Dams to Darnley Country Park

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.