Glasgow
The port city of Glasgow sits on the River Clyde. The city is known for its Victorian and Art Nouveau architecture, Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet and National Theatre of Scotland, as well as excellent museums, galleries and a flourishing music scene. It is also home to two important football sides in Glasgow Rangers F.C. and Celtic F.C. Glasgow is a city that bursts with culture, striking architecture, contemporary art spaces and fascinating museums and a great nightlife.
The 12th Century Glasgow Cathedral also known as St. Mungo Cathedral or the High Kirk of Glasgow is one of the city’s most important sites! The grandest room in the Cathedral is the crypt, which houses the tomb of St. Mungo, founder of the Bishopric who was buried here in 603 A.D. Next door is the St. Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art, which examines the world religions, their rites and how their doctrines deal with the issues of life and death. Exhibits include Egyptian mummies, Hindu statues and a Zen Buddhist garden in the courtyard.
Additional places to visit while in Glasgow include The Necropolis, which neighbours Glasgow Cathedral, is a Victorian cemetery where 50,000 people are said to be buried. Typical of the period, only a small percentage are actually named on the monuments. Pollok House and Pollok Country Park covers 355 acres just south of the city centre. The home of the of the Maxwell family, this Edwardian mansion was built in 1752 by William Adam and his sons. Enjoy everything from the grand entrance hall to the extensive servants' quarters and Sir William Stirling Maxwell's collection of Spanish paintings by El Greco, Goya, Murillo and Velázquez. The Glasgow Science Centre is located in the waterfront area near to the Riverside Museum. This popular attraction is housed in a suitably striking titanium clad building shaped like a ship's hull and offers endless fun and exploration.
The lively entertainment and shopping area of Sauchiehall Street, is almost entirely a pedestrian zone. More than 1.5 miles long it offers the largest range of shops in the city. Sauchiehall Street ends at Argyle Street in the city's West End where you will find trendy cafés, restaurants and the high end boutiques and the wonderful Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Opened in 1901 the museum houses a collection of British and Continental paintings, including such gems as Van Gogh's portrait of the Glaswegian art collector Alexander Reid and Salvador Dali's Christ of Saint John of the Cross.
The Gallery of Modern Art or “GOMA” is a must visit art facility. This Romanesque structure is home to an often changing roster of exhibits featuring both local and international artists, along with workshops and lectures.
The 1451 University of Glasgow is the second oldest school of higher education in Scotland. The University has employed many illustrious teachers over the centuries, including James Watt and the father of antiseptic surgery, Joseph Lister. A permanent exhibition at the visitor centre in University Avenue goes into more detail about the important discoveries made by these and other scientists who taught here. The gallery also houses the reassembled principal interiors from the Glasgow home of architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his artist wife, Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh.
At the heart of Glasgow's historic Victorian city centre is the flower decorated George Square with its 12 statues of famous people including Robbie Burns, Walter Scott and Queen Victoria. The east end of the square is dominated by the Town Hall, while the Merchants' House is the headquarters of Britain's oldest Chamber of Commerce, founded in 1605. South of George Square a group of mid-19th Century warehouses are now part of the city's trendy Merchant City district.
Glasgow Green is one of the city’s oldest parks and an easy walk from the city centre. Its main attraction is the People's Palace an 1898 museum, which tells the story of Glasgow from 1750 through the 20th Century. At the rear of the Palace, The Winter Garden is a large conservatory containing a collection of tropical and subtropical plants. Be sure to also visit the lovely Doulton Fountain, the worlds’ largest terracotta fountain built to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee and contains figures from across the Commonwealth.