| Glasgow's proximity to Scotland's beautiful | | | | Museum, which is now Glasgow's oldest house. |
| Highlands and the legendary friendliness and | | | | Once similar houses continued all the way |
| humour of its inhabitants are probably the | | | | down High Street towards Glasgow Cross and |
| most commonly cited reasons for its position | | | | the imposing 17th century Tolbooth Steeple, |
| as third most visited city in the UK (after | | | | which once greeted travellers arriving along |
| London and Edinburgh). This overshadows the | | | | the Gallowgate from Edinburgh. |
| fact that Glasgow is without doubt one of the | | | | |
| most architecturally remarkable cities in the | | | | Much of the centre of the Glasgow we know |
| British Isles. From the tall confident early | | | | today began to take shape from the 18th |
| Victorian neoclassical buildings of the city | | | | century onwards. The so called 'Tobacco |
| centre to the 'space-age' Clyde Auditorium | | | | Lords' were the first in a long line of |
| (or Armadillo) and Science Centre, Glasgow's | | | | entrepreneurs and businessmen to leave their |
| architecture exudes a dynamism which has | | | | mark on the city. Having become |
| emerged from a complex and often dramatic | | | | extraordinarily wealthy and powerful |
| history. | | | | re-exporting tobacco from the Americas to the |
| | | | continent, a trade which they all but |
| Glasgow's massive expansion in the 18th and | | | | monopolised until US independence, they |
| 19th centuries did much to destroy evidence | | | | fashioned great mansions and palaces for |
| of early settlement in the area. | | | | themselves in what became Glasgow's Merchant |
| Nevertheless, what remains is of tremendous | | | | City, to the west of High Street. At this |
| interest. Amongst the earliest traces of | | | | time Glasgow was considered by some to be the |
| inhabitation are the remains of a Roman | | | | most attractive town in the newly formed |
| bathhouse, at Bearsden in Greater Glasgow. | | | | United Kingdom. |
| This is the last visible part of a fortified | | | | |
| complex built by the 20th Roman Legion on the | | | | The Tobacco Lords were followed by the first |
| Antonine Wall, which marked Glasgow as a | | | | generations of industrialists, whose |
| dangerous outpost on the northernmost | | | | pioneering spirit became the foundation of |
| frontier of the empire. | | | | the British Empire. The exportation of |
| | | | textiles and later industrial goods required |
| Nonetheless, it is St Kentigern (or St Mungo) | | | | the development of Glasgow's port and led to |
| who is usually regarded as being Glasgow's | | | | a huge demand for ships. Consequently, |
| founding father. His journey in the 6th | | | | Glasgow's era as shipbuilding capital of the |
| century BC to find the burial ground, | | | | world began. Glasgow also became the major |
| dedicated by St Ninian a century earlier, | | | | supplier of ships for the Royal Navy and, |
| brought him to the green hollow where Glasgow | | | | resultantly, the centre of the empire's |
| Cathedral now stands. The small church he | | | | munitions industry. Machine tools, sewing |
| built here became his burial place. The tomb | | | | machines and locomotives were amongst |
| remains the focal point for one of Scotland's | | | | Glasgow's other specialities. Glasgow became |
| outstanding medieval buildings, as well as | | | | the so called Second City of the Empire and |
| the resting place of one of northern Europe's | | | | Workshop of the World; the industrial city of |
| most influential missionaries. | | | | the industrial age. |
| | | | |
| Nonetheless, it was 3 centuries after St | | | | Glasgow's extraordinary success as an |
| Kentigern's death and across the River Clyde | | | | industrial giant is reflected in her rich |
| at Govan that real political power first came | | | | architecture. Arguably no other city has |
| to the Glasgow area. The Kingdom of | | | | been bequeathed with finer examples of both |
| Strathclyde built its capital here, possibly | | | | Edwardian and Victorian buildings. Two |
| at the site of a prehistoric burial mound, | | | | Glasgow architects whose buildings are |
| after Viking attacks made the continuing | | | | amongst the city's finest are worth a special |
| occupation of Dumbarton Rock untenable. For | | | | mention; Alexander 'Greek' Thomson |
| the following three hundred years Govan | | | | (1817-1875), acclaimed for his innovative |
| remained the capital of this sizeable realm, | | | | reinvention of the classical Greek style, and |
| until its incorporation into Scotland by King | | | | the world renowned Charles Rennie Mackintosh |
| David I in the 12th century. Govan's ancient | | | | (1868-1928), whose unique style remains |
| origins can most clearly be seen at Govan | | | | highly influential internationally. |
| Parish Church, once the site of the royal | | | | |
| complex. The highly decorated hog back grave | | | | The wealth apparent in Glasgow's finest |
| markers and stone crosses on display | | | | buildings was not shared equally. Industrial |
| constitute the largest collection of such | | | | Glasgow gained a reputation for its extreme |
| stones in Scotland outside of Iona. | | | | poverty. Frustration with social inequality |
| | | | was expressed through the arts, football, |
| As part of a policy designed to crush the | | | | sectarianism and politics. While the idea |
| aristocracy of Strathclyde, David I moved the | | | | that the city was perpetually on the verge of |
| centre of power in the area to the site of | | | | Revolution is rather far fetched the legends |
| Kentigern's church. In the centuries that | | | | of 'Red Clydeside' play a large part in both |
| followed the cathedral began to take shape as | | | | Glaswegian and Scottish identity. In more |
| well as the adjacent Bishops Palace (on the | | | | practical terms, Glasgow's industrial |
| site of the Museum of Religion). Other stone | | | | environment was the birthplace of the British |
| structures began to spring up such as the | | | | Labour movement. |
| 15th century Provand's Lordship, opposite the | | | | |