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City of culture
ofCity Culture
Scotland’s most populous city is packed with heritage attractions that can easily rival the capital
Words by SALLY COFFEY
THIS IMAGE:
The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow’s West End
CLOCKWISE, FROM NEAR RIGHT:
Inside the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum; the City Chambers in George Square; the Mackintosh at the Willow tearoom
Though Edinburgh may be known for its World Heritage Status, Glasgow is not short of an accolade or two – being named European City of Culture in 1990 and UNESCO City of Music in 2008, which was just as well, as it had been down at heel for a while before that.
In the 1980s, people had pretty much written off Glasgow, as mass unemployment caused by the collapse of the ship industry as well as the closures of its steelworks, coal mines, and factories, took their toll. However, Glasgow is nothing if not a master of reinvention, and by the 1990s it was proving itself as a cultural powerhouse, filled with creative energy and vision.
Thankfully, it didn’t have to start from scratch, but built on the foundations that were already here, such as the brilliant museums (mainly free) and the buildings that tell the city’s story, from its medieval origins, through its industrial growth and modern-day regeneration.
So, as with any good story, on this foray into Glasgow’s cultural attractions, we should start at the beginning, at Glasgow Cathedral, the oldest of all the city’s buildings.
The city of Glasgow grew up around a church founded in the 6th century by St Mungo, Glasgow’s patron saint. Though that building is long gone, it was located on the site of the present-day cathedral, which was consecrated in 1197.
With its central stone spire, age-worn dark stone, and dozens of arched windows, it is a beautiful example of a medieval cathedral, and it is the only one on mainland Scotland to have survived the Scottish Reformation with its roof intact.
It wasn’t for a want of trying by the Reformists, but by the 16th century, the cathedral was so much part of the fabric of the city that the tradespeople took up arms to protect it: an early demonstration of the resilience of Glaswegians.
Inside, highlights include a rood screen, which is a rarity in Scottish churches today, and the crypt, which is the symbolic burial place of St Mungo.
As the population swelled, Glasgow’s rich merchants felt there should be a grander cemetery befi tting the status of the city
CLOCKWISE, FROM
THIS IMAGE: The Glasgow Necropolis, situated beside its cathedral; the neoGothic architecture of the University of Glasgow; Buchanan Street station on the Subway
Looming above the cathedral is the Necropolis, also known as Glasgow’s ‘City of the Dead’.
Dating from 1832, the cathedral was initially built as a burial place for Glasgow’s rich merchants, who felt there should be a grander cemetery be tting the status of the city as the population swelled.
As such, Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson, an architect renowned for his Greco-Egyptian style, was enlisted to create many of the tombs. He wasn’t the only designer whose work can be seen – Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the architect known for his ‘Glasgow Style’ take on Art Nouveau, created the Celtic headstone of one Andrew McCall, a close friend of his father’s, and it is believed to be his rst public work.
From the cathedral quarter, it’s a 20-minute walk to George Square (or you can make use of the hop-on hop-off City Sightseeing bus) the nucleus of the city, where you will see the elaborate City Chambers, another showcase of Glasgow’s power and wealth, this time built in the late Victorian era.
Opened by Queen Victoria herself in 1888, legend has it that the small holes in the shelves in front of the seats of the main council chamber, were added to hold owers to mask the stench of members of the public from the Queen’s sensitive nose during the opening ceremony.
You can nd out about this and much more on a free tour of the City Chambers, which also takes in the three-storey Italian white marble staircase, a ludicrous addition for a public building, but one that William Young, the architect,
GOING UNDERGROUND WORDS BY STEPHEN ROBERTS
“The train goes round and round; You’ve never lived unless you’ve been on the Glasgow Underground” (Cli Hanley’s The Underground Song, 1952).
Opened 125 years ago in December 1896, the Glasgow Subway wins the bronze medal for antiquity amongst underground railways. The London Underground was way out front (January 1863), whilst Budapest’s iconic ‘Line 1’ pipped Glasgow for silver by months.
Few people would place Budapest and Glasgow on the podium, but the world’s more renowned metros and subways, such as Paris and New York, were 20th-century openings.
Just under 6½ miles long, Glasgow’s Subway is far simpler than its rivals. There’s one vaguely elliptical line of 15 stations, with a northwest kink at Kelvinhall. It burrows under the mighty Clyde twice and the River Kelvin once and carries around 12¾ million passengers annually.
Originally a cable haul railway, with cars shifted by a moving cable, the system has been electrifi ed since the 1930s. That said, the subway has never been extended beyond its original design, despite proposals.
Construction began in 1891, the assistant engineer being Edinburgh-born William Tait (1866-1929), overseen by Glasgow-born Charles Forman (1852-1901). It was the work of the Glasgow District Subway Company, whose HQ was above St Enoch station, while the steampowered plant driving the cable was between West Street and Shields Road stations. Opening day (14 December 1896) was inauspicious as a collision between two cars under the Clyde saw the system closed until 19 January 1897. There was another partial closure between September 1940 and January 1941 after a bomb dropped close to Merkland Street station, damaging both tunnels during the war. The system is today operated by the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) and is the easiest way to get around the City Centre and West End (from as little as £1.55 each way). It’s a subway with attitude, allegedly dubbed ‘The Clockwork Orange’ (from a dystopian and thuggish Anthony Burgess novel), but with little since the 1930s. That said, the subway has provenance as locals prefer more imaginative never been extended beyond its original names such as ‘The Subway’, ‘Tube’ or ‘Underground’.
provenance as locals prefer more imaginative 125 years names such as ‘The Subway’, ‘Tube’ or ‘Underground’. of the Subway
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Glasgow Cathedral Glasgow’s oldest building is a must-see on any visit to the city. glasgowcathedral.org Glasgow Necropolis Admire the morbid grandeur of this City of the Dead. glasgownecropolis.org Glasgow City Chambers These free tours are one of Glasgow’s best-kept secrets. glasgow.gov.uk/article/19136/ City-Chambers-Tours Gallery of Modern Art Come to do your cap at the Duke, or step inside to see the art. glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/ venues/gallery-of-modern-art-goma Mackintosh at the Willow Tea for two in the Salon de Luxe is about as luxurious as it gets. www.mackintoshatthewillow.com Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum An icon of Glasgow, the Kelvingrove is the city’s most popular attraction. glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/ venues/kelvingrove-art-galleryand-museum University of Glasgow Tours of this building are a must for Harry Potter or Outlander fans. gla.ac.uk/explore/visit/ attractions/guidedtour The Hunterian Odd specimens in one building, art in the other. What’s not to like? gla.ac.uk/hunterian The Riverside Museum This museum is a homage to Glasgow’s shipbuilding heritage. glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/ venues/riverside-museum Pollok House This country house is a surprising fi nd in Glasgow. nts.org.uk/visit/places/ pollok-house The Burrell Collection Back for March 2022, this art collection is hoping to revive the city’s fortunes once more. burrellcollection.com Bar Brett After a busy day, dine in one of Glasgow’s most exciting eateries, from the team behind its only Michelin-starred restaurant. barbrett.co.uk
ABOVE: The Riverside Museum and Tall Ship Glenlee deemed necessary. Indeed, the staircase is so ostentatious that it often doubles for The Vatican on screen.
From the City Chambers, it’s an easy walk into the Merchant City, so called as it was here that the wealthy merchants known as ‘Tobacco Lords’ (who became rich off the back of the tobacco and slave trades) kept their warehouses, and occasionally their mansions.
The Gallery of Modern Art, for instance, is in the former home of one of those Tobacco Lords, William Cunninghame.
In truth, most people don’t actually make it inside the gallery, but come to snap a photo of the statue of the Duke of Wellington outside, which has been wearing a traffic cone on its head since the 1980s (the council have given up trying to remove it as it always ends up back there again) and is now such an emblem of the city’s anarchic side that it even features on postcards. Those that do make it inside this free gallery can see works by emerging and famous artists, many of whom came out of the Glasgow School of Art, such as the New Glasgow Boys. Of course, aside from its artistic output, the Glasgow School of Art is famous for being the alma mater of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who later won the commission to design an ornate building within the school, which had at its heart a beautiful wooden library. Many people consider it Mackintosh’s masterpiece. Sadly, the building has been destroyed by not one, but two fires (the most recent one in 2018), and while the future of the building hangs in the balance, you can get your fix of Art Nouveau aesthetics at the Mackintosh at the Willow tearoom on Sauchiehall Street. Originally designed for Mackintosh’s friend, Miss Cranston, who owned a couple of tearooms, taking afternoon tea here is a real treat, especially in the unapologetically posh Salon de Luxe. In this salubrious setting, as well as Mackintosh’s signature stained glass doors, there’s a gesso panel with the words “O ye, all ye that walk in Willowwood” (a quote taken from the Willowwood sonnets by Dante Gabriel Rossetti) hand-etched by Mackintosh’s wife, Margaret Macdonald, who was a talented artist in her own right. Glasgow’s West End is largely thought to be the city’s cultural heartland, and you’ll probably want to jump on the Subway to get here. The main attraction is the Victorian red sandstone palace of the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, built in the Spanish Baroque style in the late 19th century.
Inside, there is an impressive selection of works, from Dutch and Flemish Masters (including Van Gogh), as well as works by the Glasgow Boys, an 1885 piece by Mary Cassatt and Salvador Dali’s Christ of St John of the Cross.
On the museum side of things, the focus is on natural history and world culture, and one of the most beloved, yet sad exhibits is the stuffed elephant, St Roger, who still bears the bullet hole from when he was shot on the orders of the owner of Glasgow Zoo, and who has stood here for over 120 years.
While the art gallery and museum stand on one side of leafy Kelvingrove Park, piercing the sky on the other side is the spire of the University of Glasgow. Second in age to only St Andrew’s University, the building you see today, topped with crow-stepped gables and turrets, is not its original 15th-century home, but was designed in 1870 by Sir George Gilbert Scott (the same architect behind the Midland Grand Hotel by London’s St Pancras Station), though the spire was later added by his son, Sir John Oldrid Scott.
LEFT: Pollok Country Park in Glasgow’s Southside
BELOW LEFT:
Part of the Burrell Collection, due to reopen at Bellahouston Park in March 2022
With fewer people, Glasgow’s Southside is home to its highest number of parks
It’s widely rumoured that JK Rowling took inspiration for Hogwarts in her Harry Potter books from here. True or not, the building has certainly inspired others and its vaulted cloisters with fluted columns have featured in episodes of Outlander.
Set within the Gilbert Scott Building of the University of Glasgow is the Hunterian Museum – the slightly bizarre collections of 18th-century Glasgow physician and obstetrician, William Hunter. Items to look out for include the mummy of Lady Shep-en-hor, which is some 2,500 years old, and William Hunter’s own death mask. Slightly less gory, across University Avenue but still within the main campus, is the Hunterian Gallery, where you can view the largest permanent display of Whistler paintings in the world, and (for a fee), a recreation of the nearby home of Charles Rennie
Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald. Still in the west but down by the river, the late Zaha
Hadid’s Riverside Museum, with its jagged exterior a nod to the pleated sheds that lined the Clyde during its shipbuilding heyday, is worth a visit.
You can also step aboard The Tall Ship Glenlee, which is moored outside.
With so much to see and do on the north side of the river, it can be easy to forget about Glasgow’s Southside.
With fewer people, this part of Glasgow is home to its highest number of parks, which helped earn the city the nickname ‘dear green place’.
At Pollok Country Park, you can follow the walking trail past fields of Highland cows, while Pollok House was designed by one of Scotland’s foremost architects, William Adam, and displays paintings by some of Scotland’ most famous artists, including Raeburn and Guthrie.
Meanwhile, in Bellahouston Park they are gearing up for the reopening of the Burrell Collection in March 2022, following major restoration at a cost of £68.3 million, which is being viewed very much as a catalyst for Glasgow’s postCovid recovery. This personal collection of Chinese art, stained glass, tapestries, and fine art was originally gifted to the City of Glasgow by its owner William Burrell in 1944 and was called at the time “One of the greatest gifts ever made to any city in the world”.
One of its biggest showpieces is the Wagner Garden carpet, one of the three earliest surviving Persian garden carpets in the world, which will now be on permanent display.
Chief Executive of Glasgow Life, Dr Bridget McConnell, CBE, said: “Our vision for The Burrell Collection demonstrates the city’s ambition for it to become more widely appreciated and well known around the world and for Glasgow to retain its place as a global cultural leader.”
Something tells me Glasgow’s latest reinvention will be every bit as successful as its last. S
