My first trip to Glasgow was when our kids attended the TRSMT music festival, and we had 48 hours to fill in the city whilst they were at the festival. I had no expectations before my visit but really enjoyed my time in Glasgow – the stately buildings, range of restaurants, independent shopping, art, and culture. Read on for ideas about how to spend 48 hours in Glasgow, and to find out why the city is called ‘dear green place’ in Gaelic…
Table of Contents
Why should you plan a trip to Glasgow?
Firstly, why should you plan a trip to Glasgow? Well, here are the highlights:
- Size – With a population of around 650,000 people, the city is sizeable but not enormous, so things are close together and it’s easy to get around. The city’s main streets are built on an American style grid system on hills, so it felt like a Scottish Seattle!
- Architecture – Glasgow is full of elegant old Victorian and Art Nouveau buildings – grand banking halls, civic buildings and merchants’ homes built from the city’s wealth arising from trade and shipbuilding back in the day. Whilst Glasgow feels less polished than Edinburgh, it is no less beautiful – as you walk around, look up so as not to miss ornate windows and wonderful architecture on every corner.
- Top quality art – For art lovers, there are several excellent art museums in Glasgow, plus a range of Renee Mackintosh buildings scattered throughout town to look out for (more of him shortly).
- Music – Glasgow is recognised for its strong music culture, evident by its iconic venues range of great live music and festivals. It is therefore a great place to enjoy live music.
- Shopping – You can spend time shopping for all the major brands in the centre, but also find plenty of independent and vintage shops throughout the city.
- Eats and drinks – You will be spoilt for choice with excellent places to eat and drink – too many to choose from!
But first, who was Renee Mackintosh?
As you walk through the streets of Glasgow, you can search for buildings designed by Charles Renee Mackintosh, a Scottish architect and designer born in Glasgow in 1868. Alongside his wife, Margaret Macdonald, Mackintosh was an important pioneer of British Art Nouveau style designs and influential to European design movements. He attended Glasgow School of Art and his designs can in Glasgow include:
- Glasgow School of Art – sadly, this was covered up on our trip to Glasgow following two tragic fires, the first in 2014 and second in 2018. Apparently very little of the original buildings remain, but they are hoping to restore (or rebuild) them as they were first designed by Mackintosh.
- The Willow Tea Rooms – the Willow Tea Rooms on Sauchiehall Street opened in 1903 and have recently been fully restored. At Mackintosh at the Willow (its new trading name) you can enjoy Afternoon Tea served on tiered plates in a beautiful room full of Art Nouveau detailing – from the stained-glass designs to the fixtures and fittings and high-backed chairs.
- Queen’s Cross Church (‘The Mackintosh Church’) – the only church designed by Mackintosh it has a modern Gothic style with a short spire.
Morning 1 - Visit Glasgow’s West End
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
Start your morning with a visit to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow’s West End, about 30 minutes’ walk from the city centre. The museum is housed in an imposing old red brick building with a range of displays including natural history exhibits, and some excellent artwork including paintings by Salvador Dali, Renoir, Van Gogh, Monet and Raoul Dufy.
All the main galleries of Kelvingrove Museum are free to visit, but it usually has a paid exhibition on the lower ground floor. This was an excellent Mary Quant fashion retrospective when we visited. There is a small café on site if you want to pick up a coffee and sandwich for lunch.
The Mackintosh House (82 Hillhead Street)
From the Kelvingrove Museum, walk 12 minutes to The Mackintosh House, part of the Hunterian Art Gallery, owned by the University of Glasgow. The house is a meticulously reconstructed version of the Glasgow home that Charles Renee Mackintosh shared with his wife Margaret. It includes their original furniture which was saved from their home when it was demolished in the 1960s. You certainly can’t get very far on your trip to Glasgow without seeing a reference to Mackintosh!
Glasgow Botanic Gardens
A further 13-minute walk brings you to the Botanic Gardens in Glasgow’s West End which are a great place to explore and relax.
The Botanic Gardens were founded in 1817 and have some lovely Victorian glasshouses, including the Kibble Palace, a magnificent glasshouse designed by John Kibble. The Kibble Palace houses a national collection of tree ferns, palms, and has some lovely statues and red spiral staircases amongst the green plants. The gardens and glasshouses are free to visit and are maintained by volunteers.
You can walk around the Tree Trail, which is 1.6 km long, or just chill on the grass in front of the glasshouses and enjoy some time out from sightseeing. There is a tearoom on site.
Glasgow means ‘dear green place’ in Gaelic and has over 90 parks and gardens including the Botanic Garden, Kelvingrove Park and Pollak Country Park.
Afternoon 1 - Shop until you drop
Glasgow is a great place for some retail therapy as most of the shops are clustered together in a compact area, so you don’t have to walk very far. There are a great range of shops, from luxury brands to High Street regulars, but best of all, a lot of independent retailers.
You can find a comprehensive list of Glasgow shopping options at: www.visitglasgow.com
My main purchases on our trip to Glasgow were from Assai Records on Sauchiehall Street which held a broad collection of vinyl and had very helpful staff. They have shops in Dundee, Glasgow, and Edinburgh. When in Glasgow, it seemed only right to buy some Paolo Nutini vinyl!
Glasgow Museum of Modern Art (GOMA)
If you want a break from shopping, then pop into Glasgow Museum of Modern Art (GOMA) which sits in the centre of Royal Exchange Square in the heart of the main shopping area. GOMA is housed in an impressive early 19th century neoclassical building surrounded by columns, and is host to local and international artworks, plus temporary exhibitions.
Note the statue of the Duke of Wellington outside, which usually with a traffic cone on his head!
Alternative - Sample a wee dram at the Clydeside Distiller
If you don’t fancy an afternoon of shopping, or more art on your trip to Glasgow, then why not visit the Clydeside Distillery on the waterfront which specialises in Lowland-style whiskies. They offer a one-hour whisky tour, but even better, you can take the whisky and chocolate pairing tour!
Evening 1 - Catch some live Music
Glasgow was named as the UK’s first UNESCO City of Music in August 2008 and is widely viewed as Scotland’s music capital.
The city hosts numerous music festivals each year, including Celtic Connections and TRSMT, as well as having some of the country’s most iconic live music venues, such as Barrowland Ballroom which originally opened in 1934 as a dance hall, and King Tut’s. The Venues are diverse and cover all music tastes from opera to country. The Ovo Hydro Arena is excellent and plays host to some of the world’s best artists and bands.
Apparently, the Glasgow audiences are said to be very attentive to the music and a joy to play for, so join in and book some live music when you are visiting or plan your trip to Glasgow around a music festival like we did.
Morning 2 - Discover a ‘tomb with a view’
The Necropolis in Eastern Glasgow is a Victorian cemetery built in classical revival style, featuring over 3,000 tombs on the side of a hill. It has long been a place of contemplation for those who visit to see the elaborate mausoleums, but it gained notoriety more recently having featured in the latest Batman film.
You can walk the 1 hour 45-minute heritage trail around the Necropolis or take a guided tour. Look out for the Celtic cross designed by Mackintosh. When you reach the top, you will be rewarded with incredible views over central Glasgow and the Cathedral.
Afternoon 2 - Visit the Bellahouston neighbourhood
Bellahouston Park is a 15-minute drive from the centre of Glasgow, or you could take the subway from the centre to Ibrox Station (15 minutes) and walk the final bit of the journey to:
House for an Art Lover
Don’t miss a visit to the House for an Art Lover which looks like an authentic art nouveau building but is much more recently, having opened in 1996. Renee Mackintosh submitted the House design for an international competition, but the design was disqualified because he entered too late. Years later the plans for the House were found by an engineer restoring some of Mackintosh’s other buildings and so he decided to build the House for an Art Lover.
See the Burrell Collection
Sir William Burrell was a wealthy shipping merchant who loved to collect art, in particular Chinese art of which he amassed one of the largest collections in the UK. He donated his entire collection to the city of Glasgow in 1944, and the collection has recently reopened after restoration work. It amazing that you can view classic paintings such as The Red Ballet Skirts by Degas and The Thinker by Rodin for free admission.
The Burrell Collection is in Pollak Country Park, Bellahouston, a 30-minute walk from the House for an Art Lover. From the Burrell, if you are not driving, you could take the train from nearby Christian Street station to the city centre. Bonus – they have Highland cattle in Pollak Country Park!
Learn about Glasgow’s shipbuilding history
If you’re interested in learning more about the history of Glasgow and its shipbuilding legacy, then head to the Riverside Museum on the banks of the River Clyde which again is free to visit. Once, more than a fifth of the world’s shops were built in Glasgow.
Moored beside the Riverside Museum is the tall ship, Glenlee, which you can now visit. It sailed the seas from 1896.
Where to eat in Glasgow?
You will be spoilt for choice about where to eat on your trip to Glasgow, but we really enjoyed the following two restaurants if you can fit them into your itinerary:
The Buttery
The Two Fat Ladies were a TV sensation in the noughties – two chefs who clearly loved their food and had fun together making their cookery programmes. They took over at Glasgow culinary institution, The Buttery, in 2007 although it is now in different hands as sadly the chefs are no longer with us.
The restaurant is wonderful – stained glass in the windows, tartan carpets, full of nooks and crannies, booths made of oak and mahogany, so you can have an intimate meal with old school ambiance. The food was delicious and included lots of fish options, such as, scallops on black squid ink. The couple next to us were Instagramming all their courses!
Mother India's Cafe
The Mother India’s Cafe in West End was buzzing when we visited. The dining room is upstairs and has a cosy atmosphere and delicious food. We would happily return if back in Glasgow.
Where to stay in Glasgow?
As a large city, you will be able to find accommodation to suit your needs and budget.
We collect IHG Hotel Reward points, so traded some points in to stay at the Kimpton Blythswood Square. It’s located in a wonderful old RAC building overlooking Blythswood Square. We loved the Scottish snacks in our room – Tunnocks biscuits (made in Uddingston just outside Glasgow) and ‘Glas-wee-gin’.
The hotel is light and airy and has a Happy Hour between 5pm and 6pm each day in the main foyer. It is conveniently situated for exploring the main sights of the city and has a Spa although we didn’t get chance to use it as we were too busy sightseeing!
Final thoughts…
You might want to visit Glasgow as a destination or spend a couple of days as a stop off on your way to some of the Scottish islands or Highlands. Either way, there is plenty to see and do on a trip to Glasgow. Yes, there is rivalry between Edinburgh and Glasgow, but I don’t think there has to be a winner – they both offer something different. Try it and see what you think!
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