dams to darnley country park
Thornliebank
Since 2004, East Renfrewshire Council and Glasgow City Council have been working
together to develop and manage Dams to Darnley Country Park. The country park
sits between Barrhead, Darnley and Newton Mearns, and is made up of a patchwork
of woodland, grassland, open water, wetland and farmland. Throughout the year,
the Dams to Darnley Countryside Ranger Service run events, health walks and
volunteering activities. They also offer outdoor learning opportunities for
local schools. The Barrhead dams, the country park's most striking feature, is a
series of 5 interconnected reservoirs owned and managed by Scottish Water. The
Brock Burn is the source for the Barrhead dams. This small, but important
watercourse also provides a corridor for wildlife and has influenced the country
park's historical landscape for centuries. As the Brock Burn continues its
journey north beyond the Barrhead dams it becomes the focus of Dams to Darnley
Local Nature Reserve. The reserve contains a mosaic of woodland, grassland and
wetland habitats. The largest woodland is Waulkmill Glen, an important ancient
semi-natural site. The glen is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest
because of its geology and includes the remains of a 324 million year old
tropical, marine environment.
