GLASGOW, THE WEST AND CENTRAL

Dear Green Places can inspire your mind, body and spirit

Whether it’s a spectacular view over the Irish Sea, a peaceful stroll just moments from a subway stop, or even a spiritual Buddhist retreat, Glasgow, Central and the West has the garden for you.

It may have a reputation as a hard city but they call Glasgow the Dear Green Place for a good reason.

And it’s not because someone’s dropped the salad from their kebab on the pavement.

There’s a domed glasshouse, containing a smorgasbord of global fauna, only seconds from the restaurants and bars of bustling Byres Road.

In fact there’s an international flavour to many of the gardens, too.

Who would have thought Dunoon was home to 50 towering trees native to the Sierra Mountains in Nevada?

And in Hamilton there’s a flavour of France, with a park named after a Scottish nobleman’s influence on the marriage of Mary Queen of Scots and Francis, Dauphin of France.

While in Falkirk, fans of hit Scottish adventure drama Outlander can journey to a modern chateau, an ornamental garden and a fine tearoom.

In fact our Scone Spy has selected four of the finest cafes in the region for you to visit around the area.

If Outlander isn’t your thing then perhaps Downton Abbey is – a wonderful Edwardian Kitchen, complete with gossip over the range – in the South Side of Glasgow might tickle your fancy.

Or perhaps a cup of coffee beneath a towering piece of stunning Scottish engineering in Falkirk that’s famous the world over?

If that particular Scottish landmark sounds a bit too physical then you can discard your earthly concerns and turn a garden stroll into a properly spiritual journey.

There’s a genuine Tibetan Monastery in Langholm that is unlike anything anywhere else in area, or the country – or even the rest of the UK.

Statues usually only seen in places like Nepal or Thailand nestle happily in the rolling hills of Scotland – it’s something you might want to enjoy one day.

And if it’s something else out of the ordinary then a converted coal mine in Dumfries and Galloway could be perfect for any children, or even perhaps big children.

This wonderful attraction even contains a network of paths exploring outer space.

So, what are you waiting for?