City of Culture

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,