Shields Road Station – Park and Ride, Scotland Street School and the M8 motorway
Shields Road is one of the main stations on the south side of the subway map due to it’s large Park and Ride car park. It is situated in a strategic location at the last motorway junction before town, and this, coupled with the large and modern “Park & Ride” car park next door, makes Shields Road the drop off point for those who do not want to take their car into the city centre. For many people who live outside the city on the south side, this is the main jumping off point for their morning commute and can be relatively busy during rush hour.
Considering the fun one way system and lack of reliable parking in town, it is a very good option for many regular commuters. Both the M8 and the M77 feed on to the Shields Road junction and if you are travelling in from the West or South West of Glasgow, then Shields Roads is your best park and ride spot. Parking costs £5 and £2.40 with a ticket, so it is very reasonable.
The car park is directly next door so no walking involved. However, there can be a queue outside during the morning and evening rush hour when a considerable amount of cars try to park here. Out of hours it is much easier to use.
There is actually not much around the station itself as it sits sandwiched between the motorway, the busy Shields Road / Scotland Street junction and its own multi story car park. There are a few industrial units on both the Kinning Park and West Street side, but very little else. It is also a fair walk down Shields Road to get in to Pollockshields.
The one big exception to this, is the magnificent Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed Scotland Street School that sits just opposite the station itself. It is a classic example of both Mackintosh design and Victorian architecture in general. Open as a museum every day except Monday, it is an important part of Glasgow’s heritage. Well worth getting off at Shields Road for a quick look.
Legions of school children can often be seen being led in for a bit of classical Victorian education. In the past, the school has run authentic lessons from the Victorian age for primary school children, although I am not sure if it is still something they do. Either way, the school is a fantastic treasure of a building and something I think all Glaswegians look on with great fondness.
For all those on a subcrawl, Shields Road presents a bit of a dilemma. For the purists, it has to be Manhattan’s which is a good 10 minute walk down Shields Road. Nowadays though, many people opt to do the Stanley Bar instead and just walk on to Kinning Park, or skip Shields Road altogether.
One other thing worthy of note is a 24 hour car wash (yes, 24 hour!) just down the road from the station. If you feel the need to take your vehicle to be valeted at 4am in the morning, then this is the place for you. Very handy if you are a character in Grand Theft Auto.
Overall, Shields Road is mainly a vehicle-to-tube transit point with close access to the motorway. Other than the magnificent Scotland Street school, it is a fairly isolated stop on the network.