Glasgow, in the west of Scotland, is a fascinating city to visit. It is a bustling modern city which nonetheless celebrates its industrial heritage as the “Second City of Empire” during the 19th century. Here you will find great shopping, vibrant bars and restaurants, as well as many excellent museums and galleries – be sure to include a visit to Glasgow on your Scotland tour! Here are some highlights:
- The Riverside Museum: a great museum for all the family, the Riverside is housed in a superb, low slung building which resembles a wave, designed by the late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid. it houses the city’s transport museum, containing everything from vintage cars and trams to a recreation of Glasgow streets in various decades. Berthed just beside the museum is the Glen Lee, a 3 masted sailing ship built on the Clyde in 1896 and also open to the public. A free ferry service from here crosses the River Clyde to take you to Govan where you can see the Govan Stones, a unique collection of Viking age monuments.
- Glasgow Cathedral: Built in the 1100s, this is the most intact medieval cathedral on the Scottish mainland, having survived the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century virtually intact. Dedicated to Glasgow’s patron saint, St Mungo, the cathedral was an important site of pilgrimage. Visit the crypt, built to house Mungo’s tomb in the mid 1200s, and admire the beautiful carved stonework of the pulpitum. The Glasgow Necropolis, a garden cemetery laid out in the 19th century and based on the cemetery of Père Lachaise in Paris, is just behind the cathedral and is an interesting place to wander and look at the elaborately carved tombs and gravestones.
- House For An Art Lover: this house, built in the 1990s to designs created by famous Glasgow architect Charles Rennie Macintosh back in the early part of the 20th century, is a must for fans of art nouveau. Macintosh’s designs, considered outrageous and cutting edge at the time, have created a beautiful building with contrasting light and dark, masculine and feminine sides as well as furniture, art work, light fittings and so on, all in Macintosh’s inimitable style.
- Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery: this eclectic museum is great fun to visit. With diverse collections, everything from Egyptian mummies to suits of armour, and a superb collection of art, from the Glasgow Boys to Dali, there is something for everyone at the Kelvingrove!
*If you’re travelling in the Highlands just now please be advised to avoid the Glenmore / Loch Morlich area due to wildfire 🥲**UPDATE - 14:15 on 16 July
Emergency services and partners continue to tackle a large-scale fire near Ryvoan Bothy. The emergency response is being coordinated at a national level involving the Scottish Government, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Police Scotland, RSPB Scotland, Forestry and Land Scotland, the Park Authority and multiple other partners.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service have shared that the fire is currently affecting an area of approximately six squared kilometres. We are asking the public to follow the following guidance:
- Please do not travel to the area or attempt to access Glenmore Forest Park, Loch Morlich or the surrounding area while firefighting operations are ongoing. A strict cordon remains in place and road closures continue to support the emergency response.
- Those impacted by evacuations will have been contacted and we would ask everyone to cooperate fully with Police Scotland and other relevant authorities for their safety.
- Residents in Aviemore and surrounding areas are asked to close windows and doors to prevent smoke entering.
-Anyone with known respiratory conditions nearby is encouraged to contact 111 if they experience any difficulties. Contact 999 in an emergency.
Thermal drone footage captured by Park Authority staff last night has helped inform fire fighting efforts and highlight the scale of the fire, but the extent of the damage and the cause is not yet known.
Overnight emergency services, gamekeepers, NGO and estate staff were on the scene working tirelessly to control the fire. We are deeply grateful for their efforts, and those of the businesses and local community providing support to those affected.
We will provide further updates when we have them.
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Happy 250th birthday to the USA! 🇺🇸🏴
Did you know Edinburgh Castle is home to one of the earliest depictions of the Star Spangled Banner outside of North America?
Deep inside the vaults of the castle, back in about 1780, Americans captured during the Revolutionary War were incarcerated in the castle prisons. One prisoner scratched out a faint image of a ship flying the Stars and Stripes on his wooden cell door. A quiet act of defiance by a sailor far from home, you can still see this if you visit the vaults today!
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