Getting a plot
The Glasgow Allotments Forum doesn’t manage memberships or waiting lists, so you’ll need to contact your preferred allotment site(s) directly.
Step 1 – Find your local site
Use our map to find the best site(s) for your location.
An allotment takes a lot of work, so it’s best to pick a site close to home, where it’s easy to reach when you’re low on motivation to go out in the rain!
We group them informally into North-Eastern (red), North-Western (blue), and Southern (green). This is only for our convenience for GAF events; it doesn’t have any bearing on what happens on each site or how you apply to join.
Step 2 – Get their contact details
Click each pin on the map to find more information, including contact details. Allotment sites in Glasgow are a mixture of council-operated, or privately run (P symbol). Council site plotholders sign a lease with Glasgow City Council, but day-to-day management is delegated to each site’s local committee. Private site plotholders deal solely with their local committee.
Step 3 – Apply to join the waiting list
You can expect to wait at least a couple of years to join most allotment associations, but the sooner you get your name on the list, the sooner you’ll reach the top!
Getting started with your plot
- Get some good gloves and some basic tools
- Look at other people’s plots
- Make a plan for your plot
- Clear the plot a bit at a time
- Get advice – talk to other plotholders about what to grow
- Aim to do a little work on your plot regularly and often
- Keep on top of the weeding
- Give yourself several seasons to find out what works best for you
- Defend your crops against pests (birds will strip cabbages and peas, slugs slaughter young plants)
- Take photos to remind you of your progress
New Plotholder Awards
If you have made good progress during the first six to eighteen months of having your plot you can apply, through your association secretary, for a New Plotholder Award. These awards are presented annually by The Incorporation of Gardeners of Glasgow. You can find more details on our Awards page.
Books Available from the Library
Some recommendations you might want to try from Alister Smith on Croftburn Allotments
- Fork to Fork by Monty and Sarah Don
- Kitchen Garden Experts by Cinead McTernan
- Tender by Nigel Slater
- Gardener Cook by Christopher Lloyd
- Kitchen Garden Cookbook by Sarah Raven
- Kitchen Garden Companion by Stephanie Alexander
- Freshly Picked by Jojo Tulloh
- Oriental Vegetables by Joy Larkcom