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Recommended Tours

Tour 1: City of Architecture And Design

Around a decade ago Glasgow was awarded the title of European City of Culture, and everyone was thrilled. However, its most recent accolade is that of City of Architecture and Design 1999. Although the reign has now ended, the award not only drew attention to innovative work by contemporary architects and designers, it also reminded us to appreciate the legacy of those who created the city.

Our tour starts on Sauchiehall Street at Charing Cross, just over the M8 motorway from St George's Cross Underground. Once the traffic is safely negotiated, glance upwards at the Baroque Charing Cross Mansions on each corner, designed by local architect John Burnet in 1891, and a stunning sight at sunset.

Walk along Sauchiehall Street until you reach Baird Hall, an example of Art Deco architecture that has been beautifully preserved. Although this is now a Strathclyde University Hall of Residence, it was originally created by William Beresford Inglis and James Weddell as "The Beresford Hotel", a plush place to stay whose roof garden offered an excellent view of the city. With its unusual sweeping curves and mustard coloured earthenware exterior, this is one of the most memorable buildings in Glasgow and best seen from across the street.

Take the next turn left and walk up an unpleasantly steep but mercifully short hill to Renfrew Street, where you turn right as the next stop is the Glasgow School of Art. Designed by the city's most famous and original architect, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, this building was completed in 1907 and attracts visitors from all over the world as well as budding artists. If you've planned ahead then a guided tour (advance bookings and the only way for non-art-students to see inside) will take you through the remarkable Mackintosh Library and the Hen Run, an aptly named glass corridor that offers a great view. If you didn't book, never mind. Common consensus says the west exterior of the School is Mackintosh's finest work as a designer and you don't need a guide to look at that.

Back down to Sauchiehall Street now and turn left, passing the McLellan Galleries, dating from 1854, which currently houses the . Ignore the many shops which line the street until you come to Henderson Jewellers, recognizable by the distinctive Mackintosh typeface. A well-earned break from walking can be enjoyed without stopping the tour, as The Willow Tearooms are just upstairs. Mackintosh designed this building in 1903 for local genteel restaurateur Miss Kate Cranston, and the interior has been restored to its 1905 glory, complete with plaster friezes and trademark decorative leaded glass. Miss Cranston's memoirs are available from Henderson's if you fancy reading up on social background.

After a cup of tea and maybe a cake, walk down Campbell Street until you reach St Vincent Street. Turn right and walk along to the St Vincent Street Free Church on the corner of Pitt Street. Glasgow is a Victorian city and the greatest architect of this era is undoubtedly Alexander "Greek" Thomson, who is commonly regarded as an "unknown genius". Thomson was strongly influenced by Greek, Indian, Eqyptian and even Assyrian decorative architecture, but combined elements of each to create a style easily recognizable as his own. Many of the buildings he designed are privately owned or have unfortunately been destroyed, but the St Vincent Street Free Church has survived virtually intact since it opened in 1859.

Now walk back along St Vincent Street towards the city centre. It shouldn't be long before you reach number 142, an unusual building designed by James Salmon Junior, completed in 1902, and generally known as The Hatrack. The reason for this nickname soon becomes clear when you look up at the lead covered roof, whose dramatic spiky spires and shiny curves closely resemble a hat-stand. Aside from the roof, interesting features include Art Nouveau detailing, a stained glass window above the door and over forty windows in a very narrow façade.

From here, continue along St Vincent Street until you reach George Square. On the east side of the Square you will see a fine example of Victorian Glasgow architecture, the City Chambers. This Italian Renaissance style building was designed by William Young and completed in 1888. If you have time, a guided tour of the interior will show you amongst other things, a series of beautiful panels in the Banqueting Hall which depict episodes in the city's history. On the west side of the Square is The Merchants' House, designed in 1874 by John Burnet. You'll need good eyesight or a pair of binoculars to see the fully rigged model merchant ship which rests upon a globe at the top of the corner tower.

If you've had enough by now, note that many of the impressive edifices around George Square are now operating as pubs, so a rest in The Counting House, a former bank, allows an excellent view of its restored interior as well as refreshments.

Onwards and upwards as you turn up North Frederick Street and turn right into Cathedral Street at the peak of the hill. You will pass relatively modern campus buildings for the University of Strathclyde but try not to look at them as they may offend the eye. At the end of the street is a T-Junction. Cross over to the Cathedral Precinct directly opposite and the tour ends with one of the city's oldest buildings, Glasgow Cathedral.

Work began on the Gothic Glasgow Cathedral in the 13th century and it was completed nearly a century later. However, its origins date back to St Mungo, patron saint of Glasgow, who founded the first church on this site and is buried in the Lower Church. An excellent view of the Cathedral is from the Necropolis cemetery which overlooks it.

Tour 2: A Short Walk Round the History of Glasgow in Sculpture

There is a wealth of history in the public sculptures of the city. Glasgow grew through religion, trade and industry, all commemorated in stone. This walk will take about half an hour, depending on how long you stop to look!

Start on the banks of the Clyde, at the corner of the Broomielaw and Wellington Street. On this building there are striking statues of Poseidon, god of the sea, and his sea-horses at roof level and on the pediment, throned in majesty. An appropriate tribute to the sea, since this is the headquarters of the Clyde Port Authority. "Glasgow made the Clyde, and the Clyde made Glasgow", the saying which expresses the city's debt to her river, deepened and straightened for access to trade.

Go east up-river under the heavy railway bridge, and from the walkway you can see the massive piers left when part of the bridge was taken away. There is a concrete poem carved in the stone of these piers, part English, part Latin and Greek, which can be read from Jamaica Bridge.

On the walkway immediately to the east of the bridge is a striking statue of Dolores Ibannurri, "La Passionaria", heroine of the Spanish Civil War, commemorating the 65 men from Glasgow killed in that conflict.

Move north up Dixon Street into St Enoch Square, and at number 40 you can see above the entry the helmeted head of a woman, a lion's skin adorning her helmet. Perhaps St Tenew, whose name is the original of "St Enoch" - the ancient British warrior princess, mother of St Mungo the founder of Glasgow? Her well was sited in this square, in Medieval times.

The charming little former underground station building has the Glasgow coat of arms carved on the south gable -
This is the bell that never rang,
This is the bird that never flew,
This is the tree that never grew,
This is the fish that never swam.
- legends associated with St Mungo.

Number 24 St Enoch Square, the Royal Bank of Scotland, has four allegorical figures, "Exchange, Security, Prudence and Adventure" adorning its facade.

On the corner of Buchanan Street and Argyle Street, the building above Foot Locker has impressive art deco carving at the top, with a 1920s-style light at the corner. Walk on up Buchanan Street.

Frasers'main entrance is surmounted by two female figures, one spinning and the other painting, flanking the Royal coat of arms, and a panel with the letters "W & L", since this was originally Wylie and Lochhead.

Opposite is the Argyll Arcade, in a building called Argyll Chambers. There are two figures in alcoves at first-floor level, one holding a serpentine rod, the other a wheel and distaff. The large bronze bird in the middle of the precinct is "Spirit of Kentigern" erected in the 1970s.

Princes Square has a giant ornamental peacock on the roof, streamers flowing down from its tail. The best way into the Square is up the escalator with its optical-illusion paintings.

Turn right at Borders book shop into Exchange Place. In front of the Gallery of Modern Art is the equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington, normally with a traffic cone set rakishly on his head. It perfectly complements his arrogant commanding expression. Round the base are bronze reliefs showing the career of a young Scots soldier and some of Wellington's military exploits, in India and at Waterloo.

Go along Ingram Street past a former bank building at number 191, ornamented with statues representing Scottish towns, separated by Corinthian pillars.

The Lloyds TSB, formerly the Glasgow Savings Bank, has St Mungo in gilded mitre and robes, as Glasgow's first bishop - appropriate for a city whose motto is "Let Glasgow flourish - by the preaching of the Word and the praising of His Name." The latter part of the slogan is usually forgotten.

Further on, cross over to the Hutchesons' Hospital, and see statues of two 17th century benefactors of the city, George and Thomas Hutcheson, looking swell in Van Dyjk beards and Rembrandt ruffs.

You can walk through the Italian Centre and see modern sculptures in the courtyard, a man and a dog howling at the moon, and metallic androids adorning the north facade.

Through the alley and you exit facing the heavily incised Victorian pile of the City Chambers, and then walk left into George Square, past the Cenotaph. A leaflet describing the Victorian statues of literary and political figures is available on request from the Information bureau at the south-west corner of the square.

Another exciting attraction for touring around Glasgow is the Waverley & Balmoral Steamers, which allows you to get on board either of the historical pleasure steamers, and take in some of the most stunning scenery the UK coastline has to offer.

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