Tour Glasgow, Scotland

Much of the beauty of Scotland's largest city had disappeared under years of smoke and grime, until modern thinking restored the magnificent mix of Victorian elegance and revolutionary Art Nouveau. Against this backdrop, the famed art galleries and museums of Glasgow have ensured that its cultural heritage now stands alongside Athens, Florence and Paris.

The Barras
World-famous weekend market founded 100 years ago, home to more than 1000 traders.

Blythswood Square
Built round wooded gardens, this was the British starting point for the Monte Carlo Rally. At No. 7 lived Madeleine Smith, accused in 1857 of poisoning her lover in the most notorious of all Glasgow murder cases.

Buchanan Street
Up-market shopping street gives glimpses of opulent past. Elegant 1827 glass-roofed Argyll Arcade, 1891 Clvdesdale Bank made of multicoloured sandstone, and replica of an 1851 pendulum swinging from atrium roof.

Carlton Place
City's finest riverside terrace. Restored Georgian buildings look out across public gardens.

Citizens' Theatre
Originally opened as a music hall in 1878, now a listed building.

City Chambers
Massive 1888 Italian Renaissance-style building with a 240f1 tower and opulent interiors full of mosaics and maiolica. The banqueting hall has morals showing the city's history.

Custom House Quay
Part of the Clyde Walkway, designed to give new life to the riverside, enhanced by the suspension bridge and a fine view across the river to Carlton Place.

George Square
Oldest of Glasgow's public squares and heart of the city, named after George III. Laid out at end of 18th century. Probably has more statues than any other square in Scotland, including those of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Burns, William Gladstone, James Watt and Sir Robert Peel.

Glasgow Art Gallery and Museum
Britain's finest civic collection of British and European art and a museum featuring a famous array of European arms and armour, Egyptian archaeology and an area devoted to Scottish wildlife.

Glasgow Botanic Gardens
Covering 40 acres, gardens are famous for plant collections, especially begonias and orchids. Imposing domed glasshouse, the Kibble Palace, houses National Tree Ferns Collection. I herb garden and chronological border showing when plants were first introduced to Britain.

Glasgow Cathedral
Most complete survivor of the great Gothic churches of south Scotland. Built on or near site of church built in 6th century by St Mungo -- the founder of Glasgow. Mainly 13th century, though a fragment dates from late 12th century. Outstanding feature is the fan vaulting around St Mungo's tomb in the crypt. Much fine work in choir, including 15th-century stone screen.

Glasgow Cross
Topped by heraldic unicorn, a 1929 replica of the medieval original where Bonnie Prince Charlie was proclaimed Regent.

Glasgow Green
A public park since 12th century. Bonnie Prince Charlie reviewed his troops here in 1745 after retreat from England. Monument to Lord Nelson erected 1806 is 144ft high. Memorial to engineer James Watt.

Glasgow School of Art
Completed in 1907, the master-piece of Charles Rennie Mackintosh who was responsible for everything from the striking exteriors to the interior furniture and fittings.

Glasgow University
A visitor centre gives tours around pinnacled Gothic buildings of this second-oldest university in Scotland, founded 1451. Tower of the main building has magnificent views of the city.

Hunterian Art Gallery
The Charles Rennie Mackintosh collection has reconstructions of the architect's house fitted with his own furniture. Main gallery includes Scottish paintings from the 18th century to the present day, and Old Masters.

Hunterian Museum
Glasgow's oldest museum, opened in 1807, has a major coin collection going back 20(10 years, a history of Glasgow University, fascinating archaeology and geology displays, and a science and astronomy building.

Hutchesons' Hospital
One of the city's most elegant buildings, founded in the 17th century by the brothers George and Thomas Hutcheson, whose statues from the original hospital adorns the facade.

International Stock Exchange
A 'French Venetian' building of 1877, with visitors' gallery.

Merchants' House
Handsome 1874 building with carved female figures supporting bow windows. Home of Glasgow
Chamber of Commerce and fine Merchants' Hall with ancient relics and good stained glass.

Merchants' Steeple
All that remains of old Merchants' House built 1651-9. Details in Gothic and Renaissance style, rising in four towers to 164ft.

Mitchell Library
Europe's largest public reference library has over one million volumes, including Celtic literature, the history of the city and probably the world's largest Robert Burns collection.

Necropolis
Cemetery of 1833 has numerous tombs of illustrious Glaswegians and best view of cathedral.

Park Circus
Curved Victorian terraces on a lofty site over Kelvingrove Park with fine views of the university, the towering cranes of the Clyde and the Renfrewshire Hills.

The People's Palace
Three-storey red-stone building, completed in 1897 as a cultural centre for Glasgow's East End. A social history museum with collections from 1175 to the present day - covering the city's politics, industry, art and popular culture. It has a purse and ring that belonged to Mary, Queen of Scots, and an organ built by James Watt. Adjoining Winter Garden is a conservatory housing palms, ferns and variety of exotic plants.

Provand's Lordship
Oldest house in city built 1471, probably for priest in charge of nearby hospital. Mary, Queen of Scots is thought to have staved here in 1566. Now a museum with furniture and domestic displays dating from 1500 to 1918.

Royal Bank of Scotland
Grecian-style building designed t827 by Archibald Elliott. Ionic portico on central block linked to too symmetrical buildings by archways with Ionic columns.

St Andrew's Cathedral
Roman Catholic cathedral built in 1816, one of the city's earliest examples of Gothic Revival-style architecture.

St David's 'Ramshorn' Church
Impressive church built in 1824. Graveyard contains ornate tombs of many notable citizens including grave of David Dale, creator of New Lanark.

St Enoch's Station
Gem of toytown architecture; most striking station remaining from city's original underground built in 1896, now a travel centre adjoining modem station.

St Vincent Street Church
Fine example of the work of Alexander 'Greek' Thomson, built in his classical Grecian style in 1859
with magnificent Ionic porticoes, an elaborate tower and brightly painted interior columns.

Scotland Street School Museum of Education
Two reconstructed classrooms in a former school designed by architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, which opened in 1906.

Stirling's Library
Originally the mansion of 'Tobacco Lord' William Cunningham, built 1775. New building designed by David Hamilton in 1832, adding massive portico and clock tower. Handsome interior.

Templeton Carpet Factory
Exotic Victorian factory designed in the style of the Doge's Palace in Venice with colourful bricks and tiles, arches, pinnacles, turrets, and pointed windows.

The Tenement House
Museum celebrating the lives of ordinary people through the belongings of this tenement flat's occupants from 1911 to 1965, which have been left undisturbed in bedroom, parlour, kitchen and bathroom.

Theatre Royal
Fine Victorian theatre, elegantly restored as home of Scottish Opera. Us

Tolbooth Steeple
Seven storeys and 126ft high; the sole remnant of a 1626 tolbooth. Emblems of St Mungo and royalty decorate lintels.

The Trades House
Glasgow's only major building by Robert Adam, opened 1794. Silk frieze in banqueting hall shows work of city's historic trades.

Transport Museum
Displays of every kind of transport, from horse-drawn vehicles to fire engines and historic Scot-tish locomotives. Reproduction of a typical 1938 Glasgow street, a collection of model ships and a walk-in car showroom.

Tron Steeple
Forming an arch over the pavement is the only remnant of a 1637 church, accidentally burnt down in the late 18th century by drunken members of the local Hell Fire Club. Church rebuilt behind.

Willow Tearoom
Finest of a series designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for caterer Miss Kate Cranston. Reopened as a tearoom with reproduction Mackintosh furniture and restored Art Nouveau decorations.

If you would like to visit this area as part of a highly personalized small group tour of my native Scotland please e-mail me at;

sandystevenson@thefreesite.com

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