Glasgow

Introducing Glasgow

Glasgow is regenerating and evolving at a dizzying pace – style cats beware, this city is edgy, modish and downright ballsy. Its Victorian architectural legacy is now swamped with cutting-edge style bars, world-class venues to tickle your taste buds, and a hedonistic club culture that will bring out your nocturnal instincts. Best of all, though, is Glasgow’s pounding live-music scene which is one of the best in Britain, and accessible through countless venues dedicated to homegrown beats.

The city is going through a long-term transformation, evident along the revitalised River Clyde, where visitors can explore Glasgow’s mighty maritime heritage along riverfront walkways. Museums and galleries abound and the city’s resume has been made even more impressive with the reopening of the colossal Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum – which, in typical Glaswegian fashion, strips the city of any false pretences and tells it like it is – both the inspiring and the infuriating aspects of life here.

Glasgow combines urban mayhem and black humour and is so friendly, it’s sometimes downright unnerving – throw off the shackles of urban restraint and immerse yourself in a down-to-earth metropolis that is all about fun. And besides, where else in the world can you land in the middle of a city in a seaplane?

Glaswegians are proud of their working class background and leftist traditions. Their rivalry with Edinburgh is fierce and folk are full of contempt for what they see as a prissy, right-wing establishment on the east coast, full of toffs with clipped accents and, infuriatingly, holding the title of capital city. However Glaswegians remind themselves that Edinburgh may be the capital, but Glasgow has the capital.

Last updated: Mar 2, 2009