Aberdeen, NE Scotland, Oil Capital of Europe and now wannabe Energy Capital. Fine granite buildings, parks and beach, but chilly!
Scotland Cities
Dundee, Angus, east coast of Scotland. Plenty for tourists to do in the area but not a lot in the city.
Glasgow city centre, Sauchiehall Street. More Glasgow information below.
Glasgow's Clyde Auditorium, otherwise known as the Armadillo.
Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, Glasgow, a fine example of traditional architecture. More tourist information below.
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and the third largest in the United Kingdom, sharing the central belt of the country with Edinburgh.
There are a couple of medieval buildings in the city - 13thC St Mungo's Cathedral and 15thC Provand's Lordship - but most of the impressive architecture is Victorian or Edwardian, with occasional bursts of space-age whimsy such as Norman Foster's Armadillo and the Clyde Arc bridge.
Glasgow is not short of green space, having more parks than any other city in Britain.
Although Glasgow had a reputation for industry and low-life slums, in particular the notorious Gorbals, urban renewal programs have been largely successful and tourism is increasingly attracted to the style, culture and vivacity of this city.
The grid formatted city centre is easy to get around on foot and provides plenty of interest in the way of art galleries, museums (usually free), theatre, concert halls and first-class shopping while the West End is more bohemian, offering tree-lined streets, wacky bars and boutiques, live music pubs and restaurants as well as interesting structures including both the Kelvingrove Museum and the Armadillo pictured above.
Getting around: the key central areas are pedestrian-friendly and reasonably close, so walking is a good option. Otherwise the subway (metro) is efficient and covers the city centre easily, though only until 9.30pm. Buses travel just about everywhere during the day but travellers need exact change for the fare. Night rides will require a taxi.
Nearby attractions:
- Edinburgh is only 50 minutes away (46 miles) by train.
- Loch Lomond and Ben Lomond mountain; hikers will love the West Highland Way running from a Glasgow suburb (Milngavie) to Fort William, including the staggeringly beautiful Glen Coe section.
- Take a train/ferry to the Isle of Arran - also known as Scotland in Miniature - an island of ancient sites, castle, gardens and spectacular views.
Edinburgh Travel Guide | UK Travel Guide | Scotland Travel Guide | Scotland Map
Scotland Pictures: Highlands | Edinburgh | Castles | Cities | Views | Activities
