Art Holiday Travel and Vacation information for Glasgow

Greater Glasgow & Clyde Valley
Today's Glasgow is letting the world know about its striking architecture, heritage and culture, building on the success of more than a decade of stimulating new developments such as the Burrell Collection and accolades like Cultural Capital of Europe in 1990 and UK City of Architecture and Design in 1999. Most recent of these to make a major impact on Glasgow's artistic scene was the opening of the Gallery of Modern Art.
Housed in a handsome neo-classical building in the city centre, the gallery displays some fine examples of Scottish figurative art, though there is also an eclectic collection from all parts of the world. The material on each floor reflects one of the four elements of fire, air, earth or water and there are also a number of interactive exhibits.

Though the Burrell Collection, with its collection of textiles, furniture, ceramics and other objets d'art, is typical of the city's cultural wealth, there are many other diversions. The Art Gallery and Museum in Kelvingrove Park is one of Europe's finest civic art collections. Opposite is the Museum of Transport, with reconstruction's of a typical Glasgow street of the 1930s. Also nearby is the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, where the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh is well represented. The Mackintosh House within the gallery comprises an accurate reconstruction of the interiors of one of his former homes. To the east of today's city centre, located next to Glasgow Cathedral, there is the stimulating St Mungo's Museum of Religious Life and Art, presenting the universal themes of life, death and the hereafter through evocative art associated with different religious faiths.

Glasgow is the headquarters of many artistic companies, including Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, all of which have regular concert programmes in custom-built halls, notably the prestigious Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. Britain's largest community festival, Mayfest, is held each May, encompassing a whole range of visual and performing arts.

A whole range of fascinating visitor attractions here are easily accessible off the main artery of the A74/M74. These include New Lanark, where the River Clyde flows through an unspoilt, wooded, rocky gorge, long famed for its outstanding beauty. The river here formerly powered textile mills in a development controlled by the enlightened industrialist Robert Owen. The doctrine of "Owenism", with its Utopian ideas of workers' welfare, later became world famous. The New Lanark Visitor Centre tells the story.

The handsome town of Biggar has a wealth of award-winning museums while Chatelherault, minutes from the main M74 near Hamilton is well worth discovering. The former hunting lodge of the Dukes of Hamilton, built by the famous Scottish architect William Adam in 1732, has been restored and now houses a fascinating visitor centre. The Carfin Pilgrimage Centre, which stands in the grounds of the Carfin Grotto, traces the history, traditions and motivations of pilgrimage, focusing particularly on pilgrimage in Scotland. Dramatic ruined castles, industrial heritage, country parks - and also the building with Europe's longest echo (The Hamilton Mausoleum - 22 seconds!) - Clyde Valley has plenty of surprises.