"It's a very special, unique and precious place," says Arvind Salwan, taking in the view.

Twenty minutes from the centre of Glasgow by train, there is an oasis of calm where walkers and runners can very quickly forget how close they are to Scotland's largest city.
It was considered an ambitious project at its time.

In 1856 engineers appointed by the city's water authority were tasked with bringing water from Loch Catrine to Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire across a distance of 26 miles. Their goal was to create a clean water supply for a population which had endured successive cholera outbreaks, the water-borne virus costing thousands of lives.

However, the creation of Mugdock reservoir, which was opened by Queen Victoria in 1859 and appeared on postcards at the time, had other health benefits for urban dwellers. 

The Herald:

The Victorian public park movement, which started in the 1830s, sprung, out of a desire to improve health in the rapidly growing industrial cities.

The upper classes had long enjoyed green spaces, even in cities. But less fortunate people were shut out.

In Glasgow, the first of the city's 90 parks, was Kelvingrove in 1852 and from the 1880s wealthy benefactors gifted land to the city resulting in Cathkin Braes Park, Bellahouston and Rouken Glen Park.

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By the 1870s, the area around Milngavie reservoirs - a larger, adjoining one was later created - was landscaped for use as a public park with footbridges, public pathways and planting of woodland to the north of the reservoir. 

"It's an area of solace and one of the things it's managed to retain is a sense of tranquility, said Mr Salwan, who volunteers with Friends of Milngavie Reservoir (FoMR) group, which is marking its 20th year.

"It's an ideal place if you just want to do for a gentle stroll to clear your mind.

"The wildlife is engaging, the views are spectacular. 

"The interesting thing about the reservoirs is their dual purpose.

"Glasgow had unprecedented growth in industrialisation in the early and mid Victoria times and suffered negatively in terms of the health of the city's populations.

The Herald:

"There was poverty, declining standards of health and in Glasgow there were fatal outbreaks of water-borne diseases from contaminated drinking water. 

"So the Lord Provost at the time realised there was a public health emergency and drove proposals to set up a facility which ensured the city would have clean water.

"At its time, globally it was considered quite an ambitious project.

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"Milngavie sits quite high up in relation to Glasgow so the idea was through gravity and a series of pipes, sluice, tunnels and aqueducts, water would come from Loch Katrine and be gathered in the Mugdock reservoir, which is the smaller one. 

"That's where it would be collected and treated and distributed onwards to the city."

"With an increase in demand for fresh water and growing size of the city, the water authorities realised they needed another reservoir and work started on the adjoining, larger reservoir known as Craig Maddie in 1885.

What added to the attraction of the Milngavie reservoirs, which are now managed by Scottish Water, was their relatively easy access compared to others across Scotland. They were in easy reach by rail and road for those wishing to escape the dense urban environment of the city. Today, they attract around 170,000 visitors a year and numbers spiked when lockdown restrictions were lifted.

"It appeared on postcards so people got to know about it and public transport was always good," said Mr Salwan. "People went out of curiosity, it was the northern part of the city, you could see the Campsies and the Kilpatrick hills.

The Herald:

"A lot of effort went into the landscape. They planted trees including Scots pine and Horse Chestnut, they had woodland paths, they really gave it a lot of consideration. A lot of the trees there pre-date the reservoirs.

"I've seen Roe Deer, I've seen an eagle. You would be forgiven for thinking you are in the Trossachs.

"The main entrance is known as Commissioner's Walk and it runs along a tree lined avenue, which in the Spring and Summer is amazing because you are literally walking under a canopy of light coming through the trees.

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Mental Health Awareness Week gets underway tomorrow with a central theme about connecting with nature, something that more people have appreciated after the confines of lockdown.

Mr Salwan, who has been living in the area for 30 years, regularly runs the 3-mile reservoir perimeters, using it to train for the London marathon but said he developed a new appreciation for the public space during lockdown.

"I connected in a different way," he said.

"I think it's just being a bit more observant about the pace of the place and the wildlife, the flora, the fauna."

Lee Knifton, Director of Mental Health Foundation Scotland, said: “Spending quality time in and around nature can reduce stress and increase feelings of positivity. 

"This is something the Victorians were aware of when they created Milngavie Reservoirs and it still stands today.  

“This Mental Health Awareness Week we’re encouraging everyone to connect with nature to support their mental health.  You don’t have to be hiking up a Munro to feel the benefits; you can connect with nature in places closer to home such as visiting local parks, looking after a houseplant, or appreciating flowers in a garden.  

"I regularly walk round the Milngavie Reservoirs with my 3-year-old and always feel the benefits."