When Glasgow announced in 1983 that they would be transforming their city through culture, they had no intention of increasing tourism and certainly didn’t expect to be named Europe’s top cultural destination in 2019.
If you’re considering a staycation in 2021, here are just a few reasons you should have Glasgow high on your list.
The locals are just amazing
It’s often said that the people make a place and Glasgow is no exception. Though they do seem to speak at the speed of light, you will rarely come across a friendlier and funnier group of people.
Glaswegians will chat away to you as though they’ve known you for years while you wait in queue and are the first to offer help if you’re a bit short of change for the bus. It is the perfect city to truly meet the locals.
They serve up great food
Glasgow is a great place to try local food, as well as some fine dining. Whether you want to try Haggis and neeps (turnips) or some of their fine seafood, Glasgow has it all. Had over to the Finnieston neighbourhood, where they are lots of cool, quality venues to be found.
Did we mention that Glasgow is the Vegan capital of the UK? While you may not be vegan, this shows how the locals embrace new food trends.
The unmissable day trips
With fantastic travel links, it’s easy to combine the excitement of a Glasgow city break with a day trip to some of Scotland’s most beautiful spots.
Loch Lomond, the historic city of Stirling and the sandy beaches of Ary are all less than one hour away from central Glasgow by public transport. Glasgow also offers excellent access to the Scottish Highlands – The West Highland Railway Line from Glasgow is one of the world’s most scenic rail journey’s.
Major museums and galleries are free to visit
Glasgow is home to some of the worlds most sought after collections and most of them are free to visit. The Kelingrove Art Gallery and Museum for example has 22 themed galleries, with 8,000 objects that range from medieval suits of armour to Salvador Dali’s Christ of Saint John of the Cross.
The Burrell Collection (one of the largest collections ever amassed by an individual) is also housed in Glasgow. The site just reopened in Spring this year, after a £66 million upgrade! Learn about how Glasgow thrived on industries like ship building and locomotive construction at The Riverside Museum. In the summer you can even catch the free ferry to Govan, to experience some traditional village pubs.
There are lots of historic haunts
Just a fifteen-minute walk from central Glasgow is Glasgow Cathedral. The cathedral was once the hub of the medieval city. These days, it offers audio or pay-by-donation tours. You can also opt to “Bring up the Bodies” and take a visit through the cathedral’s burial grounds.
It’s Scotland’s cultural capital
Glasgow boasts nightly live music events like the Barrowlands and King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut. As well as this, The Royal Scottish Orchestra, the National Theatre of Scotland and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra all reside in Glasgow.
As students make up a large proportion of Glasgow’s population, the culture is hip and vibrant. There’s an exciting street art scene and the Gallery of Modern Art is the most visited modern art gallery in Scotland.
Fantastic Nightlife
There is even more to Glasgow after dark. If you’re out for a night on the town, he Sauchiehall ‘strip’, at the top of Sauchiehall Street is overflowing with bars and big clubs to suit everyone’s taste. If you’re after a more sophisticated evening, the Merchant City is for you.
Just a stones throw from Glasgow University, is the West End. Students are often seen blowing of steam down Ashton Lane in it’s abundance of watering holes.
If you’ve read our guide and decided Glasgow is the city for you, book your train tickets in advance to make some great savings.
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