I don’t think I’ve ever managed to take a trip to Mugdock Country Park when it’s been a nice dry day. We headed out there a while back – once again when it was pretty miserable!
The weather didn’t really matter though; we had waterproofs and wellies, and I don’t bother much about mud. (It can be a pretty muddy park though so wellies are a must if it’s been raining.)
Anyway, Mugdock is such a beautiful park. It has loads of paths for heading out on a bigger walk, or you can stay near the visitor centre and explore the pond, play in the playpark and search for bugs. The latter being a favourite activity for my two.
Last time we were there we spent some time in the little playpark and the adventure play area behind it. The playpark itself isn’t huge, but mine both had a great time in there. There are swings, a climbing frame (quite tricky for the wee ones even though it’s not huge) with slide, zipline, a few noisy toys and a wee bit for the little kids.
They love the wee adventure play area out the back where there are a lot of sticks to play with, dens, bits to walk across and play on. There’s also a wee pagoda in the middle if you need somewhere under cover to have a picnic.
We usually play in here for a while, building dens, or playing in the ones already built. It’s a great bit to let kids run wild and use their imagination. It’s pretty much fully enclosed too, so if you have one who’s a flight risk (both of mine were at one point) it’s a good spot to give them some freedom but make sure they don’t escape!
We threw sticks in the pond, looked for bugs, watched the ducks and found the wee waterfall. Afterwards, we took our pup a walk; there are loads of different routes to walk in Mugdock. You could go a different walk every day for a month!
We like heading towards Mugdock Castle. There’s a wooden boardwalk on the way there that the kids just love going across. Again, imaginations run wild here!
We explored the castle for a while. It’s definitely one that the kids really enjoy. It’s pretty open so they can have lots of freedom to explore it and play here, and I can let them get on with it because I can keep an eye on them. (And if I can’t, I can definitely hear them.)
We got pretty muddy on our last visit, and very soggy as well. After a quick heat back in Charlie’s cafe at the visitor centre we headed home for dinner and hot baths all round. Everyone slept well that night. Even the pup!
The kids had their waterproofs on (those Lidl waterproofs live in our car so it never matters if it rains).
The Cafe
There’s a cafe at the visitor centre which is good for a cuppa on a chilly day. I’ve never been in it when there haven’t been a few kids there, but it doesn’t feel like the most kid friendly place. It’s a decent cafe though.
The Cost
Mugdock is totally free. Parking is available at a few points (we always head to the visitor centre to park) and is also free.
The Verdict
We always have a great time at Mugdock Country Park. It’s a huge open space to explore with a great castle and a nice wee playpark. Totally free as well, with free parking. And they have a bunch of family friendly events on throughout the year. Keep an eye on their facebook page for all the info.
