Scotland #16: Welcome to Glasgow!

Scotland #1: Welcome to Edinburgh!
Scotland #2: The View from Arthur’s Seat
Scotland #3: The View from Scott Monument
Scotland #4: Going Forth to Forth
Scotland #5: The Beauty of Fife
Scotland #6: Whisky Fail
Scotland #7: Defeat at Culloden
Scotland #8: Cawdor’s Not-So-Secret Garden
Scotland #9: The Loch Ness Loop
Scotland #10: The Road to Skye
Scotland #11: Old Man of Storr
Scotland #12: Pieces of Skye
Scotland #13: Rubha Hunish AKA The Hike from Hell
Scotland #14: Losing my Phone in Scotland and Other Adventures
Scotland #15: The Road to Glasgow

Most people skip Glasgow. I’m so glad we didn’t.

We spent one long day walking all around Scotland’s largest city. And I mean walking. Our nearly seven-mile walk gave us a great overview of the creative, industrial energy that Glasgow is famous for.

An approximate map of our Glasgow walk.

The city rose to its heights during the Industrial Revolution, serving as a major trade hub for Great Britain. Its gritty, industrial roots permeate the city today. Known for its entrepreneurial music and arts scene, we didn’t have to walk far to find a plucky street performer or an impressive street mural. In fact, Glasgow is well known for its street art, and we tried to visit as many murals as we could (coming up in the next post).

It is also a city that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Like this restaurant. Sometimes, you just gotta call it like you see it.

After walking for a mile or so, we made our way through Kelingrove Park…

…And then through the University of Glasgow campus.

We wandered through Glasgow’s hip west end (west and north of the city center).

Then, we made our way back to the heart of central Glasgow. We strolled the Style Mile – a pedestrian-only strip, filled with stores, restaurants, museums, and street performers.

And my first video – a Scottish band performing on the Style Mile. Clearly, I need to work on my video taking skills, but you’ll get the idea.

Remember what I said about Glasgow’s sense of humor? This iconic statue of the Duke of Ellington is located outside the Gallery of Modern Art. The statue (and the cone) is so beloved, a 2013 effort by the Glasgow City Council to refurbish the monument and remove the cone was met with protests and social media backlash. The online petition stated: “The cone on Wellington’s head is an iconic part of Glasgow’s heritage, and means far more to the people of Glasgow and visitors than Wellington himself ever was.”

Hahahahahahaha. I. Love. This.

Posing in front of funky mirrors at the Gallery of Modern Art…

And this. I absolutely love this.

We headed south to the River Clyde to check out the last street murals on our list, and stumbled upon this beautiful reflection of St. Andrews Cathedral.

The River Clyde at night:

We passed by this school on the way back to our hotel. I’m keeping my options open in case my day job doesn’t pan out…