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Glasgow destination guide
Once the second city of the Empire and heartland of heavy industry in Scotland, Glasgow has undergone an amazing transformation in recent years, to become a rich, vibrant city with a truly cosmopolitan atmosphere. Glasgow’s attractions are plentiful and varied from its many museums and art galleries to its fantastic shopping and numerous festivals it holds throughout the year. To sum up Scotland’s largest city in the words of its tourism bureau, Glasgow is quite simply Scotland with style!
Things to do in and around Glasgow
Scotland’s largest city certainly lives up to its reputation with an unimaginable list of must sees. The vibrant city centre is awash with trendy eateries, shops and nightspots as well as a colourful, varied theatre scene. New attractions such as the Glasgow Science Centre offer a great ‘hands on’ day out for all the family, while its Glasgow Tower, one of the tallest buildings in Scotland, offers unrivalled views of the city. Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, one of the most visited in the UK, is where a real Spitfire soars above a menagerie of record breaking beasts, where plants and local birds give an insight into Scotland’s natural history and where mummies tell tales of Egyptian gods! The various works of Charles Rennie Mackintosh that adorn the city, such as ‘The House for an Art Lover’, are a major draw also. Glasgow has a thriving festival and events scene too, hosting events such as the Glasgow International Jazz Festival, the Glasgow River Festival and the World Pipe Band Championships. There are a whole host of music concerts in Glasgow each year, mainly held at the SECC and Clyde Auditorium or Hampden Park , by a wide variety of international artists from Justin Timberlake to Rod Stewart. The famous scenery of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park are within 1 hour of Glasgow’s city centre also.
Evenings out in Glasgow
You could literally go on a culinary tour around the world without even leaving Glasgow with cuisine from China, Thailand, France, India, Japan, Spain, Russia and Italy all represented in the city. Combine this with a vibrant bar and nightclub scene plus a whole range of theatres and Glasgow is a sure bet for a fantastic night out. Glasgow is also home to world’s tallest cinema! The upmarket West End of the city adds a whole new dimension to evenings out with the trendy Ashton Lane being home to one of Glasgow’s most famous restaurants, the Ubiquitos Chip, as well as a number of popular bars.
Shopping in Glasgow
Second only to London in terms of its acclaim as a retail paradise, if you are in search of anything Glasgow is your place. The high street name stores of the city centre combine with designer brands such as Armani in the Italian Centre and the chic boutiques of Princess Square and Buchanan Street. Away from the city centre the leafy West End suburb of Glasgow is an eclectic mix of craft shops, antique and designer homeware boutiques.
Football & concerts in Glasgow
A big part of Glasgow is the city’s passion for football, the main football teams in Glasgow are; Celtic Football Club who play at Celtic Park in the East End of Glasgow and Rangers Football Club who play at Ibrox in the South Side of Glasgow - both teams play in the Scottish Premier League.
Glasgow also plays host to many international musicians who hold concerts in Glasgow at the city’s impressive SECC and Clyde Auditorium as well as the Carling Academy, Hampden Park which has staged the likes of George Michael, Tina Turner and Rod Stewart concerts, or there is Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.
Fascinating fact
Glasgow City Chambers features a miniature version of New York’s famous landmark the Statue of Liberty!
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