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GlasgowGlasgow'''Glasgow''' is the largest city in Scotland, with a population of about 620,000 in the city itself, or over 1.8 million if the surrounding towns of the Clydeside conurbation are taken into account. Located at the west end of Scotland's Central Belt of Scotland|Central Belt on the banks of the river Clyde, Glasgow's historical importance as Scotland's main industrial centre has been challenged in recent decades by decline and change. In recent years, however, Glasgow has been awarded the European titles of City of Culture (1990), City of Architecture and Design (1999) and Capital of Sport (2003). Also, Glasgow is now a [http://travel.guardian.co.uk/cities/story/0,7450,977554,00.html desirable short break location] (Guardian newspaper, 2003). Visitors will find a revitalised city centre, the best shopping in Scotland, excellent parks and museums (most of which are free), and easy access to the highlands and islands. However, for all its regeneration projects, Glasgow still contains some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the UK. ==Understand== Glasgow is almost completely unlike Edinburgh, 45 miles to the east. You should visit both. Be patient with the local accent - it can be difficult to understand, even if you have had experience with English in other countries. The speed of the conversation tends to be quite quick in Glasgow. If necessary, ask people to repeat (even slowly!) what they are saying. ===Dialect=== As with all areas of Scotland , regional dialects are present in Glasgow. The Glasgow "patter" or "banter" as its known has evolved over the history of the city. As each wave of migration takes place , new words and phrases are added to the dialect. There is a strong Celtic language connection due to the Lowland Scots , Highland Gaelic and Irish Gaelic influences. Some phrases *"Bam" or "bampot" - an impolite term for a silly or annoying person. *"tumshe" - a silly person. *"pished" - drunk or intoxicated. *"minging" - bad smelling or bad tasting. *"Haw" - roughly equivalent to "Hey" and used to attract someone's attention. *"petlters" - to humiliate someone. ===City Center Layout=== Glasgow City center is laid out in a grid pattern with streets running from east to west and north to south. The Western edge of the city center can be considered to be the sunken M8 motorway section that approaches the Kingston Bridge . This area is known as Charing Cross and Anderston, Anderston being on the river front. Both areas have railway stations of the same name. Just to the North of Charing Cross station is the start of the famous shopping street Sauchiehall Street running east to west. Approximately half way down Sauchiehall Street vehicle traffic is diverted away and the whole street is given over to foot traffic. Sauchiehall Street continues eastwards until it ends at the junction with Buchanan St which runs north to south. The Buchanan Galleries Shopping Center sits on this junction and on the other side of that is the Buchanan St Bus Station. Heading south on Buchanan St you encounter Nelson Mandela Square with a small Church sitting in the center. If you turn eastwards along West George St you enter George's Square. On the north side of the square is Queen St Railway Station, on the east side is the start of the Merchant City district and the Strathclyde University Campus. The square itself is populated by several statues of civic leaders and famous figures from history and is often used for outdoor events. Continuing southwards on Buchanan St, you encounter Vincent St which leads to the south side of George Square. Further south leads to several major shopping areas and department stores. Buchanan St ends at the major east west street, Argyle St. Argyle St starts on the west side of the M8 motorway, passes under the Kingston Bridge next to Anderston railway station heading east. Argyle St also passes the south entrance of Glasgow Central railway station and actually passes under the railway lines before joining Buchanan St. Continuing eastwards leads to St Enoch’s square and the St Enoch’s shopping center as well as lots of major shops. Argyle St ends after a short section of pedestrianised street and becomes the Trongate. Confusingly, Argyle St railway station is actually on the Trongate section! The Trongate is the site of the Trongate Theatre just before the junction of the Trongate , A8 Saltmarket (north south), Gallowgate and London Rd (east west). At this junction is a Clock tower and hexagonal building. Further east along the Gallowgate and London Rd is the famous Barras market area, leading to the areas of Carlton, Brigdeton, Dalmarnock and Parkhead (home of Celtic Football team). Turning south onto the A8 Saltmarket leads to the City Mortuary, High Court and the eastern entrance of Glasgow Green park before crossing the Crown St bridge into the Gorbals. ==Get in== ===By plane=== Glasgow is served by two main airports close to the city: *'''Glasgow International Airport''' [http://www.baa.com/main/airports/glasgow/] (GLA) is the main airport for domestic and European flights and a few transatlantic routes. There's a frequent shuttle bus from outside the terminal building to the city centre, dropping off near both main railway stations (£3.30 single, £5.00 return; the journey takes about 20 minutes). *'''Glasgow Prestwick International Airport''' [http://www.gpia.co.uk/] (PIK), about 50 km away on the Ayrshire coast, is the Scottish base for Ryanair (see Discount airlines in Europe). The airport has its own railway station with two trains per hour to Glasgow Central (show your Ryanair paperwork to get a discount; the journey takes about an hour). ===By train=== Trains from England and south west Scotland arrive at '''Central Station''', while trains from Edinburgh and anywhere north of Glasgow arrive at '''Queen Street Station'''. There are four trains per hour between Edinburgh and Glasgow during the day; the journey takes 50 minutes. Both Central and Queen Street stations have left luggage lockers. The stations are an easy ten minute walk apart, or there's a frequent shuttle bus between them. Most trains within Scotland, and sleeper services from London, are run by [http://www.firstscotrail.com/ ''FirstScotrail'']. Other trains from England are run by [http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/ ''Virgin Trains''] and [http://www.gner.co.uk/ ''GNER'']. ===By car=== The main approaches to Glasgow are: *from England on the M74 motorway; Glasgow is about 150 km north of the border *from Edinburgh (east) or Glasgow Airport (west) on the M8 motorway *from Stirling and all points north and east on the M80 motorway *from the West Highlands on the A82 dual carriageway. All routes converge on the M8 which carves through the city centre. Glasgow has no credible park-and-ride system, but some of the subway and suburban railway stations do have small car parks. There are several expensive multi-story car parks near the motorway in the city centre. ===By bus=== Long-distance [http://www.travelinescotland.com/ bus services] arrive at '''Buchanan Bus Station''' (''in the city centre, close to Buchanan Street Underground /Queen Street train stations''). The main operator is [http://www.citylink.co.uk/ Scottish Citylink]. ===By boat=== For travellers arriving from outside Scotland, the nearest ferry ports are '''Troon''' (near Prestwick Airport), for [http://www.steam-packet.com/SeaCat/homepage ferries from Belfast] in Northern Ireland, or '''Rosyth''' (near Edinburgh), for [http://www.superfast.com/ ferries from Zeebrugge] in Belgium. Each is about an hour's drive from Glasgow. ==Get around== [http://www.spt.co.uk/ ''Strathclyde Passenger Transport''] (SPT) is the agency responsible for the local public transport network, which it describes as one of the most integrated and developed in the UK - but they mean by British standards, not European standards. There are no integrated tickets for single local journeys, although you can buy a one-day Roundabout ticket for ''either'' local surface and subway trains ''or'' buses. For information on public transport phone '''0870 6082608''' (call charged at national rates). If you are in town for a week or more then SPT's ''ZoneCard'' might be useful. It can be used on suburban trains, buses, and the underground. Prices vary depending on how long you want it for (1 week - 1 year) and how many "zones" you want it to cover. *[http://www.spt.co.uk/travel/underground.asp '''Subway trains'''] run in a circle around the city centre and some inner suburbs. There are interchanges with surface trains at Buchanan Street/Queen Street and Partick stations. 6.30AM-11.30PM (Su 11AM-6PM). £1 flat fare, or £1.70 for unlimited daily use after 9:30AM or all day at the weekend. No bikes. *[http://www.spt.co.uk/travel/rail.html '''Suburban trains'''] radiate from Central and Queen Street stations to the suburbs and surrounding towns. There are only two trains per hour on many routes. Bikes go free, although many trains have no bike spaces. *'''Buses''' go everywhere. [http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/scotland/swscot/home/index.php ''First Glasgow''] is the main operator. There's a bus every ten minutes on main routes during the day, making it easy to get into the centre of town, though getting out to a specific destination isn't so easy. So many buses go through the town centre that each bus stops only at every third stop, so check that you are waiting in the right place. The drivers are unlikely to wait for you to chase after them. *'''On Foot''' The center of Glasgow is very pedestrian friendly with major shopping streets given over to foot traffic. As you move out of the city center all areas have proper pavements and most major junctions have pedestrian crossings. The river Clyde also has several foot bridge crossings. The main difficulty with walking out of the centre of town is finding where the crossings over / under the M8 are. Heading west, some roads appear to go over Charing X only for the pavement to disappear. Heading North, the underpasses at Cowcaddens can sometimes feel unwelcoming. ==See== ===Architecture=== As befits a city that was at its richest through the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th, Glasgow has a fine legacy of Victorian buildings. Most of Glasgow is built in the salmon colored sandstone that is the trademark of the city and which positively glows on a bright day; none of Edinburgh's dour granite here. Glasgow was also the home of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, one of the leading proponents of art nouveau architecture. Indeed, during his lifetime, Mackintosh was probably better regarded abroad than he was in his native Glasgow. However now he is one of the cities most beloved sons, and there are quite a few of his buildings to see in the city, including his magnum opus, the Glasgow School of Art. The following list is a selection of significant buildings in Glasgow. * The [http://www.secc.co.uk/gallery/ '''Clyde Auditorium'''], affectionately known by Glaswegians as the Armadillo, is a stunning building which forms part of the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (''train: Exhibition Centre''). * '''Glasgow Cathedral''' is a fine example of Gothic architecture dating from medieval times and built on a site first consecrated in 397 AD. * [http://www.gsa.ac.uk/ '''Glasgow School of Art'''], Renfrew Street (''subway: Cowcaddens'') is seen as one of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's finest buildings and is one of Britain's pre-eminent schools of art, design and architecture. Guided tours of the building are available (you must book in advance), or if you want to create your own art in the building, you can enrol for evening classes or the summer school. * [http://www.gla.ac.uk/ '''Glasgow University'''], University Avenue (''subway: Hillhead'') contains the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, including a reconstruction of Mackintosh's house. * The [http://www.houseforanartlover.co.uk/ '''House for an Art Lover'''], Bellahouston Park (''train: Dumbreck or subway: Ibrox''), was built in the 1990s to Mackintosh's original 1901 entry for a design competition. Opening times vary. £3.50. * [http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/index.cfm?venueid=12 Scotland Street School], 225 Scotland Street (''subway: Shields Road''). Charles Rennie Mackintosh's last major building - thoughtfully designed, with an excellent museum covering both Mackintosh and the changing faces of schools. Open daily. Free. If this just whets your appetite for information on Glasgow's architecture, try and get hold of a copy of ''Central Glasgow: An Illustrated Architectural Guide'', by Charles McKean and others. There are various editions (ISBN:1873190220, ISBN:1851582002, ISBN:1851582010). ===Museums and art galleries=== The Victorians also left Glasgow with a wonderful legacy of museums and art galleries, which the city has dutifully built upon. The following list is only a selection. The city council alone runs 13 museums and galleries; for a full list of these see their [http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/ Glasgow Museums] website. * [http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/index.cfm?venueid=1 '''Burrell Collection'''], Pollok Country Park (''train: Pollokshaws West, then walk through Pollok Park''), tel 287-2550. This is a collection of over 9000 artworks gifted to the city of Glasgow by Sir William Burrell and housed in a purpose-built museum in the Pollok Estate in the south of the city. Open M-Th,Sa 10am-5pm; F,Su 11am-5pm. Free. * [http://www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/ '''Glasgow Science Centre'''], Pacific Quay (''train: Exhibition Centre or subway: Cessnock'') has hundreds of interactive science exhibits for children, an IMAX cinema, and the 125-meter Glasgow Tower (re-opened summer 2004), the only tower in the world which can rotate through 360 degrees from its base. Every day, 10AM-6PM. £10 adults, £8 children for any two of the main attractions. * [http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/index.cfm?venueid=4 '''Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum'''], Argyle Street (''subway: Kelvinhall''), tel 287-2699. One of the finest civic collections in Europe is housed within this Glasgow Victorian landmark museum. The collections include everything from fine and decorative arts to archaeology and the natural world. Open M-Th,Sa 10am-5pm; F,Su 11am-5pm (''Note: Kelvingrove is now closed until early 2006 for refurbishment; see entry for McLellan Galleries''). Free. * [http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/index.cfm?venueid=6 '''McLellan Galleries'''], Sauchiehall Street, tel 565-4137. Normally used as a temporary space for visiting exhibitions, this grade II listed building in the center of Glasgow will, until Kelvingrove reopens, host the 'Art Treasures of Kelvingrove', an exhibition of the city's best-loved art works. Open M-Th,Sa 10am-5pm; F,Su 11am-5pm. Free while hosting the 'Art Treasures of Kelvingrove' exhibition. * [http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/index.cfm?venueid=7 '''Museum of Transport'''], Kelvin Hall, Bunhouse Road (''subway: Kelvinhall''), tel 287-2720 . The museum uses its collections of vehicles and models to tell the story of transport by land and sea, with a unique Glasgow flavour. Besides the usual rail locomotives, buses, trams, cars and planes, the museum also includes a recreated subway station, and a street scene of old Glasgow. Open M-Th,Sa 10am-5pm; F,Su 11am-5pm. Free. * [http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/index.cfm?venueid=11 '''Provand's Lordship'''], Castle Street (''opposite Glasgow Cathedral''), tel 552-8819. Glasgow's oldest remaining house, built in 1471, has been renovated to give visitors and idea what the inside of a Glasgow house was like circa 1700. Open M-Th,Sa 10am-5pm; F,Su 11am-5pm. Free. * [http://www.sharmanka.com/ '''Sharmanka'''], 14 King Street. Sharmanka is a Kinetic Gallery / Theatre. It consists of a number of strange machines created by the Russian artists Eduard Bersudsky. The machines perform stories and the light and sound during the performance adds to a really unique and amazing experience. Performances Thu, Sun 7pm or by individual appointment. £4, children under 16 free. * [http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/index.cfm?venueid=9 '''People's Palace''' and '''Winter Gardens'''] on Glasgow Green. The People's Palace is a great folk museum, telling the history of Glasgow and its people, from various perspectives. Free. The Winter Garden, adjacent, has a reasonable cafe. * [http://www.nts.org.uk/web/site/home/visit/places/Property.asp?PropID=10051&NavPage=10051&NavId=5117 '''Tenement House'''], 145 Buccleuch Street, Garnethill. A National Trust for Scotland site, a middle class Glasgow tenement house preserved in pretty much the way it was in the early 20th Century. ==Do== There are many club nights, concerts and festivals in Glasgow. ===Music=== Glasgow's been famous for it's music scene(s) for at least 20 years. There's plenty of venues where you're likely to see a good band (and lots of bad bands too). In no particular order, here's some pop/indie/rock-oriented places: *''Nice N Sleazy'' on Sauchiehall St *''King Tut's Wah Wah Hut'' on St Vincent St *''13th Note'' on King St *''Barfly'' on Clyde St *''Stereo'' on Kelvinhaugh St (towards the West End, just offof Argyle St) *''Barrowlands'' in the east end *''Glasgow Academy'' on Bridge St (south of the Clyde) ===Comedy=== There's two main venues for stand-up comedy in Glasgow. *''The Stand'' on Woodlands Road (West End) *''The Vault'' on Pollokshaws Road (Southside) ===Cinema=== The most interesting films in Glasgow are shown at: *''Glasgow Film Theatre'' (GFT), 12 Rose Street (tel:332 8128) *''The Grosvenor'', Ashton Lane *''CCA'' on Sauchiehall St shows films, though it's primarily an art gallery Mainstream films can be seen at the ''UGC'' on Renfrew St, the "tallest cinema in the world". ===Football=== Glasgow also has the 3 biggest football stadia in Scotland. The major events in the football season are the clashes between the two Premier league clubs, Rangers and Celtic. Known as the "Old firm" matches, these 90 minute competitions produce a profound effect on the city, often resulting in violent clashes during or after the game. Cup ties between these two giants are quite frequent, raising the tensions further. Be aware that getting tickets for "Old Firm " games can be difficult and cup ties near impossible. *[http://www.hampdenpark.co.uk/ Hampden The national stadium] Hosts many large sporting events and concerts and also houses the Scottish Football Museum. *[http://www.celticfc.net/ Celtic park ] Home of Celtic Football Club, also known as "the Celts" or " the Bhoys" (don't call them "Fenians" or "Tims", their more sectarian nickname). Capacity 60,832 seated. *[http://www.rangers.co.uk/ Ibrox] Home of Rangers Football Club, also known as "the Gers" (or "Huns", also a sectarian insult). Capacity 50,411 seated. *[http://www.ptfc.co.uk/ Firhill] Home of Partick Thistle Football Club, also known as "the Jags". If someone asks you what team you support in Glasgow, say Partick to avoid trouble. Capacity 14,538. ===Other sites=== *[http://www.secc.co.uk/ The Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre] hosts many events in Glasgow. http://www.secctickets.com/ sells tickets for these. *[http://www.s1play.com/ s1 Play] lists what is on in Glasgow. *[http://www.tickets-scotland.com/ Tickets Scotland] lists events and ticket availability for Scotland, primarily Edinburgh and Glasgow. ==Learn== Glasgow has three universities: * [http://www.gla.ac.uk '''University of Glasgow''']. Located in the west end of the city, this university has served Glasgow since 1451 and is the fourth oldest in the United Kingdom. * [http://www.strath.ac.uk '''Universiy of Strathclyde'''] is situated in the north-east of the city centre and was originally founded in 1796 as Anderson's University. * [http://www.gcal.ac.uk '''Glasgow Caledonian University'''], to the north of the city centre, is Glasgow's newest university. ==Work== Jobs in Glasgow can be found through the government-run JobCentres. Be aware that to work legally in the UK you need the correct type of work visa and a National Insurance Number. Your employer should require this to ensure you pay the correct rates of income tax. However if you ask around you'll find a lot of bars and nightclubs offer work cash-in-hand. Some of the many temp agencies in the city centre aren't too fussy about immigration niceties either. ==Buy== Glasgow is positioning itself as an upmarket retail destination, the shopping is alleged to be better than in Edinburgh, this means that there's an increasing number of designer clothes shops in areas like the Merchant City. Alongside this, the Council is putting pressure on more traditional shopping centres like the Barras where you can get remarkably similar-looking clothes for a more sensible price. * The '''Barras''' in the East End is the essential Glasgow shopping experience. Hundreds of market stalls selling everything you could possibly want and a load of other stuff too. * Also '''Paddy's Market''' under cover near Saltmarket. * The '''Buchanan Galleries''', Buchanan Street, is a large shopping mall in the heart of the city centre which has all the usual British high street stores. * The '''St Enoch Centre''' is a large shopping centre facing onto Argyle Street in the centre of the city. It is claimed to be the largest glass-enclosed structure in Europe. * '''Princes Square''' is an upmarket mall just off Buchanan Street in the city centre. Specialises in designer clothes shops, jewellery and audio equipment. * The '''Argyle Arcade''' is a covered street housing Scotland's largest collection of jewellery shops. The arcade connects Argyle Street and Buchanan Street. * '''De Courcy's Arcade''' is an unusual little shopping arcade with lots of second hand music and book shops and independent gift shops. Located just off Byres Road in the west end (''subway: Hillhead'') ==Eat== Glasgow has won the title "Curry Capital of Britain" two years running and has a huge range of restaurants, Indian or otherwise. If you are looking for last minute deals on dining, [http://www.5pm.co.uk/ 5pm.co.uk] lists many offers. It is possible to search for restaurants in Glasgow on the site. Note that this service requires you to register on the website. There are clusters of good restaurants in the West End and the Merchant City. ===Takeaway=== Glasgow has taken many different cultural foods and combined them into a unique dining experience. Most takeaways offer Indian dishes (pakora), pizzas and kebabs as well as the more traditional fish and chips or burgers. This has resulted in some takeaways offering a blend of dishes like chips with curry sauce, the donner kebab pizza, the battered and deep fried pizza to name but a few. ===Indian=== Most of the good Indian restaurants are clustered together between Charing X & Berkely St. Take your pick from '''Panjea''', '''Ashoka Flame''', '''Mr Singh's India''' and more. ===Italian=== '''Eska''' near the Tron Theatre is good and inexpensive but often busy. ===Russian=== '''Cafe Cossachok''' on King Street. ===Cafe=== As well as the usual rash of chain coffee bars, Glasgow has a few unique and interesting cafes of its own. '''Tchai Ovna''' specialises in tea (every sort you can think of and a few more) served in ultra-relaxed surroundings like your gran's living room and regularly hosts acoustic, jazz, improv and folk live acts. There's one in the West End (Otago Lane, near Kelvinbridge U) and the Southside (Deanston Drive near Queens Park). '''Where the Monkey Sleeps''', in the town centre (just off of Blythswood Square) has friendly staff, lots of nooks and crannies, big comfy sofas and a penchant for cheesy rock music. Good snacks too. ===Veggie=== For fab veggie food, try ''Grassroots'' on St George's Road, near Woodlands Road (''subway: St George's Cross''). Great veggie breakfasts from 10am, and other meals from midday till late. Lots of vegan options, too. Grassroots also has one of the two best wholefood/organic shops in Glasgow, round the corner in Woodlands Road; the other is ''Roots and Fruits'' in Great Western Road (''subway: Kelvinbridge''). ''The Fast Food Shop'' pakora place on Woodlands Road is ideal for guilt-free snacking on the way home from the pub. ''13th Note'', on King Street, looks like an anarchist squat when you walk in, and has a full bar, and serves very good veggie (mainly vegan) food. Try the vegan haggis, neeps and tatties, served with a pink-peppercorn cream sauce - fab. ''Mono'', over the road in King's Court, is run by the people who established the Note. It has a lighter, airier feel but with an exclusively vegan menu, beers prepared on-site and two shops (food and records). ==Drink== Glasgow has a lot of places to drink. For single malt whiskies, try '''The Pot Still''', on Hope Street - a few blocks north of Central Station. It stocks over 300 single malt whiskies (as well as other drinks, of course), and the staff really know their stuff. Its also an excellent example of a traditional British pub, with a great atmosphere. Other bars with a good selection of whisky are '''Uisghe Beatha''' on Woodlands Road and there's one on Argyle St towards the West End that I'm forgetting the name of. Real Ale can be found at the '''Bon Accord''' on Charing X and '''Clockwork BeerCo''' near Hampden Park. '''Republic BierHalle''' just off Buchanan St has beers from all round the world and a sister branch in the Southside. Bath St has a constantly shifting array of "style bars", if that's your thing. Similarly Sauchiehall St. The quality varies wildly depending on your taste / tolerance. If you want live music with your pint go to the See / Music section above. ==Sleep== The Glasgow Guide has a [http://www.glasgowguide.co.uk/hotels.html section on hotels in Glasgow]. Most hotel chains are represented in the City Centre, ranging from the stylish new Radisson SAS near Central Station, to the (relatively) cheap and cheerful Travelodge by the M8. ===Budget=== There are two cheap places on Berkely St near Charing X. ''Globetrotters'' and ''Blue Sky'' both do dorm beds for about £8 per night. More centrally, there's ''EuroHostel'' on Jamaica Street, former student halls that has rooms for £10-20. ==Contact== ===Phone=== Glasgow's area code (for landline numbers) is 0141 when dialed from within the UK or +44141 from outside the UK. ===Internet=== If you are travelling with a laptop then you will find broadband internet access in the rooms of most, but not all, medium to high end hotels. If this is important to you check before booking. Alternatively there are many wi-fi hot spots in and around Glasgow and '''[http://www.wifinder.com/ WiFinder]''' provides a register. There are also several places that offer web and other internet access if you are travelling without a laptop. These include: * [http://www.easyeverything.co.uk/map/gla.html '''EasyInternetCafé'''] -- St Vincent Street (''just west of Buchanan Street, five minutes' walk from Central or Queen Street stations''). Every day, 8AM-9PM. * [http://www.thatinternetcafe.net/ '''th:at Internet Café'''] -- 8 Regent Street (''one minute from Central station''). Forty PCs. Wi-fi access. Every day, 8AM-9PM. * '''Mortons Coffee Co.''' -- Byres Road (''subway: Hillhead''). Offers free wi-fi internet access and two PCs. ==Stay safe== Travelling in Glasgow is mainly safe, however commonsense rules still apply. The City Centre of Glasgow is safe, however do watch out at night time at the closing time of clubs, especially in Queen Street, as it can get a bit rowdy at times. There are some areas of Glasgow which might not be as safe compared to the rest. However tourist areas should be well policed. The City Centre has many 'information officers' in red hats and jackets who should be able to assist you if needed. Avoid football shirts, a Rangers or Celtic shirt worn in the wrong place has lead to assault or murder, especially on an old firm match day. Many bars ban all football colours. Although prostitution is illegal in the UK it is a fact of life in all major cities, Glasgow being no exception. The "red light " areas are as follows Around Anderson station and the Finnerston St area The Carlton area of the east end ( east of the Barras ) especially around the Tenants brewery The eastern end of Glasgow Green from the Peoples Palace to Bridgeton Cross area. Although quiet during the day, there is a lot of business at night and especially at the weekends. Women walking by themselves have been know to be approached by men looking for prostitutes and people in vehicles have been known to be approached by prostitutes looking for business. Strathclyde Police, the local police force, has a [http://www.strathclyde.police.uk/index.asp?locID=85&docID=-1 Stay Safe while Travelling guide]. ==Get out== * Visit Loch Lomond and climb the nearby '''Ben Lomond''' (the most southerly ''Munro'') for great views. * Walk the West Highland Way from Milngavie (a suburb of Glasgow) all the way to Fort William. ==External links== *[http://www.seeglasgow.com/ See Glasgow] *[http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/ Glasgow City Council] *[http://www.spt.co.uk/ Strathclyde Passenger Transport] WikiPedia:Glasgow First page | Prev | Next | Last page |
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