Glasgow is city which has achieved a most remarkable renaissance in the past decade. It has transformed itself from an industrial city of shipyards and steel mills in decline, to a European city of culture and one of Scotland's prime tourist destinations.
It is once more an exciting, thriving destination boasting more than 20 museums and galleries. It was no surprise to the Scots when in 1999, Glasgow was named the European City of Design and Architecture.
One of the latest additions to Glasgow's landscape is the Glasgow Science Centre which makes for a fun day out. The complex consists of three separate buildings, the Glasgow Tower, the Science Mall and an IMAX cinema, all built for the Millennium in ultra modern steel and curves. The Mall is the centrepiece... four floors of hands-on exhibits, entertainment and cafes. The elegant tower nearby is the only tower in the world that can rotate 360 degrees from the ground up, and the views from it stretch 40 miles across the city, over the Clyde valley. On a clear day you can see Loch Lomond.
Much of the credit for Glasgow's rebirth goes to the art nouveau architecture and design of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, a native glaswegian whose work has served as inspiration to the city.
Glasgow's re-invention is seen most clearly in its cultural offerings. Touring music groups and theater companies regularly grace the stages of the Kings Theatre, the Royal Concert Hall and a host of modern music venues which these days are continually filled with world-class acts. Here you can enjoy productions by the Scottish Opera, the RSNO Summer Proms and the West End Festival, or maybe you'll prefer the smooth sounds of the Glasgow International Jazz Festival, or the Celtic Connections... just some of the many annual events, currently creating Glasgow's new reputation as one of Europe’s leading cultural capitals.
Glasgow's nightlife is second to none. Glasgow rocks 24/7, and what it lacks in finesse it more than makes up for it in enthusiasm. Glaswegians will give you the warmest welcome in Scotland. Interesting new restaurants are proliferating, making a lie of the old saw that the pinnacle of Glaswegian cuisine is a deep-fried Mars Bar. A new, youthful cafe culture has embraced healthy eating and the variety of ethnic cuisines you would expect to find in any hip, twenty-first century European city.
Outside the city of Glasgow you will find some of Scotland’s most beautiful scenery. A short drive south will bring you to the Clyde Valley Tourist Route, wending its picturesque way to the upper reaches of the River Clyde and the World Heritage Site of New Lanark.
Go west and find Renfrewshire and the town of Paisley with its medieval Abbey and Museum and Art Galleries, featuring the world’s largest collection of the famous Paisley shawls.
Along Inverclyde’s coastal towns you will love the panoramic views across the Clyde Estuary to the Argyll Hills. To the north of Glasgow, Milngavie’s Mugdock Country Park of heather moors and crisp lakes, includes a stretch of the long distance footpath known as the West Highland Way.
The Pentlands rise to the east while Loch Lomond, to the north, is one of Scotland's more beautiful and accessible bodies of water.