Actors. Famous actors born in Glasgow include Billy Connolly, James McAvoy, John Barrowman and Robert Carlyle.

Bearsden Roman Bath House. In Bearsden, on the outskirts of Glasgow, you will find the remains of a Roman bath house and latrine, part of a Roman fort. Bearsden was one of a series of fortifications along the Antonine Wall – a World Heritage Site which marks the Romans’ northernmost settlements in the UK.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Glaswegian Mackintosh was a major contributor to the modernist and Art Nouveau movements, with artistic work ranging from architecture to watercolours; the work of Mackintosh and his contemporaries became known as the Glasgow Style. Mackintosh married another artist, Margaret MacDonald, who was hugely supportive of his work and collaborated with him on a number of projects – perhaps at the expense of her own fame.

Fossil Grove. In Glasgow’s Victoria Park you will find Fossil Grove, home to tree stumps and a tree trunk which are believed to be over 300 million years old. The trees originated in warm, swampy conditions and were preserved naturally in sandstone and whinstone (hardened volcanic lava) for millions of years.

Glasgow Cathedral stands in Cathedral Square. The Cathedral was built in the twelth century; hundreds of years before, St Mungo established his own church on the same site. You will find St Mungo’s shrine at the Cathedral, and it is believed the saint himself was buried on the site. The Cathedral is a magnificent building, unusual in remaining virtually unscathed by the ravages of the sixteenth century Reformation.

Glasgow Subway. Consisting of fifteen stations, Glasgow’s underground travels between the centre of the city and the West End, with stations both north and south of the River Clyde. Stations on the circuit include Ibrox, Govan, Kelvinbridge and Shields. Glasgow Subway opened in 1896, making it one of the oldest underground systems in the world.

Music. Glasgow has been the birthplace of many people who have made it big on the music scene including Clare Grogan, Eddi Reader, Lulu, Mark Knopfler and Midge Ure Glasgow has hosted the hugely successful music festival Celtic Connections since 1994.

St Mungo performed miracles in Glasgow, remembered on the city’s coat of arms. Pictures include the robin Mungo resurrected, the tree from whose frozen branches he created fire, the bell he was given by the pope and the fish from the River Clyde he predicted would hold the lost ring of Strathclyde’s queen. You will find the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art on Castle Street.

Taggart. This long running, hard hitting, hugely successful police drama is set in Glasgow. The original Jim Taggart was played by Mark McManus, who died in 1994 mid-filming; the storyline for the episode had to be changed to accommodate his absence. However the series continued, still holding the same name, with Jardine being promoted to Detective Inspector and new characters introduced.

The University of Glasgow, one of the UK’s oldest universities, was established in 1451.


If you are thinking of visiting Scotland, Frommer’s Guides (always full of useful information) include one on Edinburgh and Glasgow:


I would recommend trying out one of the Taggart TV series to get a unique view of Glasgow: