City of Glasgow, Charles Rennie Mackintosh

City of Glasgow History, Victorian Glasgow, Industrial Revolution & the Clyde River

Glasgow has a distinctly different appeal than Edinburgh. Its history has been shaped differently, with Edinburgh more associated with the middle classes and the Scottish Englightenment whilst Glasgow's hey day was essentially the Victorian period reflected in its prevalent Victorian architecture and the boom of its shipyards and shipbuilding along the Clyde River. Glasgow's population exploded in the Victorian era, with both Highlanders and Irish immigrants flooding in, fleeing poverty and potato famines.

Differing ideas on how Glasgow got its name suggest it's taken from the Gaelic Glas Ghu meaning Green Glen, others point to the Glas meaning church and the Brythonic Celtic version of Kentigern - 'Cunotegernus' being shorthened to 'Cu', then 'Glas-cu' hardening to Glasgow. In the 6th century abbot Kentigern (alias St Mungo) built a monastery alongside the Clyde, the current location for Glasgow Cathedral which alongside the University dates from 1451. The period of the industrial revolution really saw Glasgow boom, indeed some have referred to Glasgow as the birthplace of the industrial revolution. James Watt (1736-1819) worked out how to utilise and perfect the steam engine whilst taking a walk on Glasgow Green! Glasgow has the Clyde River, and its industrial and radical history. Glasgow's shipbuilding roots run deep along the Clyde River, the city was once the second city of the British Empire to London, with coal from Lanarkshire coal seems feeding both textiles and shipbuilding industries (a prevalence of soft water in the Glasgow area was an added bonus for textiles).

Prior to Glasgow's Clyde shipbuilding boom (Clydebuilt) through the Victorian era, Glasgow had already developed as a major industrial port, developing trade with the American colonies particularly and taking in cargos of tobacco. Much like Liverpool, many a Merchant grew fat off the back of such trade and cheap labour from both the Highlands and Ireland. It was a bleak life for such workers living on pittance wages and casual work, in the notorious slums of Glasgow particularly in the Gorbals and Govan areas on the Southside. Into the 20th century Glasgow's shipbuilding culture and industry was in decline, felt hardest through the depression of the 1930s when unemployment reached a peak. By the 1970s the shipbuilding industry was all but dead, but they'd been a fight. A visit to the People's Palace & Winter Gardens on Glasgow Green takes you through Glasgow's social history, exploring its history of strong Trade Unionism particularly in its superb display of banners.

From the 1980s Glasgow began to reinvent itself as a centre for design and architecture with considerable success. In 1999 it became the UK's City of Architecture and Design, pipping cities such as Liverpool and Edinburgh to the post. New cutting edge architecture and attractions such as the Glasgow Science centre blends with the kitsch Victorian, and acclaimed designs of Glasgow's artistic son - Charles Rennie Mackintosh. As a European city of art, with acclaimed art collections including Kelvingrove and the Burrell Collection, Glasgow is one of the best.

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Glasgow Hotels, Glasgow Bed and Breakfast, Glasgow Accommodation

Glasgow's choice of accommodation is plentiful, and like the city itself hotels, B&Bs and Guest Houses are scattered. In peak summer season (July and August particularly) you're advised to book ahead. (see Glasgow city centre accommodation listed here on Iknow Scotland). Weekends in Glasgow are busier, so booking ahead if you're planning a Glasgow weekend city break is also advised.

For the best choice of B&B guesthouses look to the West End, which is also crammed full with a choice of restaurants not to mention local attractions such as the Kelvingrove Museum & Art Gallery, the Hunteerian Art Gallery and pretty Kelvingrove Park alongside Glasgow University. Glasgow city centre offers a choice of luxury hotels, with prices here generally cheaper than Edinburgh.

Although Glasgow has less hostel accommodation than Edinburgh, it compensates with its huge choice of budget hotel and bed and breakfast accommodation. Wherever you're accommodation base in Glasgow, be it Southside, West End, East End or in the heart of the city centre it's easy to get about, visiting Glasgow's scattered choice of museums, galleries and architecture via subway, network rail and bus (see SPT weblink right for Underground/Rail & Bus details. Choosing an accommodation near a subway station is recommended if you're hoping to explore Glasgow in a short space of time.

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Glasgow Transport Network, Glasgow Airports & City of Glasgow Tours

Glasgow International Airport (8 miles west of the city centre) now offers around one hundred routes which include transatlantic flights and direct flights from London's Airports, Manchester, Dublin and East Midlands Airport. From Glasgow International Airport shuttle buses run regularly into Glasgow city centre (Scottish Citylink no. 905 and AirBus Express no.950 - see weblink right for timetables from Scottish Citylink). Shuttle bus is best from Glasgow International Airport into Glasgow City Centre, although you can go by rail direct from Paisley Gilmour St Station. This station however is two miles from the terminal, so it's easier to just hop on a shuttle bus. The journey from Glasgow International Airport into the city centre is around 15 minutes (by road).

Glasgow's second airport, Glasgow Prestwick International Airport is in Ayrshire near Ayr and 30 miles outside Glasgow Centre. (by road the journey is about 45 minutes). The Rail route into Glasgow City Centre from Glasgow Prestwick Airport is more direct - this second Glasgow Airport has its own station. Trains run regularly every 30 minutes into Glasgow centre (every hour on Sundays). Discounts are available to passengers flying in (check the Glasgow Prestwick Airport weblink right for details). Special transport arrangements to and from Glasgow city centre are available for very early morning arrivals and late departures.

If travelling by road, several motorways, including the M8, M74 up from the south and M77 from upper Ayrshire, converge on Glasgow. Be warned though, in Glasgow city centre the one way system is confusing to new visitors, and it's easy to end up quite a few miles off your destination if you miss a turn off! A good idea if you're new to Glasgow is to opt for accommodation on the outskirts, ie. the lower south side near the Burrell Art Collection or on the West End near Glasgow University. You can easily hop onto the Glasgow underground or network rail and buses to reach the city centre from these areas, plus you avoid getting caught up in city centre traffic and head frazzling city centre road networks!

Other ways of getting into Glasgow is via National Express Coach or Scottish Citylink coach from elsewhere in Scotland (weblinks right). If you're visiting from Ireland you can choose either cheap flights to one of Glasgow's two airports, or opt for a ferry journey. Ferries land in Scotland at Stranraer (which is on the Dumfries and Galloway tip, 88 miles from Glasgow) or at Troon on the Ayrshire coast just 37 miles from Glasgow. From the ferry ports you can then hook into rail networks operating direct from the ports. (see P&O Irish Sea, Stena Line, Caledonian MacBrayne, Western Ferries Clyde Ltd and Superfast

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Glasgow Tourist Information

Glasgow City Centre Tourist Information, 11 George Square, Glasgow, G2 1DY.

Glasgow International Airport Tourist Information, International Arrivals Hall, Paisley PA3 2ST.

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