HERMITAGE Park in Helensburgh has this week received a prestigious accolade ranking it alongside some of the best green spaces in the country.

Environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful revealed that the park is one of around 70 across the nation to be presented with a Green Flag Award.

Nearby Levengrove Park in Dumbarton has also been recognised.

Barry Fisher, chief executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “I would like to congratulate all of Scotland’s award-winning parks.

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"Receiving this prestigious international benchmark recognises all the hard work that has gone into maintaining and managing these precious green open spaces.

“Every single one of these parks provides an invaluable service to the local communities that it serves - from creating a safe space to play, to think, to work out – and they helped to address many of the health and wellbeing challenges we faced as a country during lockdown.”

“Spending time in nature can be good for people’s health and wellbeing, and merely living in a greener neighbourhood can be good for health.

"The Green Flag Award recognises the valuable, and tangible contribution that these parks make towards the nation’s well-being.”