Thousands of people flocked to Rouken Glen Park today to celebrate the completion of a four-year restoration project.

The £3million project has seen the refurbishment and redevelopment of much loved features, the installation of new visitor interpretation signage and the discovery of important archaeological relics.

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The number of visitors to the Park has doubled over the life of the project, from 406,638 in 2011 (the year before it started) to 942,568 last year, putting it in the number two spot in the *Scottish Visitor Attraction Monitor table of Scotland’s top Outdoor Nature Attractions behind only Strathclyde Country Park and ahead of Drumpelier, Calderglen and the Helix in Falkirk.

The Celebration Day which featured music – both recitals in the walled garden and performances on the main stage – heritage walks, an eco zone, traditional fairground rides, puppet shows, storytelling, croquet, giant chess, a farmers’ market and festival of colour, should see visitor figures push ever closer to the one million mark.

The project attracted £2.15m from the Heritage Lottery Fund, with a further £1m coming from East Renfrewshire Council and has polished an already fantastic facility to perfection according to East Renfrewshire Council environment convener, Cllr. Vincent Waters.

He said: “Rouken Glen holds a very special place in the heart of visitors and I’m thrilled to see it restored to its former glory.

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“The park has also just been awarded its sixth consecutive Green Flag from Keep Scotland Beautiful, and last year was upgraded to a four-star Visitor Attraction by VisitScotland.

"Further ringing endorsement can be seen on the faces of the thousands of happy visitors that flock to the park each month!”

Key achievements over the last four years include: · Refurbished Pavilion Visitor Centre, which is home to the enhanced Park Ranger service and features a ‘History of Rouken Glen Park’ exhibition and re-opened in autumn 2013;

· A £300,000 re-developed children’s playpark, which has resulted in a significant increase in the number of families visiting the park since it first opened in summer 2014;

· Re-developed walled garden featuring new planting schemes, accessible paths, a paved area and poetry plaque, which opened in 2015;

· Extensive conservation work on the boating pond – affectionately known as ‘Swan Lake’.

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Most recently, work on the ‘Glen Walks’, which run from the boating pond to the main entrance on Rouken Glen Road, has seen reinstatement of the old Lovers’ Walk’ and discovery of a previously hidden waterfall, weir, flagstone path and dam built by the Victorians, described by Archaeology Scotland as “hugely significant”. Rouken Glen also boasts one of the most important geological sites in Scotland, with part of the glen designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in recognition of the best surviving exposures of fossil-rich Orchard beds in the Scotland.

The project funding allowed the council to work with Scottish Natural Heritage and local volunteer geologists to improve the condition of key rock exposures to allow them to be managed sustainably into the future.

Further information on the project can be found at www.roukenglenpark.co.uk