Glasgow Information

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- - - Glasgow Information - - -

GLASGOW 's earliest history, like so much else in this surprisingly romantic city, is obscured in a swirl of myth. The city's name is said to derive from the Celtic Glas-cu , which loosely translates as "the dear, green place" - a tag that the tourist board are keen to exploit as an antidote to the sooty images of popular imagination. It is generally agreed that the first settlers arrived in the sixth century to join Christian missionary Kentigern - later to become St Mungo - in his newly founded monastery on the banks of the tiny Molendinar Burn.

William the Lionheart gave the town an official charter in 1175, after which it continued to grow in importance, peaking in the mid-fifteenth century when the university was founded on Kentigern's site - the second in Scotland after St Andrews. This led to the establishment of an archbishopric, and hence city status, in 1492, and, due to its situation on a large, navigable river, Glasgow soon expanded into a major industrial port . The first cargo of tobacco from Virginia offloaded in Glasgow in 1674, and led to a boom in trade with the colonies until American independence. Following the Industrial Revolution and James Watt's innovations in steam power, coal from the abundant seams of Lanarkshire fuelled the ironworks all around the Clyde, worked by the cheap hands of the Highlanders and, later, those fleeing the Irish potato famine of the 1840s.

The Victorian age transformed Glasgow beyond recognition. The population boomed from 77,000 in 1801 to nearly 800,000 at the end of the century, and new tenement blocks swept into the suburbs in an attempt to cope with the choking influxes of people. At this time Glasgow became known as the "Second City of the Empire" - a curious epithet for a place that today rarely acknowledges second place in anything.

By the turn of the twentieth century, Glasgow's industries had been honed into one massive shipbuilding culture. Everything from tugboats to transatlantic liners were fashioned out of sheet metal in the yards that straddled the Clyde. In the harsh economic climate of the 1930s, however, unemployment spiralled, and Glasgow could do little to counter its popular image as a city dominated by inebriate violence and - having absorbed vast numbers of Irish emigrants - sectarian tensions.

Shipbuilding, and many associated industries, died away almost completely in the 1960s and 1970s, leaving the city depressed, jobless and directionless. Then, in the 1980s, the self-promotion campaign began, snowballing towards the 1988 Garden Festival and year-long party as European City of Culture in 1990. More recently, Glasgow was UK City of Architecture and Design in 1999, an event which strove valiantly to showcase the city's rich architectural heritage.

- - - Arrival - - -

Glasgow International airport (tel 0141/887 1111, ) is at Abbotsinch, eight miles southwest of the city - not to be confused with Glasgow Prestwick airport, which is thirty miles south near Ayr. From the international airport, the Glasgow Airport Link bus (£3.30; information tel 0870/608 2608) runs from bus stops 1 or 2 into the central Buchanan Street bus station every fifteen minutes during the day. White airport taxis charge around £15.

From Glasgow Prestwick airport (tel 01292/511000, ), buses to Glasgow depart from directly outside the terminal: there's an express bus (hourly; £3.50; 50min), or Airbus #4 (Mon-Sat every 30min, Sun hourly), which costs just 50p if you have an air ticket but takes an hour and a half. The train station is a short walk from the terminal (alight at the airport not Prestwick Town), with trains taking 45 minutes to reach Glasgow (Mon-Sat every 30min, Sun hourly; £4.90).

Nearly all trains from England come into Central station , which sits over Argyle Street, one of the city's main shopping thoroughfares. Bus #398 from the front entrance on Gordon Street shuttles every ten minutes to Queen Street station , at the corner of George Square, terminus for trains serving Edinburgh and the north. The walk between the two takes about ten minutes. Bus #398 also stops at Buchanan Street bus station , arrival point for regional and inter-city coaches.

- - - Eating - - -

The huge growth in restaurants, bars and cafés in Glasgow over recent years shows little sign of abating. Eating options are fairly diverse: the city's restaurants offer everything from tapas to sushi, dim sum to every variety of dansak at the city's renowned Indian restaurants. Contemporary Scottish cuisine - fresh local produce prepared under French and other international influences - has seen a boom in recent years.

Worth knowing about if you're watching the pennies is the restaurant-booking website , which every day receives a significant number of good-quality restaurants around Glasgow posting special good-value dining deals (sometimes with restrictions, for example that a table should be clear for a certain time).

Cafés, Diners and Café-Bars

Café Gandolfi 64 Albion St tel 0141/552 6813. This bona fide landmark (now also with a branch in Buchanan Street's Habitat shop) was one of the first to test the waters in the Merchant City. Designed with distinctive wooden furniture that creator Tim Stead once called "sculpture in disguise," it serves up healthy and hearty portions of soup, salad, fish dishes, and more. Only drawback is the queue. Moderate.

Gallery of Modern Art rooftop café Queen St. Serving light meals during lunch hours (with cakes and coffee at other times), this café is worth a visit for Adrian Wiszniewski's massive mural and, of course, the views. Open Mon-Sat 10am-4.30pm, Sun 11am-4.30pm. Inexpensive.

Tron Theatre Chisholm St off the Trongate. Another arty hangout, this time for writers and theatrical types in either the modern designed street-side pub/café or a more traditional Victorian bar. One all-day menu serves both spaces with pre-theatre specials most evenings. Mon-Sat noon-10pm, Sun 10.30am-4pm. Moderate.

Grassroots Café 93 St Georges Rd. Although the competition is not particularly stiff, this is the best vegetarian outlet in the city. Fresh, creative cooking and a relaxed atmosphere. Inexpensive.

Where the Monkey Sleeps 182 West Regent St. Staffed by cordial art graduates who acquired their barista skills while still in school, and carrying an unstudied hipness. While food is limited to soups and sandwiches, the espresso is supreme and the space doubles as a gallery. Mon-Sat 8am-11pm, Sun 10am-11pm. Inexpensive.

Willow Tea Rooms 217 Sauchiehall St. Refined elevenses, lunches and afternoon tea amid the splendour of the Mackintosh-designed building and interiors. A similarly themed branch at 97 Buchanan Street is less authentic but less frenetic. Moderate.

:: WEST END ::

Air Organic 36 Kelvingrove St tel 0141/564 5200. This hip bistro (and pre-club bar downstairs) has earned design awards, while the menu is dominated by veg and meaty organic offerings cooked with an Asian touch. Excellent for Sunday brunch, and open late on Fri & Sat until 2am. Moderate.

Brel 39-43 Ashton Lane. Popular with students and post-grads, offering a smattering of Belgian food (moules et frites) and beers. The rear conservatory which opens on to a grassy knoll is an attractive spot on fine days. Moderate.

Insomnia 38-42 Woodlands Rd. A classic 24/7 café conveniently located about halfway between the city centre and the middle of the West End. Very crowded once the clubs close, it is renowned for its convenience rather than its cuisine. Daily 24hr. Inexpensive.

Tchai Ovna 42 Otago Lane. With live acoustic gigs and pre-club nights, this largely alcohol-free zone with lovely cakes and an array of sixty teas is a bohemian favourite. Inexpensive.

Tinderbox 189 Byres Rd. A style café which aspires - with an array of espresso-based drinks and its designer looks - to lure people who might ordinarily fancy a pint at the pub. Even in trendy Glasgow, it is amazingly successful. Inexpensive.

University Café 87 Byres Rd. A 70-year-old institution dearly loved by generations of students and West End residents. Formica tables in snug booths, glass counters and other original features, where the favourites are fish'n'chips or mince'n'tatties rounded off with an ice-cream cone. Inexpensive.

:: SOUTHSIDE ::

The Granary 10-16 Kilmarnock Rd tel 0141/632 8487. At Shawlands Cross, in the commercial heart of the Southside, this bar with a bistro-style dining room to the rear serves an international selection of food and rich satisfying desserts. Moderate.

1901 1534 Pollokshaws Rd. Formerly the Stoat & Ferret , this bistro/pub near Pollok Country Park is a lesser-known gem serving a basic French-Mediterranean menu. There's often live jazz on a Sunday afternoon. Moderate.

Restaurants

:: CITY CENTRE ::

El Sabor Merchant Sq, Bell St tel 0141/552 3400. Casual split-level Spanish cantina with a frequently changing tapas menu as well as mains such as chicken rellenos. Moderate.

Esca 27 Chisholm St tel 0141/553 0880. Italian place across from the Tron Theatre, a relative newcomer that is casual and brightly designed, with a light touch in the kitchen. Moderate.

Fratelli Sarti 133 Wellington St or 121 Bath St. This Italian café/deli/restaurant all under one roof is both authentic and popular. The more formal dining space is off Bath Street, but the same selection of pizzas, pastas and daily specials is also available in the atmospheric café. Open from 8am Mon-Sat, and noon on Sun. Moderate.

Gamba 225a West George St tel 0141/572 0899. A stylish modern basement restaurant that acknowledges the Mediterranean both in decor and seafood menu, and has been known to impress hard-to-please visitors from London. Closed Sun. Expensive.

Groucho St Judes 190 Bath St tel 0141/352 8800. Part of booming Bath St, the ground floor restaurant is a hip, comfortable place for filling meals of a mostly Scottish nature, whether Aberdeen Angus steaks or mussels. Meanwhile the basement bar is a real scene spot. Moderate or Expensive.

Ichiban Japanese Noodle Café 50 Queen St. Japanese-style setting, with long benches you share with fellow diners. Bowls of noodles and sushi selections are the staples here; service is friendly and efficient. Completely non-smoking. Inexpensive.

Kama Sutra 331 Sauchiehall St tel 0141/332 0055. Deep velvet curtains and wrought-iron decoration highlight the unusual design, while a wide-ranging menu which includes dishes from the Northeast frontier make this a favourite central curry house. Daytime buffet is a popular bargain. Open Sun-Thurs until midnight, Fri & Sat until 1am. Moderate.

Le Bouchon 17 King St tel 0141/552 7411. Fairly traditional French cooking in a basic brasserie setting, with excellent pre-theatre offers. Closed Sun. Moderate.

Le Chardon d'Or 176 West Regent St tel 0141/248 3801. Backed by the Roux brothers and featuring the Scottish-born head chef from their Le Gavroche restaurant in London, this recently opened French restaurant has Michelin star potential. Closed Sun. Expensive.

Mao 84 Brunswick St. Bright, fully glazed corner café-bar in the Merchant City offering a range of Asian cuisine, with spicy Korean and Indonesian specialities of particular note, and a pre-club feel at the weekend. Moderate.

Mitchell's 157 North St tel 0141/204 4312. Next to the domed Mitchell's Library, this is a comfortable brasserie without airs. The menu is fairly meaty and moderately priced. Good beer and an excellent refuge. Mon-Thurs noon-2.30pm & 5-10pm, Fri noon-2.30pm & 5-11pm, Sat 5-11pm.

Mussel Inn 157 Hope St tel 0141/572 1405. Like its Edinburgh flagship, this branch concentrates on simply prepared pots of fresh mussels and grilled scallops in casual environs. Mon-Sat noon-10pm, Sun 1.30-6pm. Moderate.

Oko 68 Ingram St tel 0141/572 1500. Locally owned restaurant bringing freshly prepared sushi on colour-coded plates and the conveyor belt thing to the stylish Merchant City. Closed Sun. Moderate.

Pattaya 437 Sauchiehall St. In order to cater to post-clubbing crowds, this basic and satisfying Thai restaurant has decided to stop serving lunches and instead stay open into the wee small hours. Daily 5pm-5am. Moderate.

Rogano 11 Exchange Place tel 0141/248 4055. A shockingly expensive fish restaurant decked out as an art-deco replica of the Queen Mary that has long been a Glasgow institution. Café Rogano , in the basement, is cheaper. Restaurant: daily noon-2.30pm & 6.30-10.30pm. Café: daily noon-11pm, Fri & Sat until midnight. Expensive.

Wee Curry Shop 7 Buccleuch St. Tiny Indian café near the Glasgow Film Theatre, serving home-made, inexpensive meals to compete with the best in town. BYOB and marvel. Closed Sun. Inexpensive.

:: WEST END ::

Amaryllis At "Number 1 Devonshire Gardens", corner of Great Western and Hyndland roads tel 0141/337 3434. Gordon Ramsay, the Glaswegian celebrity chef who made it big in London, opened this long-awaited and critically acclaimed French restaurant in spring 2001. It's less pricey than you'd expect, though the main man still spends most of his time down south. Closed Sun evening. Expensive.

Ashoka Ashton Lane 19 Ashton Lane tel 0141/337 1115. Lively curry house in the Harlequin chain, which dominates the Indian restaurant community throughout the west of Scotland; all have consistent quality and this branch is particularly popular with students. There are other Ashoka restaurants at 1284 Argyle St, and on the Southside at 268 Clarkston Rd. Mon-Sat noon-midnight, Sun 5pm-midnight. Moderate.

Café Antipasti 337 Byres Rd tel 0141/337 2737. A busy Italian bistro near the Botanic Gardens serving tasty and well-priced pastas and salads. No bookings are taken, so anticipate a queue on busy nights. Second branch in town on Sauchiehall Street. Inexpensive.

Chow 98 Byres Rd. Proof that Chinese restaurants can be modern and not crammed with Oriental kitsch. This bijou diner with extra tables upstairs offers excellent value-for-money meals. No smoking. Moderate.

Fusion Sushi Bar 41 Byres Rd tel 0141/339 3666. Funky sushi bar with rolls and sashimi at various prices as well as yakitori, teriyaki, katsu and the like. No smoking. Moderate.

Mother India 28 Westminster Terrace, off Sauchiehall St tel 0141/221 1663. By near-unanimous consent, this is the best Indian restaurant in Glasgow. Excellent authentic home-cooking with some original Goanese specials as well as the old favourites at affordable prices in refreshingly laid-back surroundings. BYOB; small corkage fee. Moderate.

Nairn's 13 Woodside Crescent tel 0141/353 0707. Showcase restaurant for Scotland's celebrity chef Nick Nairn, on the garden level of a lovely Georgian town house. Fresh, specially sourced ingredients go into artfully presented dishes. Closed Sun & Mon. Expensive.

No. Sixteen 16 Byres Rd tel 0141/339 2544. Undoubtedly the best under-£15 meal in Glasgow, in a tiny, family-run neighbourhood bistro that is a rising star. Booking essential. Closed Sun. Moderate.

Salsa 184 Dumbarton Rd tel 0141/337 1416. A smaller version of sister restaurant Cantina Del Rey in the Merchant City, this West End branch serves similar, basic Mexican-style favourites, whether burritos or fajitas, in a colourful and laid-back atmosphere. Moderate.

Stravaigin 28-30 Gibson St tel 0141/334 2665. Local meats and fish are given an international make-over using a host of unexpected ingredients. Adventurous fine-dining selections and an exceptional-value bar menu, too. Basement restaurant open until 10.30pm, bar until 11pm Sun-Thurs, midnight Fri & Sat. Moderate upstairs, expensive downstairs.

The Ubiquitous Chip 12 Ashton Lane tel 0141/334 5007. Opened in 1971, The Chip , as it's affectionately known, led the way in Glasgow in headlining Scotland's quality fresh produce at the heart of its contemporary, upmarket dining experience. Some say it's living on its well-deserved reputation, but it's still up there. Less expensive options upstairs. Expensive.

:: SOUTHSIDE ::

Arigo 67 Kilmarnock Rd tel 0141/636 6616. Some claim this is the best Italian restaurant in the city. Lamb and veal dishes are noteworthy, with everything made fresh to order. Moderate.

Art Lovers' Café In House for an Art Lover, Bellahouston Park, 10 Dumbreck Rd tel 0141/353 4779. This show-case Rennie Mackintosh house offers sublime lunches with views of the garden. Moderate.

The Cook's Room 205 Fenwick Rd, Giffnock tel 0141/621 1903. Chef/owner Tom Battersby has earned an admirable reputation, and his restaurant with its rustic furniture and friendly service merits a special trip for dinner or a weekend brunch. Moderate.

Greek Golden Kebab 34 Sinclair Drive tel 0141/649 7581. The longest-running Greek restaurant in Glasgow hasn't changed its rustic cooking in probably thirty years. Worth seeking out. Thurs-Sun 5pm-1am. Moderate.

Drinking

If you tire of the trendier pre-club bars in the city centre and its buzzing Merchant City, set out for the East End or the Saltmarket district near the Clyde, where the local spit-and-sawdust establishments offer a welcome change. The liveliest area is the West End , with students mixing with fun-seeking locals around Byres Road. Decent pubs are more widely scattered in the Southside , but you'll find a handful of pleasant spots, ranging from stylish hangouts to historic locals.

As for opening hours , Glasgow's pubs and bars often keep serving until midnight; some do close at 11pm during the week, but then again in certain areas you'll find pubs open at the weekend until 1am. After closing-time, your only option is to head to a nightclub, some of which don't close until 5am.

- - - Nightlife and Entertainment - - -

Glasgow's clubbing scene is highly rated, with the city attracting top DJs from around the world and also breeding a good deal of local talent. Opening hours hover between 11pm to 3am, though some stay open until 5am. Cover charges are variable: expect to pay around £4 during the week and up to £15 at the weekend. Drinks are usually about thirty percent more expensive than in the pubs.

Glasgow is home to Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and the city's cultural programme offers a breadth of music (from hip contemporary to heavyweight classical), plus dance, theatre, film and performance art. For detailed listings , pick up the comprehensive fortnightly magazine The List (£1.95), which also covers Edinburgh, or consult Glasgow's Herald or Evening Times newspapers. To book tickets for theatre productions or big concerts, call at the Ticket Centre, City Hall, Candleriggs (Mon-Sat 10.30am-6.30pm, Sun noon-5pm), or call Ticket Link on 0141/287 5511.

Clubs

Archaos 25 Queen St tel 0141/204 3189. Massive, multi-level place with designer decor and a mainstream music policy.

The Arches 30 Midland St, off Jamaica St tel 0141/221 4001. In converted railway arches under Central station, the club portion of this arts venue offers an eclectic array of music: hard house, trance, techno and funk.

Fury Murray's 96 Maxwell St, behind the St Enoch Centre tel 0141/221 6511. Student-oriented and lively, with music spanning the 1960s to recent indie and chart favourites.

The Tunnel 84 Mitchell St tel 0141/204 1000. Pre-eminent contemporary and progressive house music club with arty decor (dig the gents' cascading waterfall walls) and fairly strict dress codes.

The Velvet Rooms 520 Sauchiehall St tel 0141/332 0755. Consists of a small bar with postage-stamp dance area for mainstream dance, garage and soul.

Gay Clubs and Bars

Gay and Lesbian Centre 11 Dixon St tel 0141/221 7203. Licensed café in addition to more institutional support such as information and reading rooms.

Polo Lounge 84 Wilson St, off Glassford Street tel 0141/553 1221. The original decor - marble tiles and open fires - and gentleman's club atmosphere upstairs combine with the dark, pounding nightclubs underneath which attract a gay and gay-friendly crowd.

Revolver 6a John St tel 0141/553 2456. Recently opened gay bar geared more towards the art of conversation than dance, with a popular Sunday chill-out.

Live Music Venues

Barrowland 244 Gallowgate tel 0141/552 4601. Legendary East End ballroom that hosts some of the liveliest, sweatiest and best gigs you may ever encounter. With room for a couple of thousand, it mostly books bands securely on the rise but still hosts some big-time acts who return to it as their favourite venue in Scotland.

King Tut's Wah Wah Hut 272a St Vincent St tel 0141/221 5279. Famous as the place where Oasis were discovered, and still presenting one of the city's best live music programmes. Also has a good downstairs bar, with an excellent jukebox should you want to sit out the gig.

Scotia Bar 112 Stockwell St tel 0141/552 8681. The folkies' favourite, a mellow musical pub with regular live gigs and jam sessions. Free.

The 13th Note 50-60 King St tel 0141/553 1638. The basement of this relaxed bar and vegetarian restaurant is the place to sample local and cutting-edge musical talent, including jazz and R&B; the club of the same name at 260 Clyde St is a bit louder and livelier.

Theatres and Comedy Venues

Arches Theatre 253 Argyle St tel 0901/022 0300. Andy Arnold runs the Arches theatre company, reviving old classics and introducing new talent in this recently refurbished, hip venue.

Citizens' Theatre 119 Gorbals St tel 0141/429 0022. The "Citz" has evolved from its 1960s working-class roots into one of the most respected contemporary theatres in Britain. Three stages, concession rates for students and free preview nights.

Cottier Theatre 935 Hyndland St tel 0141/357 3868. This performance space in the old Dowanhill church hosts touring shows, dance and music gigs. An adjoining bar with beer garden is a favourite on dry summer evenings.

The Stand 333 Woodlands Rd tel 0870/600 6055. Recent addition and sister to the first-rate comedy club in Edinburgh, booking national and international acts.

Tron Theatre 63 Trongate tel 0141/552 4267. Varied repertoire of mainstream and more challenging productions from itinerant companies, such as Glasgow's Vanishing Point.

Concert Halls

Glasgow Royal Concert Hall 2 Sauchiehall St tel 0141/287 5511. Chunky modern monstrosity that is the venue for big-name touring orchestras and the home to the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, as well as booking some big-name rock and soul stars and middle-of-the-road music hall acts.

Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, and Clyde Auditorium Finnieston Quay tel 0870/040 4000. The SECC is a gigantic airplane hangar-like space with dreadful acoustics that, unfortunately, is the only indoor venue in Scotland for world-touring megastars from Tom Jones to Eminem. The adjacent Clyde Auditorium - better known as the Armadillo - is smaller but more melodic.

Theatre Royal 282 Hope St tel 0141/332 9000. This late nineteenth-century theatre was revived in the mid-1970s as the opulent home of Scottish Opera, and plays regular host to visiting orchestras, opera and theatre groups, including the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Cinemas

Glasgow Film Theatre 12 Rose St tel 0141/332 8128. Dedicated art, independent and repertory cinema house. Its inhouse Café Cosmo is an excellent place for pre-show drinks.

Grosvenor Ashton Lane tel 0141/339 4298. Eclectic mix of mainstream and art-house movies on two screens in this eighty-year-old cinema, which has plans to open a restaurant and bar. Occasional theme nights and frequent late shows for local students.

Odeon City Centre 56 Renfield St tel 0141/332 3413. Multiscreen cinema with the latest releases.

Odeon at the Quay Paisley Road tel 0141/418 0111. Another multiplex, just over the river on the Southside.

- - - Information - - -

The city's efficient tourist office , at 11 George Square (July & Aug Mon-Sat 9am-8pm, Sun 10am-6pm; June & Sept Mon-Sat 10am-7pm, Sun 10am-6pm; rest of year Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 10am-6pm; tel 0141/204 4400, ), provides a wide array of maps and leaflets, and has an accommodation-booking service (fee £2). They also sell travel passes, theatre tickets and organize car rental. Pick up their free Essential Guide to Glasgow , a chunky brochure with details of every tourist attraction for miles around. If you're heading for the suburbs or want to explore the tiny streets and alleys that are invariably airbrushed off the tourist maps, it's probably worth investing in a Bartholomew Glasgow Streetfinder (£2.99), which you can pick up at the tourist office and most bookshops.

There's also a branch of the tourist office in the airport's international arrivals hall (daily 7.30am-5pm, except Oct-April Sun 8am-3.30pm; tel 0141/848 4440).

- - - City Transport - - -

The best way to get between the city centre and the West End is to use the Underground (Mon-Sat 6.30am-11.30pm, Sun 11am-6pm), whose stations are marked with a large orange U. The service is extremely easy to use: there's a flat fare of 90p, or you can buy a day ticket for £1.60 (Mon-Fri after 9.30am and all day weekends). The main stations are Buchanan Street , near George Square and connected to Queen Street train station by a moving walkway, and St Enoch , at the junction of Buchanan Street pedestrian precinct and Argyle Street. Hillhead station is bang in the heart of the West End, near the university.

The array of different bus companies and the various routes they take is perplexing even to locals, and there's no easy guide to using them other than picking up individual timetables at the Travel Centre on St Enoch's Square. The main operator is First Glasgow (tel 0141/423 6600), which runs the "Overground" buses. Arriva (tel 0141/885 4040) also operates many services. Information on relevant services is given at some bus stops.

The suburban train network is swift and convenient. There are two grim but functional cross-city lines : the one running through Central station connects to southeastern districts as far out as Lanark, while the Queen Street line links to the East End and points east. Trains on both lines go through Partick station, near the West End, which is also an underground stop; beyond Partick, the trains are an excellent way to link to points west and northwest of Glasgow, including Milngavie (for the start of the West Highland Way), Dumbarton and Helensburgh.

Transport Passes and Information

Various public transport passes are available if you plan to do lots of travelling on one day or are in the city for more than a few days. For train and underground travel the Roundabout Glasgow ticket (£3.50; available Mon-Fri after 9am, and all day Sat & Sun) gives unlimited travel for a day. The simplest of a complicated system of Zonecards costs £11.20 and gives travel for a week in central Glasgow, including Partick in the west and the Burrell Collection in the south. Neither of these are valid on the buses, which have their own systems of daily and weekly tickets.

To help demystify the system, and get detailed information on local public transport, make for the neo-Gothic hut of the Travel Centre (Mon-Sat 9.30am-5.30pm), located a couple of hundred yards southwest of the tourist office above St Enoch underground station, where you can pick up sheaves of maps, leaflets and bus timetables. There are smaller Travel Centres at Buchanan Street bus station and Hillhead underground station. For information on all transport within the city and further afield, call 0870/608 2608.

- - - Glasgow's Architecture - - -

Glasgow, founded on religion, built on trade and now well established as a cultural centre, has become recognized for its architectural riches, from the medieval cathedral to the modern glass-lined galleries of the Burrell Collection. Most dominant is the legacy of the Victorian age , when booming trade and industry allowed merchants to commission the finest architects of the day, and the celebrated work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh , which took Glasgow architecture to the forefront of early twentieth-century design.

The city's expansion: 1750-1850

Glasgow's great expansion was initiated in the eighteenth century by wealthy tobacco merchants who built the grand edifices of public and municipal importance that still make up much of the Merchant City . Further west, Royal Exchange Square is one of the best examples of a typical Glasgow square: treeless, bare and centred around a building of importance, the 1829 Royal Exchange , now housing the Gallery of Modern Art. As workers piled into the centre of Glasgow in the early nineteenth century, wealthy residents began moving west to the gridded streets that line Blythswood Hill (mostly developed after 1820) with two- or three-storey terraces, their porches and heavy cornices providing textural relief to the endless sandstone monotony. Above all, the long streets provide a beautiful selection of open-ended views, one moment leading into the heart of the city, the next filled with distant hills and sky.

Desiring to surround themselves with trees and fields, the well-to-do continued their migration west; Woodside Crescent , leading into Woodside Terrace, is a severe line of buildings with splendid Doric porches and neatly organized gardens. Park Circus , on the other hand, is a parade of uninterrupted Georgian magnificence, with delicate detail - such as narrow window slots on either side of the doors - enhancing the dignified crescent.

Greek Thomson and The Victorians

Long since overshadowed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the design of Alexander "Greek" Thomson , in the latter half of the nineteenth century, though well respected in its time, has been sadly neglected. As his nickname suggests, his work took the principles of Greek architecture, but reprocessed them in a highly unique manner. The 1857 St Vincent Street Church , his best work, has a massive simplicity and serenity lightened by the use of exotic Egyptian and Hindu motifs, particularly in the tower with its decorated egg-shaped dome. Most recently, the National Trust has opened his finest domestic dwelling, Holmwood House , on the Southside, to the public.

West from Park Circus lies Glasgow University (1866-86), its Gothic Revivalism - the work of Sir George Gilbert Scott - representing everything that Greek Thomson despised; he called it "sixteenth-century Scottish architecture clothed in fourteenth-century French details". Scottish features abound, such as crow-stepped gables, round turrets with conical caps and the top-heavy central tower. Inside, cloisters and quadrants sum up a suitably scholastic severity.

Originally conceived as a convenient way to house the influx of workers in the late 1800s, the Glasgow tenement design became more refined as the wealthy middle-classes began to realize its potential. Mainly constructed between 1860 and 1910, tenements have three to five storeys with two or three apartments per floor. A fascinating example of the style of these buildings, as well as the typical style of life inside them, can be seen at the Tenement House .

From World War I to The Present

World War I put an end to the glorious century of Glasgow building, and the Depression years did little to enhance the city. However, since World War II bombing was targeted on the shipbuilding district of Clydebank, west of the centre, most of the city's legacy of fine sandstone buildings survived intact.

Glassy office buildings have sprung up in recent years, their mirrored walls basking in the reflected glory of the surrounding buildings to disguise their banality of design. The 1980s onwards have seen the return of the grand public building as inheritor of architectural innovation. Beginning with the imaginative Burrell Collection , the theme has been taken up by the titanium-clad behemoths of Clydeside: the unmistakable Clyde Auditorium, better known as the "Armadillo" , and the futuristic glass-walled Science Centre , flanked by a bubble-like IMAX theatre and the 100-metre-high Glasgow Tower. This is not to ignore the poverty of artistry which went into great works such as the Kingston Bridge and Royal Concert Hall, but few could argue that Glasgow has failed to open itself to innovation and ideas. Above all, the city can be credited with involving its citizens in an awareness that everyone is influenced, as well as represented, by the buildings around them.

- - - Best Of - - -

Glasgow School of Art
Finest example of the unique style of Glasgow architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

Gallery of Modern Art
Idiosyncratic but populist collection of contemporary artworks, bang in the heart of the city.

Necropolis
Elegantly crumbling graveyard on a city-centre hill, behind the ancient cathedral.

Clydeside
The river that made Glasgow - walk or cycle along it, take a boat on it, cross a bridge over it, or view it from the top of the Glasgow Tower.

Burrell Collection
An inspired and eclectic art collection displayed in a purpose-built museum in Pollok Park.

"Glaesga Nightlife"
Sample the glitz and the grit with cocktails at the Rogano followed by a pint of heavy at the Horseshoe Bar.

New Lanark
Stay for next-to-nothing at this fascinating nineteenth-century planned village.

- - - Orientation - - -

Glasgow is a sprawling place, built on some punishingly steep hills, and with no really obvious focus, although, as most transport services converge on the area around Argyle Street and, 200 yards to the north, George Square , this pocket is the most obvious candidate for city-centre status. However, with the renovated, upmarket Merchant City immediately to the east and the main business and commercial areas to the west, the centre, when the term is used, actually refers to a large swathe from Charing Cross and the M8 in the west through to Glasgow Green in the rundown East End.

The West End begins just over a mile west of Central station, and covers most of the area beyond the M8 motorway. Today, this is still very much the student quarter of Glasgow, exuding a decorous air, with graceful avenues and parks, and inexpensive, interesting shops and cafés. Parts of the Southside have always been very pleasant: the leafy enclaves of Queen's Park are home to the national football stadium, Hampden Park, while Pollok Park and the Burrell Collection are undisputed highlights of the city.

- - - Listings - - -

Bike rental Only a few bike shops rent out bikes. Dales, 150 Dobbies Loan tel 0141/332 2705, a block north of the Buchanan Street bus station, has a few bikes available. There's a better selection at West End Cycles, 16 Chancellor St tel 0141/357 1344, conveniently placed close to the start of the Glasgow to Loch Lomond route, one of a number of special cycle routes which radiate out from the city. For further details, check.

Books
Borders, 98 Buchanan St;
Waterstone's, 153 Sauchiehall St. For second-hand: Caledonian Bookshop, 483 Great Western Rd, or Voltaire & Rousseau, 12-14 Otago Lane.

Car rental
Arnold Clark, Castlebank St tel 0141/339 9886;
Avis, 161 North St tel 0141/221 2827;
Budget, 101 Waterloo St tel 0141/221 9241;
Europcar, 38 Anderston Quay tel 0141/248 8788.
Car-rental firms at the airport include Budget tel 0141/889 1479, Europcar tel 0141/887 0414 and Hertz tel 0141/887 2451.

Dentist National Health Service line tel 0800/224488 lists local and emergency dentists. Glasgow Dental Hospital, 378 Sauchiehall St (tel 0141/211 9600).

Hospital 24hr casualty department at the Royal Infirmary, 84 Castle St tel 0141/211 4000.

Internet EasyEverything is open 24hr at 57-61 St Vincent St. Internet Exchange is at 136 Sauchiehall St.

Laundry
Harvey's, 161 Great Western Rd;
Laundromat, 39 Bank St; Majestic Laundrette, 1110 Argyle St.

Police Strathclyde Police HQ, Pitt Street tel 0141/532 2000; Stewart Street station, Cowcaddens tel 0141/532 3000.

Post office General information tel 0845/722 3344. Main office at 47 St Vincent St (Mon-Fri 8.30am-5.45pm, Sat 9am-5.30pm); other city centre offices at 87-91 Bothwell St and 228 Hope St.

Taxis TOA tel 0141/429 7070.

The above information are taken from Rough Guides

Explore Glasgow

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