Rouken Glen Park Waterfalls

Waterfalls at Rouken Glen Park. Jonny Keen (Atlas Obscura User)

Walk in the woods at Rouken Glen park just south of Glasgow and you’ll come across a series of waterfalls cascading onto the rocks below. Over the years, visitors have speculated on whether these water features are human-made or natural, but the answer is somewhere in between.

The falls were diverted and expanded more than 200 years ago to be used as a power source by Victorian textile workers. The large waterfall was inspired by a natural one, though its height was doubled to form a better reservoir.

Visitors to the park can explore the waterfalls and their surroundings on the trails that crisscross through the woodland, including boardwalks over marshy ground. The remnants of the textile works which the waterfalls once powered can still be observed, including exposed wooden boards and iron beams, but these suburban waterfalls are as beautiful to look at as any in Scotland, despite their industrial history.

Know Before You Go

The waterfalls are dotted around the woodland trails in Rouken Glen park and are open to the public at all times of the day and night. The paths are steep in places and can get a little slippy in wet weather.

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