| 7 mins read
By Jennifer Mullen
2014 was a busy year for Glasgow, with the Commonwealth Games taking place in August, as well as the drama that went with the referendum to break away from the United Kingdom (Glasgow firmly said “aye”, but Scotland as a whole decided to stay). Compared to her sister city Edinburgh, Glasgow is a less obvious tourist destination, yet every year visitors throng here to marvel at her Gothic and Victorian architecture, well laid out shopping areas and surprising amount of parks and gardens.
A few things to keep in mind
Glasgow is Scotland’s largest city and indeed the third largest city in the United Kingdom; therefore if you are planning to spend a weekend there, make sure you have planned your stay out with your tourism guide, in order to get the most out of this proud and vibrant centre of Scottish culture.
No doubt, one of the most important pieces of advice from a Scottish tour guide would be to always carry an umbrella, as Scotland receives on average 112cm of rain every year (only second to Cardiff with 115cm). But don’t let that put you off, as Glasgow has activities to suit, whatever the weather!
Tourists are also pleasantly surprised at Glasgow’s cheap and easy public transport system. There are regular buses throughout the city, as well as the famous “Clockwork Orange” underground system. This is the little train which speeds up travel within the central part of the city and is a favourite not only with children, but also adults undertaking the famous “Subcrawl”, stopping at every station to have a drink in one of the many pubs close by. The Glaswegians have also invented a new sport, known as “subsurfing”, where participants are usually required to stand in the train and not hold onto any supports between stations.
Out and About ; Exploring Glasgow
Glasgow stands on the River Clyde and for centuries had a thriving shipping industry. The city itself dates back to the 6th Century, when it was founded by the Christian missionary St Mungo, who appears on the City’s coat of arms. The area was previously a strategic Roman outpost and you can still see parts of the Antoine Wall on the outskirts of the city.
Some of the main historical attractions in Glasgow include the Scottish Gothic style Glasgow Cathedral, which was built in the 12th Century. The tomb of St Mungo can also be found in the Crypt. Nearby is Provand’s Lordship, the oldest dwelling in Glasgow, built in 147l – which is now a museum.
If you enjoy the creepy side of Gothic architecture, visit the grand Glasgow Necropolis, which is one of the most significant cemeteries in Europe and is often referred to as “Glasgow’s City of the Dead”. Take the time to admire the carved stonework and find out some of the fascinating tales of Glaswegians buried there. The hillside location is also a great place to take photographs of Glasgow’s very distinct skyline.
Glasgow has a huge range of museums to suit all tastes. If you are more interested in sport, the Scottish Football Museum at Hampden Park tells about Scottish football from the 19th century to the present. If the “Clockwork Orange” sparked your interest in Glasgow’s transport, the Riverside Museum on the Clyde river bank is the recently built new home housing the City of Glasgow’s Transport collection. There you can see Glasgow trams, buses, vintage cars, motorbikes – this place is a hit with children large and small! 0020
But perhaps the most spectacular museum of all is the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, which is one of the UK’s most visited museums outside of London. The building is a large ornate (Baroque) building of red sandstone, set in Kelvingrove Park. Exhibitions range from Natural History, Ethnography, Egyptology, to Geology and Palaeontology. Upstairs are the picture galleries with paintings from the Dutch, Flemish, Spanish, Italian Schools and a large collection of works by the French Impressionists. Best of all, entry is completely free!
One of Glasgow’s most famous sons is Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who was an architect, designer and artist, is celebrated as one of the most creative figures of the 20th Century. Some of his key work includes the Glasgow School of Art, which he designed. The Willow Tearoom in Sauchiehall Street is also worth a visit to see his distinctive style of furniture and design, so can provide a good place for a break whilst out shopping. In Bellahouston Park in the south side of the city is Mackintosh’s famous House for an Art Lover, which has an ongoing variety of exhibitions.
If the rain has set in, a visit to the beautiful old glasshouse Botanic Gardens in the west end of the city will almost transport you away to the tropics. On any month of the year, there are pleasant walks along the River Kelvin, quiet woodland areas and exotic tropical places to explore. Being only a short distance from the heart of the city, there are plenty of secluded spaces, perfect for picnics, should the sun finally come out.
Glasgow is a city which also comes alive at night. The city has a wide choice of venues for evening entertainment such as the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Pavilion Theatre, SSE Hydro Citizens Theatre, Theatre Royal, plus numerous cinemas. Glasgow is also famous for its pumping live music venues, not to mention traditional pubs and high-end bars.
Eating out in Glasgow for many years had the reputation of being all about soggy fish and chips or haggis, followed by a deep fried Mars Bar, all washed down with a litre of Irn Bru. Thankfully Glasgow is now renowned for its broad choice of international cuisine, particularly Indian. Scotland has an abundance of fresh and highly available natural produce, such as salmon, Aberdeen Angus beef, game, as well as superb fruit and vegetables.
The gastronomic scene is nothing less than impressive. Of course, if you still enjoy the odd traditional snack on-the-go, Glasgow is famous for its mutton pies. These delicious pies, whose filling is often spiced with pepper, are firm crowd pleasers at Scottish football games, due to the hard crust of the pie, which enables it to be eaten by hand, with no wrapping.
One final word to say about visiting Glasgow; what the city lacks in warm weather, it makes up for by the friendliness of the people. Glaswegians are down to earth, are famous for their sense of humour and sociable nature, plus are extremely proud of their strong Scottish identity. Ask your Glasgow tour guide to point you in the direction of their favourite pub or café, and you will notice how the locals extend their hospitality to make visitors feel welcome, usually assisted by some fine local whiskey. Perhaps on the way home leave the “subsurfing” to the locals though, particularly if you are holding a mutton pie!
(Jen Mullen is a seasoned traveler, having lived and worked in the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Australia and most recently Southern India. In her opinion, the best parts about traveling are meeting the locals, sampling as much new food as possible and making an effort to learn new languages)
https://flic.kr/p/5wMg74(Phil Beard,CC BY-NC-ND 2.0),https://flic.kr/p/6pWjHG(Wojtek Gurak,CC BY-NC 2.0),https://flic.kr/p/2E1xv2(JohnED76,CC BY-NC-ND 2.0),https://flic.kr/p/oEWJR4(clockwork orange,CC BY-SA 2.0),https://flic.kr/p/b56oJD(David Brossard,CC BY-SA 2.0),https://flic.kr/p/imA1t6(Norm Robbie,CC BY-NC 2.0),https://flic.kr/p/yFgxb(Pete & Brook,CC BY-NC-SA 2.0),https://flic.kr/p/wiDtr(Dominic Simpson,CC BY 2.0),https://flic.kr/p/nE7pAr(Micu Radu,CC BY-NC-SA 2.0),https://flic.kr/p/pFoX7b(Bocaj47,CC BY-NC-SA 2.0),https://flic.kr/p/djAMj7(AskMeAboutLoom,CC BY-NC-SA 2.0),https://flic.kr/p/5L3Lkv(David Muir,CC BY-NC-ND 2.0),https://flic.kr/p/5TFzfh(phantom of the flicks,CC BY-NC-ND 2.0),https://flic.kr/p/8KviBh(Addison Berry,CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)