A GLASGOW college's rooftop gardens have been celebrated for their impact on learning and environment ahead of National Allotments Week.

City of Glasgow College's green spaces have been hailed as a 'success story' five years after the college welcomed students to its new city centre campus on Cathedral Street.

The building has two gardens, on its fourth and seventh floors, as well as an allotment in the Gorbals near its Riverside campus, with everything grown from seed.

On the fourth floor, an external space has been transformed into a thriving organic vegetable garden.

The seventh floor garden is an orchard, which is home to apple, cherry, plum and nut trees. The college also grows blackcurrants, blackberries and artichokes.

Jackie McMaster, care assistant for community and school engagement at the college, said: “I work with students on the college’s CityWorks NQ course which is designed for students with additional support needs.

"They study a range of SQA qualifications, but the focus is on work experience, and one area we involve them in is the college gardens.  

“They help plant and maintain all our veg containers, they’ve made planters for herbs and even came up with a design using recycled plastic bottles to keep slugs at bay.

"The project is tailored for supported learning and the students are vital to the success of our gardens.” 

The produce is used by the college’s professional cookery students and veg boxes are supplied to An Clachan Café in the West End's Kelvingrove. 

The college hopes to grow mushrooms using ground coffee waste and aims to establish beehives which will pollinate the fruit trees and produce local honey.

As part of the Glasgow Community Food Network, the gardens already offer practical opportunities to teach students about sustainability and climate change, as well as horticulture, human geography, business and cookery.

The gardens are also organic and self-sufficient as they use compost created from the college’s own food waste.

National Allotments Week runs from August 9-15 and further information can be found HERE.