We stopped at Dollar Park in Falkirk for a quick stretch of the legs this weekend while visiting family.
It’s not a huge countryside walk like many of the places we normally go, but it’s a surprisingly pleasant park, and it actually has quite a bit of history behind it.
Parking & Location
There is a small car park inside the park, although on this visit we actually walked there from where we were staying nearby.
It was easy enough to find, although we’ve been here before. The park sits beside a fairly busy road, and from what I can tell it’s quite close to Falkirk town centre.
The Park Itself
Dollar Park is bigger than your average local park, but still compact enough that a full lap doesn’t take long.
We mostly walked across the large grassy area, which gives plenty of space to move around if needed. On a sunny Saturday afternoon it was quite busy, with families, children and other dogs about.
One of the nicest things about the park is thetrees. There are lots of mature and unusual trees dotted throughout the park, which makes it feel much more interesting than a typical open field.
Historically the grounds were known for their ornamental tree collection, including redwoods, laburnum and various yews planted in the 1800s. One particularly interesting feature is a large layered yew tree that has been spreading naturally for around 200 years.
At the front of the park, along the main road, the landscaping is especially nice with paths, trees and well-kept gardens.
A Bit of History
Dollar Park used to be the grounds of Arnotdale House, which was built in 1831 for a Falkirk solicitor.
In the early 1920s, the estate was gifted to the town by Robert Dollar, a Falkirk-born businessman who made a huge fortune in the American lumber and shipping industries. He donated the house and its grounds so the people of Falkirk could enjoy a public park.
The park still contains several historic features, including a restored walled garden, which today is used for community projects and events.
How It Is With Dogs
We visited on a sunny Saturday afternoon, so the park was fairly busy.
There were a few off-lead dogs, including one enthusiastically chasing tennis balls – which definitely triggered Pepper’s chase instinct. At one point she nearly took my arm off trying to join in.
The good thing, though, is that the open grass area gives you plenty of space to move away. We paused a couple of times to let other dogs or families pass before continuing.
There’s also a play park and tennis courts, but these are fenced off which is helpful for keeping dogs separate from those areas.
A train line runs very close to the park too, but there’s fencing along that section so it feels safe.
How the Girls Did
Heidi had a great time and even had a zoomies session across the grass, which was nice to see.
Pepper had a couple of moments – reacting to the tennis ball dog and trying to chase a pigeon, but overall she did pretty well considering there were few dogs scattered about.
She wore her muzzle, which always helps me relax a little more in busier places. At one point she was happily playing football with a stick, which kept her amused for a while.
Overall
You can easily do a lap of the park in about 20 minutes, although we took our time and just strolled around.
It’s not a destination dog walk in the same way as some countryside routes, but it’s a lovely green space in the middle of Falkirk and perfect for a quick walk or leg stretch.
