. The smell was exactly what I was trying to avoid, so I turned around and left immediately. No shame in knowing your limits. I went back outside and carried on walking around the park instead, taking in all the greenery and watching some people playing football. I actually loved that part of my visit because there was something so simple about just wandering around, breathing in the fresh air and letting my mind settle. I also had my first ever taste of potatoes with curry that day, and honestly, it wasn't bad at all. Calderglen Country Park is on Strathaven Road in St Leonards, East Kilbride, G75 0QZ, with parking facilities including a main car park and accessible parking. There is plenty to do whether you want a peaceful walk, a family day out, a picnic, some food at the Courtyard Café, a little adventure with the children, golf, nature photography or simply somewhere to escape after work. For me, though, it was just a late afternoon visit that turned into a really lovely memory. Sometimes that is all you need.
