Mugdock Country Park is located to the north of Glasgow and sits astride the boundary between Stirling District and East Dunbartonshire. It extends to over 250 ha and comprises a mixture of habitats, including woodland, open moorland, pasture, parkland and policy woodland. The Country Park also contains Mugdock Castle, a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Mugdock Wood Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) accounts for around 170 ha of the Park’s extent. In addition to the woodland, the SSSI comprises open heathland habitats of Drumclog Moor and Mugdock Loch. The SSSI citation refers to the large area of undisturbed ancient woodland, with a variety of woodland communities, plus associate open habitat mosaic, and makes reference to the rare vascular plants and invertebrates.

HEL were commissioned by East Dunbartonshire to produce an environmental management plan for Mugdock Country Park in 1998. Given the presence of a SSSI within the Park, the production of the plan required close liaison with Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). The plan has been used by East Dunbartonshire and Mugdock Country Park Ranger Service to maintain and enhance the Park’s ecological features with particular emphasis on maintaining the favourable conservation status of the SSSI’s notified features. HEL are currently producing an updated version of the environmental management plan which will guide the Ranger Service in maintaining the Country Park in the future.