Glasgow is a culturally vibrant city in the West of Scotland. Many people don’t visit our city and head to the capital – Edinburgh… but here is a few reasons why you should.
Once you’re wandering through the streets you’ll immediately feel very welcome. And quickly you’ll get caught in the special vibe it has.
- FREE Museums
Glasgow hosts over 12 museums with the largest being the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in the West End. ALL museums run by GlasgowLife in Glasgow are free and offer a great day out for all ages. Here is a few:
- Riverside Transport Museum and Tall Ship
- GoMA – Glasgows Museum of Modern Art
- Lighthouse – A celebration of Charles Rennie MacIntosh
- Glasgow City Chambers
- Peoples Palace – Glasgow Green
- Scotland Street School Museum – Shields Road
- Burrell Collection
- St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art
- Glasgow Museum Resource Centre
- House for an Art Lover
- Tenement Museum
- Provan Hall
2. Beautiful Walks
- Glasgow is surrounded by the Trossachs National Park which means an escape to the hillside is only a train ride away. Loch Lomond is a 40minute train ride from Glasgow Central Station to Balloch.
- The city also hosts the Clyde Canal which runs between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Paths run up and down the whole route and give way to some of the best views of the city. Scottish Canals have historical signs and guides for what to look for along the route.
- The River Clyde runs through the centre of Glasgow all the way to Greenock and the North Sea. 3 bridges cross the river clyde and cycle/walking paths run all the way along the waterway.
- Glasgow is the greenest city in Scotland with over 50 parks across the city and you’re never far away from the three largest: Kelvingrove, Glasgow Green and Bellahouston Park. Kelvingrove is located in the West End behind the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and hosts a skatepark and victorian water fountain. Glasgow Green is located in the city centre down by the River Clyde and is often used for Festivals, gatherings and concerts. There is also a rowing club!
3. The Clockwork Orange, no this isn’t the musical, it is the nickname for Glasgows’ Subway. The subway has 26 stops and runs in a circle/oval shape around the west, centre and south of the city. Lines run in opposite directions – Inner and Outer and there is no way to miss your stop. Trains run from every 10minutes to every 3minutes and tickets cost #3.40 return for one adult.
Up for a nightout? Try the Glasgow Subcrawl! Go round the whole circuit, getting off at all 26 stops and go into a local bar for a drink. We did this before we left Scotland and we both thoroughly recommend it.
4. Scotland is often known for its parties and Glasgow certainly forfills it. Glasgow is full of bars across the city from the traditional to the modern and the plain to the quirky. Our friends at People Make Glasgow have listed their favourites, we recommend them all!
5. Secret capital of music
As the UK’s first UNESCO City of Music, Glasgow is one of the most vibrant music venues in the UK. From hip-hop, urban, techno to classic and Celtic. There are scenes for everyone’s music taste.
Glasgow hasn’t just got the oldest still operating music hall in the world. It also has the one of the top ten busiest venues worldwide.
The Britannia Panapticon was built in 1857 and hosted some of the greatest acts of music hall historh; Marie Loftus,TheGreat Vance, Marie Lloyd, Harry Lauded and the list goes on. Today it’s a charitable trust to help preserving it. Check for events here.
The SSE Hydro is a multipurpose indoor arena by the River Clyde, hosting international music stars, global entertainment and sporting events. It has a capacity of 12.000(all seated) which was desperately needed as none of the already existing event locations was able to host so many people. Its the venue for Megastars and has seen stars like Rod Steward, Marron 5, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Adele, Muse, Nickelback, Black Sabbath and the list goes on. Check out for coming up events here.
Once you’ve been here, you do not want to leave again. Believe me 😉
Rainbow Vagabonds 