Much
of the beauty of Scotland's largest city had disappeared
under years of smoke and grime, until modern thinking restored
the magnificent mix of Victorian elegance and revolutionary
Art Nouveau. Against this backdrop, the famed art galleries
and museums of Glasgow have ensured that its cultural heritage
now stands alongside Athens, Florence and Paris.
Book hotels in Glasgow
The
Barras
World-famous
weekend market founded 100 years ago, home to more than
1000 traders.
Blythswood
Square
Built
round wooded gardens, this was the British starting point
for the Monte Carlo Rally. At No. 7 lived Madeleine Smith,
accused in 1857 of poisoning her lover in the most notorious
of all Glasgow murder cases.
Buchanan
Street
Up-market
shopping street gives glimpses of opulent past. Elegant
1827 glass-roofed Argyll Arcade, 1891 Clvdesdale Bank made
of multicoloured sandstone, and replica of an 1851 pendulum
swinging from atrium roof.
Carlton
Place
City's
finest riverside terrace. Restored Georgian buildings look
out across public gardens.
Citizens'
Theatre
Originally
opened as a music hall in 1878, now a listed building.
City
Chambers
Massive
1888 Italian Renaissance-style building with a 240f1 tower
and opulent interiors full of mosaics and maiolica. The
banqueting hall has morals showing the city's history.
Custom
House Quay
Part
of the Clyde Walkway, designed to give new life to the riverside,
enhanced by the suspension bridge and a fine view across
the river to Carlton Place.
George
Square
Oldest
of Glasgow's public squares and heart of the city, named
after George III. Laid out at end of 18th century. Probably
has more statues than any other square in Scotland, including
those of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, Sir Walter Scott,
Robert Burns, William Gladstone, James Watt and Sir Robert
Peel.
Glasgow
Art Gallery and Museum
Britain's
finest civic collection of British and European art and
a museum featuring a famous array of European arms and armour,
Egyptian archaeology and an area devoted to Scottish wildlife.
Glasgow
Botanic Gardens
Covering
40 acres, gardens are famous for plant collections, especially
begonias and orchids. Imposing domed glasshouse, the Kibble
Palace, houses National Tree Ferns Collection. I herb garden
and chronological border showing when plants were first
introduced to Britain.
Glasgow
Cathedral
Most
complete survivor of the great Gothic churches of south
Scotland. Built on or near site of church built in 6th century
by St Mungo -- the founder of Glasgow. Mainly 13th century,
though a fragment dates from late 12th century. Outstanding
feature is the fan vaulting around St Mungo's tomb in the
crypt. Much fine work in choir, including 15th-century stone
screen.
Glasgow
Cross
Topped
by heraldic unicorn, a 1929 replica of the medieval original
where Bonnie Prince Charlie was proclaimed Regent.
Glasgow
Green
A
public park since 12th century. Bonnie Prince Charlie reviewed
his troops here in 1745 after retreat from England. Monument
to Lord Nelson erected 1806 is 144ft high. Memorial to engineer
James Watt.
Glasgow
School of Art
Completed
in 1907, the master-piece of Charles Rennie Mackintosh who
was responsible for everything from the striking exteriors
to the interior furniture and fittings.
Glasgow
University
A
visitor centre gives tours around pinnacled Gothic buildings
of this second-oldest university in Scotland, founded 1451.
Tower of the main building has magnificent views of the
city.
Hunterian
Art Gallery
The
Charles Rennie Mackintosh collection has reconstructions
of the architect's house fitted with his own furniture.
Main gallery includes Scottish paintings from the 18th century
to the present day, and Old Masters.
Hunterian
Museum
Glasgow's
oldest museum, opened in 1807, has a major coin collection
going back 20(10 years, a history of Glasgow University,
fascinating archaeology and geology displays, and a science
and astronomy building.
Hutchesons'
Hospital
One
of the city's most elegant buildings, founded in the 17th
century by the brothers George and Thomas Hutcheson, whose
statues from the original hospital adorns the facade.
International
Stock Exchange
A
'French Venetian' building of 1877, with visitors' gallery.
Merchants'
House
Handsome
1874 building with carved female figures supporting bow
windows. Home of Glasgow
Chamber of Commerce and fine Merchants' Hall with ancient
relics and good stained glass.
Merchants'
Steeple
All
that remains of old Merchants' House built 1651-9. Details
in Gothic and Renaissance style, rising in four towers to
164ft.
Mitchell
Library
Europe's
largest public reference library has over one million volumes,
including Celtic literature, the history of the city and
probably the world's largest Robert Burns collection.
Necropolis
Cemetery
of 1833 has numerous tombs of illustrious Glaswegians and
best view of cathedral.
Park
Circus
Curved
Victorian terraces on a lofty site over Kelvingrove Park
with fine views of the university, the towering cranes of
the Clyde and the Renfrewshire Hills.
The
People's Palace
Three-storey
red-stone building, completed in 1897 as a cultural centre
for Glasgow's East End. A social history museum with collections
from 1175 to the present day - covering the city's politics,
industry, art and popular culture. It has a purse and ring
that belonged to Mary, Queen of Scots, and an organ built
by James Watt. Adjoining Winter Garden is a conservatory
housing palms, ferns and variety of exotic plants.
Provand's
Lordship
Oldest
house in city built 1471, probably for priest in charge
of nearby hospital. Mary, Queen of Scots is thought to have
staved here in 1566. Now a museum with furniture and domestic
displays dating from 1500 to 1918.
Royal
Bank of Scotland
Grecian-style
building designed t827 by Archibald Elliott. Ionic portico
on central block linked to too symmetrical buildings by
archways with Ionic columns.
St
Andrew's Cathedral
Roman
Catholic cathedral built in 1816, one of the city's earliest
examples of Gothic Revival-style architecture.
St
David's 'Ramshorn' Church
Impressive
church built in 1824. Graveyard contains ornate tombs of
many notable citizens including grave of David Dale, creator
of New Lanark.
St
Enoch's Station
Gem
of toytown architecture; most striking station remaining
from city's original underground built in 1896, now a travel
centre adjoining modem station.
St
Vincent Street Church
Fine
example of the work of Alexander 'Greek' Thomson, built
in his classical Grecian style in 1859
with magnificent Ionic porticoes, an elaborate tower and
brightly painted interior columns.
Scotland
Street School Museum of Education
Two reconstructed classrooms in a former school designed
by architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, which opened in
1906.
Stirling's
Library
Originally
the mansion of 'Tobacco Lord' William Cunningham, built
1775. New building designed by David Hamilton in 1832, adding
massive portico and clock tower. Handsome interior.
Templeton
Carpet Factory
Exotic
Victorian factory designed in the style of the Doge's Palace
in Venice with colourful bricks and tiles, arches, pinnacles,
turrets, and pointed windows.
The
Tenement House
Museum
celebrating the lives of ordinary people through the belongings
of this tenement flat's occupants from 1911 to 1965, which
have been left undisturbed in bedroom, parlour, kitchen
and bathroom.
Theatre
Royal
Fine
Victorian theatre, elegantly restored as home of Scottish
Opera. Us
Tolbooth
Steeple
Seven
storeys and 126ft high; the sole remnant of a 1626 tolbooth.
Emblems of St Mungo and royalty decorate lintels.
The
Trades House
Glasgow's
only major building by Robert Adam, opened 1794. Silk frieze
in banqueting hall shows work of city's historic trades.
Transport
Museum
Displays
of every kind of transport, from horse-drawn vehicles to
fire engines and historic Scot-tish locomotives. Reproduction
of a typical 1938 Glasgow street, a collection of model
ships and a walk-in car showroom.
Tron
Steeple
Forming
an arch over the pavement is the only remnant of a 1637
church, accidentally burnt down in the late 18th century
by drunken members of the local Hell Fire Club. Church rebuilt
behind.
Willow
Tearoom
Finest
of a series designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for caterer
Miss Kate Cranston. Reopened as a tearoom with reproduction
Mackintosh furniture and restored Art Nouveau decorations.
