Fairytale trail arrives at Bishopbriggs Park

The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, a Fairy Dell and a sleeping Dragon can all be found in the park after it was transformed into a magical world of make-believe and fun for all the family.

The newly-created wooden carvings are the work of the talented Iain Chalmers of Chainsaw Creations who has helped these fairytale characters come to life after being commissioned by East Dunbartonshire Council’s Streetscene Technical Support Team to create a Fairytale Trail.

It is just part of a number of improvements that have taken place at Bishopbriggs Park over the past year after the Council was awarded an £8,000 grant from the Tesco Bags of Help programme.

Councillor Stewart MacDonald, Convener of Neighbourhood Services, said: “This is a lovely project and I’m really pleased the Council has helped deliver this for people in Bishopbriggs.

“Council officers worked hard to secure the external funding and followed it through to the superb designs we see today.

“They are already a big hit with children whose imaginations have been fired by seeing their favourite fairytale characters come to life.

“I am sure the carvings will bring lots of pleasure to local children and their families for many years to come.”

The park was awarded the money, raised by collecting the 5p levy charged for single-use plastic carrier bags at the supermarket, after Tesco customers voted for their favourite shortlisted local project

The grant meant that some much needed environmental improvements could be carried out by East Dunbartonshire Council and volunteers to provide an enhanced visitor experience for both young and old alike.

This included the planting of a wide variety of trees ranging from Cherry, Oak, Beech and Holly and Hazel whips to Japanese Maples with their glorious autumn colour.

To provide some spring colour 2,000 daffodil bulbs were also planted in the woods.

Both Balmuildy Primary and Wester Cleddens Primary School pupils helped plant a variety of woodland native wildflowers ranging from the delicate Primrose to the vibrant Red Campion.

The Countryside Rangers worked with the pupils to plant a total of 5,000 pot grown wildflowers. These wildflowers will add a splash of colour to the woodlands of the park while also improving the biodiversity of Bishopbriggs Park.

Councillor MacDonald added: “The council was delighted to receive funding from the Bags of Help Programme, which will really help transform Bishopbriggs Park.

“It’s nice to know that the money raised from introducing charging for plastic bags is going to help support community participation in the development and use of open spaces.”