Stunning village less than hour away from Glasgow with its own miniature railway set kids will love

Sean Murphy

1 May 2024 at 11:44 am·2-min read

The Strathaven miniature railway is great for the kids, while the boat pond is absolutely brilliant in the sunshine. -Credit:Andy Nicol

With Scotland hopefully returning to sunnier days, it only makes sense to get out and explore (or rediscover) the beautiful places surrounding Glasgow for a wee day out.

And one pretty market town not too far from the city makes for an amazing family day out.

Strathaven (pronounced Stray-ven), in South Lanarkshire, is stunning in the sunshine and feels like you have been transported to the Cotswolds with beautiful buildings, a castle, and an award-winning park with its own miniature railway - plus plenty of top food and drink spots and shops.

The town even has its own eco bus, the 3C, which runs Monday to Saturday from North Hanover Street just off George Square and starts at 8.15am and runs until the last bus from Strathaven at 8 pm.

Priced at £6 single (£12 return and free for concessions) the bus takes you straight to the heart of the town.

But it's the railway the kids will love, found in the town's George Allen Park, it's the oldest miniature railway in the country having been entertaining children (big and small) for over 75 years.

Running Saturdays and Sundays, from March until September 30th, the mini trains are on the line from 11am until 4.30pm.

The best part? Fares for adults and children are only £1 per passenger, with profits going to help this magical piece of heritage on the go.

Enjoy a selection of trains, including original steam locomotive, Margaret, who has been running in some format since the original opening day in 1949, according to Strathaven Model Society Ltd, the firm behind the little railway.

Loved by fans across the UK, it's well worth the trip to see, we can't recommend it enough.

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