Glasgow

Glasgow (Gaelic: Glaschu) is Scotland’s largest city, with a population of over 600,000 in the city itself and over 2 million if the Clydeside conurbation’s neighboring towns are included. Glasgow’s historical role as Scotland’s principal industrial city has been challenged by decades of change and different redevelopment initiatives. It is located at the west end of Scotland’s Central Belt on the banks of the River Clyde. Outside of London, it is the third most populous city in the United Kingdom and one of the country’s most important economic centers.

Glasgow has received the European titles of City of Culture (1990), City of Architecture and Design (1999), and Capital of Sport (in recent years) (2003). When Glasgow was declared a UNESCO City of Music in 2008, it became the second Scottish city to join the UNESCO Creative Cities project. Glasgow identified an average of 130 music events every week when drafting its proposal, ranging from pop and rock to Celtic music and opera. From being Britain’s once-mighty industrial powerhouse to a center for trade, tourism, and culture, the city has seen a transformation. Glasgow hosted the 2014 Commonwealth Games, which were a huge success.

Glasgow has grown to become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the British Isles, with a revitalized city center, unquestionably the greatest shopping outside of London, superb parks and museums (the most of which are free), and easy access to the Scottish Highlands and Islands.

The City Centre, which contains the majority of tourist attractions and much of the city’s shopping and entertainment, as well as its commercial heart, and the West End, the bohemian area of cafés, restaurants, and bars surrounding the University of Glasgow and Kelvingrove Museum, are the two main areas for visitors to central Glasgow. Climbing the various “drumlins” (hills) upon which the core area is constructed is the greatest method to gain nice views of the city.

The East End, located east of the City Centre and centered on Gallowgate and London Road, is located outside of downtown Glasgow. The region south of the River Clyde is known as the South Side, whereas the area north of downtown Glasgow is known as the North Side. An ancient industrial region west of the City Centre, along the banks of the River Clyde, is undergoing rehabilitation and has several new and magnificent buildings, including the Clyde Auditorium, the Science Centre, and the Riverside Museum.

CENTER OF THE CITY

The M8 motorway to the north and west, High Street to the east, and the River Clyde to the south define the City Centre (also called as “town” or “the toon” by locals). The grid arrangement of streets, as well as the ornate Victorian and Edwardian structures and civic squares that give the city much of its flavor, are the areas where most tourists will begin. Argyle Street and Sauchiehall Street, both on an east-west axis, are the city’s primary thoroughfares. Buchanan Street, which runs north-south, connects them. These three streets together make up the primary retail thoroughfares.

Merchant City, on the eastern side of the City Centre, features Glasgow’s original medieval core, which is centered on the Glasgow Cross (the junction of Trongate, Saltmarket, High Street, Gallowgate and London Road). Merchant City stretches all the way up to George Square, with many elegant buildings dating back to Glasgow’s industrial heyday. The principal artery of Old Glasgow, High Street, runs north of the Glasgow Cross and climbs upwards to the Glasgow Cathedral and the Necropolis cemetery.

Blythswood Hill, which is centered on Blythswood Square, dominates the western part of the City Centre, which comprises the city’s primary commercial and business hub. Bath Street, which runs parallel to Sauchiehall Street and features a diverse mix of small businesses and pubs as well as unique Georgian town house architecture, is the major gateway into the neighborhood. The city’s financial area is located south of Blythswood Hill, and it has several contemporary glass and steel office buildings alongside their classical predecessors. The district of Anderston, on the north bank of the River Clyde, was previously a dockland area, severely scarred by the city’s industrial collapse and the 1960s urban regeneration programs, but is currently being regenerated as a residential and business area.

WEST END

The M8 motorway to the east, Great Western Road to the north, the River Clyde to the south, and Crow Road to the west define the West End boundary line, which is roughly defined as being bounded by the M8 motorway to the east, Great Western Road to the north, the River Clyde to the south, and Crow Road to the west. The neo-Gothic University of Glasgow, which functions as an anchor for this bohemian sector, with its wonderful architecture, tree-lined lanes, and small commercial districts, is clearly the core of the region.

Argyle Street/Dumbarton Road is the major east-west thoroughfare, while Byres Road is the main north-south road, with a variety of independent businesses, pubs, and restaurants. Ashton Lane is a cobbled backstreet with characteristic whitewashed houses that links Byres Road to the University campus and has an unusual mix of restaurants and cafes that make it a tourist destination (be careful as the Lane can be a bit of a tourist trap during the summer months when the students of the university are not there to keep the bar prices reasonable). Kelvingrove Park is located to the east of the university campus and just downhill, with the tree-lined Kelvin Way serving as the park’s primary thoroughfare, connecting to Argyle Street near the Kelvingrove Museum.

TOURIST INFORMATION

• Visit Scotland Tourist Information, 10 Sauchiehall Street, G2 3GF, +44 845 859 1006. Mon-Sat 09:00-18:00, Sun 10:00-17:00.

Glasgow’s climate is categorised as oceanic (Köppen Cfb) despite its northerly latitude, which is comparable to that of Moscow. Paisley, Abbotsinch, and Bishopton are three official weather stations in the Glasgow region that have data accessible online. All of them are west of the city center. Glasgow is one of Scotland’s warmer places due to its westerly location and closeness to the Atlantic Ocean. Due to the warming impact of the Gulf Stream, temperatures are generally higher than other sites of equivalent latitude away from the UK. However, in comparison to most of Western Europe, this results in fewer distinct seasons. The yearly precipitation averages 1,245 mm in Paisley (49.0 in)

Winters are chilly and gloomy, with an average temperature of 5.0 °C (41.0 °F) in January, while lows sometimes drop below freezing. Since the year 2000, Glasgow has only seen a few very cold, snowy, and hard winters with temperatures far below freezing. Temperatures in the region have reached about 12 °C (10 °F) in the most severe cases. Snowfall occurs seldom and is short-lived. The spring months (March to May) are often mild and enjoyable. At this time of year, many of Glasgow’s trees and flora begin to bloom, and parks and gardens are awash in vibrant spring hues.

During the summer months (June to August), the weather may change dramatically from day to day, ranging from chilly and rainy to hot and humid with the occasional sunny day. Long periods of warm weather with no rain are uncommon. There are a lot of overcast and muggy days with little rain. During these months, the weather is often unstable and variable, with relatively sporadic heatwaves. July is frequently the hottest month, with average highs above 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit). Summer temperatures may reach 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit) on rare occasions, and seldom surpass 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). Autumns are typically cold to pleasant, with a growing amount of precipitation. There may be some steady weather in early October, with warm temperatures and several sunny days.

Glasgow lies in West Central Scotland, on the banks of the River Clyde. The Kelvin River, whose name was utilized to create the title of Baron Kelvin and therefore became the SI unit of temperature, is the country’s second most significant river. Older maps show Glasgow as part of the pre-1975 county of Lanarkshire; from 1975 to 1996, it was part of the Strathclyde Region; and more contemporary maps show Glasgow as one of Scotland’s 32 council areas.

Glasgow is the biggest city in Scotland and the center of the West Central Scotland metropolitan region. Glasgow is also the city in the UK with the third highest GDP per capita (after London and Edinburgh). More than 410,000 people work in over 12,000 businesses in the city. Between 2000 and 2005, the city added almost 153,000 new employment, a 32 percent increase. Glasgow currently ranks second only to London in terms of yearly economic growth, at 4.4 percent. Over 17,000 new employment were generated in 2005, and private-sector investment in the city totaled £4.2 billion in 2006, representing a 22 percent increase in a single year. Every day, 55 percent of inhabitants in the Greater Glasgow region commute into the city. Although major manufacturing firms such as Aggreko, Weir Group, Clyde Blowers, Howden, Linn Products, Firebrand Games, William Grant & Sons, Whyte and Mackay, The Edrington Group, British Polar Engines, and Albion Motors remain headquartered in the city, more diversified forms of economic activity have gradually replaced once dominant export-oriented manufacturing industries such as shipbuilding and other heavy engineering have gradually replaced them in importance.

Glasgow was historically one of the most important cities in the United Kingdom for manufacturing, which provided the city with a substantial portion of its income; the most notable industry being shipbuilding on the River Clyde. Although the shipbuilding industry was responsible for much of Glasgow’s economic growth, which is still evident today in the form of BAE Systems Maritime – Naval Ships’ two shipyards, the city has its roots in the tobacco trade and is said to have “risen from its medieval slumber” thanks to figures like John Glassford. The city was also known for its locomotive building sector, which developed throughout the 19th century until declining in the 1960s, thanks to companies like the North British Locomotive Company.

While manufacturing has dropped, tertiary sector businesses including as financial and business services, communications, biosciences, creative industries, healthcare, higher education, retail, and tourism have witnessed considerable relative expansion in Glasgow’s economy. Glasgow is presently Scotland’s second most popular international tourist destination (fifth in the United Kingdom), with Scotland’s biggest shopping mall.

Between 1998 and 2001, the city’s financial services industry increased at a 30% annual pace, outpacing Edinburgh, which had previously served as the financial capital of Scotland. Glasgow is currently one of Europe’s sixteen major financial centers, with an increasing number of blue-chip financial firms establishing substantial operations or headquarters there.

The number of call centers in Glasgow increased dramatically in the 1990s and the first decade of the twenty-first century. Glasgow call centers employed around 20,000 individuals in 2007, accounting for a third of all contact center workers in Scotland. The TUC and other union groups have accused the TUC and other union bodies of exploitative tactics such as excessive hours, inadequate pay, and a lack of job security as a result of this development and its widespread use of recruiting firms to employ graduates as temporary workers. Some contact centers have made attempts to address this complaint in recent years.

Shipbuilding, engineering, construction, brewing and distilling, printing and publishing, chemicals and textiles, as well as emergent growth areas like as optoelectronics, software development, and biotechnology, are among the city’s primary industrial businesses. Glasgow is located in the western section of Scotland’s Silicon Glen high-tech industry.

PHONE

The area code for landlines in Glasgow is 0141. Drop the leading 0 and dial the UK international phone number +44 when dialling from outside the UK.

INTERNET

The major commercial districts in the city center, such as Buchanan Street and Sauchihall Street, provide free public wifi. Join the “GlasgowCC Wifi” network.

If you’re traveling with a laptop, most, but not all, medium to high-end hotels provide broadband internet connection in their rooms. If this is crucial to you, double-check before making a reservation.

If you don’t have a laptop, there are various sites that provide web and other internet connection.