by Mikey Jarrell

For me, as well as thousands of others, Queen’s Park became a lifeline during the lockdown. Scotland’s wild places were tantalisingly off limits, and I felt so lucky to have such a large and exciting green space on our doorstep. On each daily walk, I would stray bit a further from the usual paths and discover new hidden meadows, flowers, and woodland nooks. Not only that, but the views out to the wild horizons beyond the city reminded me that the outside world was still there.

These facts will give you a peek into some of Queen’s Park’s secrets without leaving the comfort of your home. I’m listing established facts, but there are also plenty of tall tales out there - like the oft-repeated idea that Sinead O’Connor’s video for “Nothing Compares To You” was shot at the park gates. Some have even become myths. Did you know that Mary Queen of Scots had her head chopped off by the duck pond? Me neither.

Southside natives might be familiar with some of the stories below (or versions of them) and those more new to town will soon be able to tell tales like a local. If you’re sitting on any other hidden trivia-nuggets, share them in the comments below!

There’s a racetrack, sort of.

Ever wondered about the oval area ringed by the low fence just next to the Victoria Road entrance? It’s now full of exasperated dog owners clambering over the fence to retrieve naughty doggos, but the ring was actually made for four-legged friends of a different kind. In the 1960s, ponies would carry excited kids around the circuit all day long. Any modern re-enactments using very large Labradors are probably just accidental.

It’s not named after the Queen that you might think it is.

Although the park was opened in the reign of Queen Victoria, it’s actually named after a very different monarch. The hilltop in Queen’s Park was where the Earl of Moray’s army gathered before entering battle with Mary Queen of Scots in 1568, just to the south of the park in what was then the small, sleepy village of Langside. The Earl of Moray badly defeated Mary’s army, which was led by the Earl of Argyll. Three hundred of their men died during the defeat, and rumour has it that they are all buried in the area of marshland that is now the park duckpond. Argyll wasn’t very experienced in commanding armies, and to make matters worse, was ill on the day of the battle. Which just goes to show: sometimes it’s best to just take the day off work sick, no matter what your boss says.

Moorhen in Queen’s Park | Photo by @Dochanmac

Birds and beasts abound.

Much of the higher parts of the park – known as Hill 60 – feel like wild places, with uncut grass and meadows of wildflowers. They are deliberately managed this way, so that as many different types of plant and animal as possible can thrive there. Uncut grass encourages flowers, which in turn bring insects, then birds, frogs, voles and other wee beasties to join the party. This much biodiversity is a really good thing because it makes each species stronger than they would be alone – but it’s also a special and unusual thing, at least in urban locations like our awesome park.

Not all castles are made of stone.

The north-west side of the upper hill, the wooded bit with all the big trees, contains the remains of an ancient earthwork construction that’s thought to be from the Norman period, or even earlier. Excavators in the 1950s said that it can “best be described as a clay castle” which sounds about as much use as a soup sandwich. More encouragingly, later archaeologists thought that it was probably made of wood and clay. A better sandwich? Probably not.

The famous Glasshouse had a dance music festival.

The Zen garden isn’t the only chilled-out thing in there with the flora and fauna. From 2003 to 2013 (with the odd year off) the glasshouse was host to The Wee Chill, an electronic music festival which, at its peak, had a capacity of 1000 party people and showcased some of the most exciting names in dance music (and beyond). If you’re thinking that it doesn’t really sound that chilled, that’s because the name was a cheeky nod to the famous festival The Big Chill, down in Herefordshire. Although I don’t remember that being particularly relaxed either, at least after the sun went down.

The glasshouse dome structure ‘is currently being removed to ensure the structure can be preserved while long term plans for the glasshouse are developed. It is hoped that the iconic structure can be refurbished and restored. To achieve this Glasgow City Council would like to work with interested parties to ensure the long term sustainability of the facility. To express your interest email info@friendsofqueenspark.org.uk or LES@glasgow.gov.uk

Camphill Museum used to house some of the Burrell Collection.

The grand Camphill House, next to Goals football centre, was built for a rich cotton merchant around 1800, but when the park appeared around it 98 years later, it passed into civic hands and became a museum. It held part of the famous Burrell Collection for a while, and was the Museum of Costume in its later years. In the 1990s it was converted from a museum - which Glasgow doesn’t have many of - to the current posh private flats, which… well, you see where this is going.

The view from the flagpole goes all the way to the Trossachs.

On a clear day up at the flagpole, visitors may be able to make out the sound of people arguing about which mountain is which, when looking to the north. What isn’t debatable is that the view is incredible, with the Campsie Fells looming across the northern horizon, and a gap to their left revealing the distant Trossachs and the southernmost of the Munros. Why not impress friends and unwitting strangers (from a distance) with your unsolicited knowledge of the panorama using this handy web tool, that generates a fully labelled image of the famous view.

The Halabja Tree commemorates those killed in the the largest chemical attack against civilians in history.

In 1988, one of the final atrocities of the Iran-Iraq war saw thousands of Kurdish civilians killed in the Kurdish town of Halabja in Iraq. The Friends of Kurdistan (Scotland) group planted the tree opposite the old farmhouse near the eastern bowling greens in Queens Park in remembrance of the dead. As well as another nearby tree planted to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the UN, there’s also an unmarked Beech tree planted by Belgian refugees in the First World War. More recently, in 2019, a rose tree and plaque was planted to mark the Roma Genocide Memorial Day.

The park’s designer also invented the banana.

Sort of. The Cavendish banana is the most-consumed type of banana in the western world, and it was first cultivated by Joseph Paxton. Not being satisfied with revolutionising the second-hardest-to-rhyme fruit, he then went on to design Queens Park and Crystal Palace.

Langside Hall wasn’t always a hall, or even in Langside.

The other stately building in the south-west corner of Queen’s Park, Langside Hall, used to be a bank on Queen Street in the city centre - nearly three miles away! It was famous across the UK when built there in 1847, for its intricate sculptures and fine architecture. In 1903, when the newly-built park needed a civic hall, the building was bought from the bank and moved in its entirety to the southside, brick by brick. Confused? At least it isn’t still called the National Bank of Scotland.

The beds of the Poetry Rose Garden form the shape of a thistle.

This lovely area of the park features carved stones carrying quotes from 12 famous Scottish poets through the ages, from Robert Burns to Violet Jacob . Since it was built, trees have grown that obscure the view from the air, so its thistle layout can no longer be seen but it’s fun to wander around the garden, take in the carvings and try to work it out. It’s now probably impossible to prove, but all the best facts are though, right?

There’s a tunnel beneath the park big enough for a double-decker bus.

Following severe flooding in 2002, a plan was made to dig a vast wastewater tunnel beneath the south of Glasgow. Finally finished in 2018, the Shieldhall tunnel is five times as long as the Clyde Tunnel and runs from Craigton to under Queen’s Park. UK cities are full of rumours of secret tunnels, and seeking them out has become a popular, if terrifying pastime. In this case though, it’s recommended that you leave it be, as it’ll be full to the brim of more than just floodwater.

Of course this list not exhaustive. There are plenty of other stories that this park could tell - from Paul Robeson’s legendary May Day performance in 1960 to the many courtships that took place on the infamous Hill 60. What are your favourite Queen’s Park facts?