Steal style notes on the Mackintosh trail
Born in Glasgow in 1868, the architect, designer, water colourist and artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh has been hugely influential on European design movements, including art nouveau and European symbolism. Get a flavour for his timeless, elegant designs at The Mackintosh House at the Hunterian Art Gallery, a beautiful and meticulous recreation of the interiors of Mackintosh’s Glasgow home. If you want more, the beautiful Mackintosh-inspired House for an Art Lover in Bellahouston Park is another highlight, as is the Mackintosh and the Glasgow Style Gallery at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, which will host a major new exhibition of works by Mackintosh and his contemporaries next year. This exhibition, along with the much-anticipated opening of “Mackintosh at the Willow” on Sauchiehall Street, scheduled for June 2018, form part of the Mackintosh 150th anniversary celebrations.
- Interiors at The Mackintosh House
Sample some of Scotland’s most celebrated breweries
Glasgow is firmly at the forefront of the craft beer revolution, so start your brewery crawl in the East End at Drygate Brewery, a craft brewery with an on-site bar and restaurant that also hosts gigs, film screenings and comedy nights. A 15-minute amble south brings you to WEST microbrewery in the Templeton Building at Glasgow Green. Wind up with a tour of the big hitter, Tennent’s Wellpark Brewery.
- The Drygate Brewery
Be enthralled by Scottish gothic architecture
The University of Glasgow is one of the finest examples of Scottish gothic architecture, but it’s the Victorian-era Necropolis cemetery that most Glaswegians are proud of. Take a picture of the stunning view overlooking Glasgow Cathedral – it’ll become an Instagram favourite.
Make a musical pilgrimage to the Barrowlands
Glasgow’s legendary music scene was given Unesco recognition back in 2008, when it was named the first City of Music in the UK. Countless big-name bands have named The Barrowland Ballroom their favourite venue; and, in the West End, Kelvingrove Bandstand, (dating back to 1925), has been restored into a 2,500-capacity venue. Music fans should book a Glasgow Music City Tours guided walking tour, which also takes in the Britannia Panopticon (below) and King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut. But you don’t need to venture to a dedicated venue to catch a band; live music is never hard to find in the city’s bars and pubs.
Watch a silent movie at the world’s oldest music hall
Built in 1857, the Britannia Panopticon in Trongate is the world’s oldest surviving music hall, where the likes of Stan Laurel would tread the boards back in 1906. Right in the heart of the historic Merchant City neighbourhood, the Panopticon hosts film nights, Halloween haunted sleepovers, variety shows and regular cabaret nights.
Take a bite out of Finnieston’s food scene
As the university quarter and home to some of the most elegant residential buildings in the city, Glasgow’s West End has never been short of buzz. But in recent years a formerly unprepossessing stretch of Argyle Street has been transformed into an exciting foodie neighbourhood. Eat your way down the street on a Finnieston Food Crawl, which showcases some of the area’s finest restaurants and exceptional food. Try a starter of seared scallops in The Finnieston, a main of venison or rump steak in The Gannet, and a dessert such as Dark Matter spiced rum treacle tart at Porter & Rye steakhouse, with a choice of dishes throughout, and cocktail pairings.
- Porter & Rye steakhouse; vintage shop in the West End; illustrator Libby Walker outside her Hidden Lane studio
Find the hidden lanes of the West End
Stray off the main drags in Glasgow’s leafy, bohemian West End and you’ll find quirky bookstores, tiny tearooms and vintage stores. Finnieston’s Hidden Lane is a friendly community of more than 100 makers, musicians, startups, designers and artists selling their wares from studios open to the public. Also worth a peek are the vintage stores on Ruthven Lane and the lovely Tchai Ovna tearoom on Otago Lane.
Search the streets for Glasgow’s creative spirit
Glasgow has a rich artistic heritage and you can experience its vibrant social and creative scene in venues across the city – from independent, artist-run galleries to renowned visual art spaces. But this entire metropolis is a gallery, so don’t miss the City Centre Mural Trail.
Explore Glasgow’s weekend markets
Make a date with the Glasgow Vintage and Flea Market in the beautifully regenerated Barras Art and Design Centre for a swish market-shopping experience. In rainy weather, the charming, cobblestoned – and blessedly covered – Merchant Square Craft Market is the best place to wander quirky stalls with a steaming flat white in hand.
Cycle to Loch Lomond
The well-maintained and astonishingly varied National Cycle Route 7 takes you north-west along the Clyde from the city centre, then past quaint barges along the canals, before winding up on the shores of Loch Lomond at Balloch. The ride takes around two and a half hours, and for the return journey there are regular trains from Balloch station to Glasgow Queen Street that take less than 50 minutes.
Anna Hart travelled as a guest of People Make Glasgow. A Virgin Rail trip from London Euston to Glasgow Central takes just four and a half hours, with one-way fares starting at £30.
