Why Glasgow?

DSC08741Glasgow is Scotland’s largest city and the third largest in the UK with a population of 2.3 million within its metropolitan area. Glasgow was designated European Capital of Culture in 1990. It is served by its own Glasgow International airport, and also within easy reach of Prestwick and Edinburgh airports, and is well served by rail and road links.

Recently voted the ‘friendliest city in the world’ in a Rough Guides poll and named a must visit destination by leading publications like the New York Times, The Guardian and Wanderlust, Glasgow’s earned its reputation as one of the world’s greatest cities. You can expect a very warm welcome and when you add world-class architecture, a vibrant nightlife, breathtaking scenery and outstanding shopping, you’ll never want to leave!

Music

Glasgow’s a UNESCO City of Music, hosting an average of 130 music events every single week. The city has eight venues in the Top 100 list of places to watch gigs, outside of London, including the SSE Hydro, which is ranked in the top five best global arenas, even beating New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden!

The music scene spans the spectrum from urban and hip-hop, electronica and indie through to classical and celtic. And its fantastic club offering, including Sub Club, The Arches, The Buff Club and The Berkeley Suite, plays host to a number of world class DJs.

Art and Culture

Almost 25 years after being named European City of Culture, Glasgow’s cultural star just keeps rising! There are five internationally renowned performing arts companies based in the city, including the National Theatre of Scotland & Scottish Ballet.

No fewer than six Turner Prize winners and twelve Turner Prize nominees have hailed from, trained or worked in the city. And Glasgow’s Tramway will host the 2015 Turner Prize – the first time it’s come to Scotland! The Art Nouveau magic of the city’s most famous son, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, can be seen across the skyline, including at the iconic Glasgow School of Art – the current Doctor Who, Peter Capaldi, was a student here in the 1970s.

And the city’s renowned for its remarkable museum offering, including the stunning Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, which has welcomed over 10 million visitors since a major revamp in 2006 and the Zaha Hadid-designed Riverside Museum, voted 2013 European Museum of the Year.

Food and Dining

Lonely Planet describes Glasgow as ‘the best and most eclectic dining city in Europe.’ You can literally eat (and drink) your way around the world here! It could be cupcakes during a day of shopping, cocktails before a night at the theatre, a few beers before a football game or a fabulous meal to mark that special occasion.  And there is also no better place to sample some of the finest Scottish produce, including mussels, oysters and langoustines, at some of the city’s first-class fish and seafood restaurants.

The City and Beyond

One of beauties of Glasgow is its compact size – you can see a lot of the city in a remarkably short space of time. It also has some very distinct neighbourhoods. If you’re looking for the perfect place to people-watch, head for the trendy West End.  Its up and coming rival is the emerging ‘Cool Quarter’ of Finnieston, which is buzzing with bars and independent shops. If you love the energy of a flea market, pay a visit to ‘The Barras’ (Glaswegian dialect for “barrow”), in the East End. Or head over the river to the city’s South Side, where the sprawling Pollok Park offers a woodland oasis, as well as the world-renowned Burrell Collection, with its fascinating range of art exhibits.

Further afield, ancient castles, picture-postcard distilleries, tranquil lochs, outstanding golf courses and miles of unspoilt coastline are all just a short journey from the city centre – incredibly, you can get to Loch Lomond, gateway to the Scottish Highlands in only 30 minutes.

Useful Links

A Taste of Glasgow