Brash and improvisational Glasgow is on a roll, revealing itself
as a trendy and multi-cultural city for connoisseurs.
In the 1880s when Glasgow’s industries exported products all
over the world, and the River Clyde was lined with shipyards the
city center exploded with a grand exhibition of style, producing
Victorian architecture at its most buoyant and romantic.
Today, the city’s enthusiastic policy of advocating renovation
over demotion has resulted in gloriously revamped classical
buildings endowed by Glasgow’s early tycoons. Museums abound as
well as theater, opera, symphony and ballet in these rejuvenated
architectural masterpieces.
Not to be missed are the Burrell Collection, displaying the
9,000 works collected by Sir William Burrell; the Gallery of Modern
Art, with its mind-bending eclectic collection; and the Mackintosh
House, a recreation of the world-renowned architect, designer and
artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Glasgow home attached to the
Hunterian Gallery.
In July, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, the most
visited in the UK outside London, is emerging from a more than $52
million refurbishment.
Nightlife thrives in the West End, particularly along Ashton
Lane, and in chic Merchant City, the revitalized town center.
Advise your clients to pick up List magazine for the latest in
entertainment offerings.
To experience Glasgow’s beloved tea ritual, few places are more
adorable than Miss Cranston’s and the Willow Tea Rooms.
Glasgow offers many places to stay in and around downtown. Among
those to consider are the sleek Radisson in the city center; the
Kelvingrove, ideally situated in the West End; One Devonshire
Garden, an elegant West End townhouse; and McLay’s Bed &
Breakfast, spread across four townhouses on trendy Renfrew
Street.
While clients will find Glasgow to be among the most walkable
cities, public transport is clean and reliable, including the
“Clockwork Orange,” as the subway is known because of its color.
For short hops, taxis are relatively inexpensive.
Glasgow’s charm unlike its rival, Edinburgh can be found in its
laid-back, creative and visitor-friendly vibe.
