"Glaswegian" redirects here. For the linguistics article, see Glasgow Patter .
(''Glaschu'' in
Gaelic ; ''Glesca'' or ''Glasgae'' in colloquial
Scots ) is
Scotland 's largest
City and
Unitary Authority Area , situated on the
River Clyde in the country's
West Central Lowlands . People from Glasgow are called '''Glaswegians'''. Glaswegian is also the name of the local
Dialect of
Scots , commonly known as the
Glasgow Patter .
The city was formerly a
Royal Burgh , and the ''"
Second City of the
British Empire "'' in the
Victorian Era , it established itself as a major
Transatlantic trading port. The Clyde was the World's pre-eminent
Shipbuilding centre, building many revolutionary and famous vessels such as the
Cunard liners
RMS ''
Queen Mary '', RMS ''
Queen Elizabeth '' and the RMS ''
Queen Elizabeth 2 '', and the Royal Yacht ''
Britannia ''.
The city grew in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to a population of over one million people, peaking at 1,088,000 people in 1931, however with population decline mainly due to the large scale relocation of people to
New Towns like
East Kilbride and
Cumbernauld on the outskirts of the city, and successive boundary changes, the current population of Glasgow is 629,501, based on the 2001 census. Approximately 1.58 million people live in the
Greater Glasgow conurbation, a 15 mile (24 km) radius from the city centre, defined as the
City Of Glasgow and the
Greater Metropolitan Area . The surrounding region of
Strathclyde has a population of over 2.6 million, over half of the whole Scottish population.
Known as the commercial capital of Scotland, the City of Glasgow is a bustling, cosmopolitan city. Glasgow is the second most popular foreign tourist destination in Scotland after
Edinburgh . The city also has Scotland's largest and most economically important commerce and retail centre. Glasgow is one of Europe's top 20 financial centres and is home to many of Scotland's leading businesses, forming an important part of the British economy.
It is common to derive the name ''Glasgow'' from the older
Brythonic ''glas cau'' or a
Middle Gaelic cognate, which would have meant ''green hollow''. The settlement probably had an earlier Cumbric name, ''Cathures''; the modern name appears for the first time in the Gaelic period (
1116 ), as ''Glasgu''. However, it is also recorded that the
King Of Strathclyde , Rhydderch Hael, welcomed
Saint Kentigern , and procured his consecration as bishop, which took place about 540. For some thirteen years Kentigern laboured in the region, building his church at the
Molendinar Burn , and making many converts by his Christian example and his preaching. A large community developed around him and became known as ''Glasgu'' (meaning the ''dear family''). The confusion between the terms is not wholly resolved (''Dear Family'' vs. ''Dear Green Place'' vs. ''Green Hollow'').
''Dear Green Place'' (''Glaschu'') is often misquoted as a Gaelic translation for the city, but this was actually
Daniel Defoe 's description of the city when he visited in the early 18th century; he also claimed that Glasgow was "the paradise of Scotland and one of the cleanliest and best built cities in Britain." Another writer of the time said of the
River Clyde : "I have never seen before any river which for natural beauty can stand competition with the Clyde. Never did a stream glide more gracefully to the ocean or through a fairer region." At that time, the city's population numbered approximately 12,000, and its structures largely consisted of compact wooden buildings, none of which remain today.
The
Coat Of Arms commemorates Glasgow's
Patron Saint , Kentigern, more often known as
Saint Mungo , and includes four emblems — a bird, a tree, a bell, and a fish, specifically a
Salmon with a ring in its mouth. The emblems represent
Miracles supposed to have been performed by Mungo and are listed in the following traditional rhyme:
::::''Here's the bird that never flew''
::::''Here's the tree that never grew''
::::''Here's the bell that never rang''
::::''Here's the fish that never swam''
The
Supporters are two salmon bearing rings, and the shield bearing the four motifs is surmounted by a castle (or sometimes a
Helm ) above which is St Mungo himself.
The
Motto of the city, taken from a sermon preached by Mungo, is ''Let Glasgow Flourish'', a shortened version of ''Let Glasgow flourish by the preaching of the word and the praising of thy name''. The motto was more recently commemorated in a song called "Mother Glasgow" popularised by
Hue And Cry , a musical group from the nearby town of
Coatbridge .
''See also:
Geography Of Glasgow ''
Glasgow is located on the banks of the
River Clyde , in West Central
Scotland .
Glasgow weather is typical of
Scottish weather and often unpredictable.
The summer months (May to September) are often sunny and mild. The winds are generally westerly, due to the warm
Gulf Stream . The warmest month is usually July, averaging 19°C (66.2°F). However, temperature can change suddenly, and is normally a few degrees colder than southern
England . Mornings may be damp and misty, or ''dreich'' (a Scottish word for damp and drizzly), but become sunny and warm by afternoon.
Though there are some rainy and windy days, spring (March to May) is fairly mild and is a popular time to visit Glasgow. Many of Glasgow's trees begin to flower at this time of the year and the parks and gardens are filled with spring colour.
Winters can be damp with few sunny days, however the Gulf Stream ensures that Glasgow stays warmer than other cities at the same latitude. Winds can be chilling and cold, though severe snow falls are infrequent and do not last. December, January and February are the wettest months of the year, but can occasionally be sunny and warm.
''Source:''
Glasgow Weather weather.com
Glasgow's population peaked in the 1930s with a population of 1,088,000 people, and for over 50 years was over 1 million people. However, after the peak of the 1930s, the population started to decline, partly due to relocation to the 'new towns' in clearings of the poverty-stricken inner city areas like the
Gorbals . In addition, successive boundary changes reduced the official city boundaries (and hence official populations) making direct comparisions difficult as the city expands beyond the local council boundaries.
''See also:
Historical Population Data ''
Due to council boundary changes since the last census in 1991, Greater Glasgow has four distinct definitions for the population of Glasgow in the to
South Lanarkshire , the slightly larger (formerly Glasgow District Council Area), the '''Greater Glasgow Health Board''' area (covered by the local NHS Trust), and the '''Greater Glasgow Metropolitan Settlement Area''' (including surrounding localities).
''Source''
''2001 Census'' www.scrol.gov.uk
Since the 2001 census, the population decline has stalled and it is currently forecast to remain the same (the current population forecast for 2004 the City of Glasgow area is 577,680)
Census Excel file www.gro-scotland.gov.uk.
Compared to Inner
London (22,438 people per sq mile), Glasgow has less than half the current population density of the English capital (8,528), however in 1931, the density was 16,011 highlighting the 'clearances' of the inner city to the suburbs and new towns
Glasgow: Population & Density 1891-2001 www.demographia.com.
''See also:
History Of Glasgow ''
The area of Glasgow has long been used for settlement due to the River Clyde providing a natural area for fishing. The
Romans later settled in the area, however Glasgow proper was not founded until the 6th century by
Saint Mungo when he established a church and ecclesiastical community in and around what is now
Glasgow Cathedral .
Glasgow grew over the following centuries, being granted the status of a city, with its cathedral and the founding of the
University Of Glasgow providing religious and educational status. It was not until the 16th century that Glasgow became prominent in world affairs. The city became a hub of trade to the Americas, especially in the movement of
Tobacco ,
Cotton and
Sugar . The industries of Scotland produced
Textiles ,
Coal and
Steel , which were exported.
Shipbuilding became a major industry on the Clyde, building many famous ships. By the end of the 19th century the city was known as the ''"Second City of the Empire"'' and was producing most of the ships and
Locomotives in the world. During this period, the construction of many of the city's greatest architectural masterpieces and most ambitious civic projects were being funded by its wealth.
The 20th century showed a great decline in the city's fortunes, especially with the effects of two
World Wars and the
Great Depression . The city's industries became uncompetitive, leading to high unemployment, urban decay and poor health for the city's inhabitants.
However, by the end of the century there had been a significant resurgence in Glasgow's economic fortunes, with financial companies moving to the city, as well an increase in tourism. The latter due to the legacy of the city's status as
European City Of Culture in 1990, and the product of its thriving artistic community. The
Regeneration of inner-city areas has led to people moving back to living in the centre of Glasgow, although some areas of the city remain amongst the most deprived in the UK.
Glasgow was historically based around
Glasgow Cathedral , the old
High Street and down to the
River Clyde via Glasgow Cross.
The City Centre is bounded by the High Street to the East, the
River Clyde to the South and the
M8 Motorway to the West and North which cut a swathe through the Charing Cross and Anderston areas in the 1960s.
The City Centre is based on a
Grid System of streets on the north bank of the River Clyde. The heart of the city is
George Square , site of many of
Glasgow's Public Statues and the
Glasgow City Chambers , headquarters of
Glasgow City Council . To the south and west are the shopping precincts of Argyle, Sauchiehall and
Buchanan Street s. The main shopping malls are
Buchanan Galleries and the
St Enoch Centre , as well as the more specialised, designer malls; Princes Square and the Italian Centre. The London-based department stores,
Selfridges and
Harvey Nichols are planning to open in the city, further strengthening Glasgow's already impressive retail portfolio, which forms the UK's largest and most economically important commerce and retail sector after London's West End. The layout of the shopping district of Buchanan Street, Sauchiehall Street and Argyle Street has been termed the "Golden Z" and in October 2005 retail locations in the area were sought after to the extent that Buchanan Street was reported to have the 7th highest shop rental fees in the world
Retail capital Buchanan St is world No.7 for shopping www.eveningtimes.co.uk.
The city centre is home to Glasgow's main cultural venues: The Theatre Royal (home of and
Glasgow Caledonian University .
It also boasts the World's tallest cinema, the 18 screen
Cineworld (formerly the UGC Cinema) in Renfrew Street.
To the east is the commercial and residential district of
Merchant City , which was formerly the residential district of the wealthy City Merchants in the late 19th and early 20th Century. Latterly, due to growing industrial pollution levels, the area fell out of favour with residents, who mostly moved to the newly developed West End and Southside districts.
However, from the late 1980s onwards, the area has been rejuvenated with luxury city centre apartments and warehouse conversions. Many new cafes and restaurants have opened. The area also contains the old Tolbooth, The Tron Theatre, The Trades Hall, and the
City Halls .
The area is also home to Glasgow's growing 'Arts Quarter', based around the Saltmarket and Trongate, and at the heart of the annual Merchant City Festival.
A significant part of Glasgow's 'Gay Quarter' is situated in the Merchant City, predominantly around Virginia Street, and the northern end of Glassford Street, and also hosts events for Glasgow's annual
Glasgay! Festival , in November.
Recently the city council defined (and perhaps expanded) the area known as Merchant City as far West as
Buchanan Street , marking these boundaries with new, highly stylised metal signage.
As the
Industrial Revolution and the wealth it brought to the city resulted in the expansion of Glasgow's central area westward, the original medieval centre was left behind. This area, commonly known as "Old Glasgow" takes in the eastern fringes of the Merchant City and some of the East End. Glasgow Cross, situated at the junction of High Street, Gallowgate, Trongate and Saltmarket was the original centre of the city. In the Cross sits the Tolbooth clock tower; all that remains of the original City Chambers, which was destroyed by fire in
1926 . Moving northward up High Street towards
Rottenrow and
Townhead lies the 15th Century
Glasgow Cathedral and the
Provand's Lordship .
To the western edge of the city centre, occupying the areas of
Blythswood Hill and
Anderston , and along the Broomielaw, lies Glasgow's financial district, known as the "square kilometre" or more officially the International Financial Services District (IFSD). With a reputation as an established financial services centre, coupled with comprehensive support services, Glasgow continues to attract and grow new business. Of the 10 largest general insurance companies in the UK, 8 have a base in Glasgow - including
Direct Line ,
AXA and
Norwich Union . Key banking sector companies have also relocated to commercial property in Glasgow -
Abbey ,
HBOS ,
National Australia Group and the
Royal Bank Of Scotland .
Since the late 1980s, this area of the city centre has seen the construction of many ultra-modern office blocks, a trend which continues into the 21st Century, with a new wave of high rise developments currently on the drawing board.
is Glasgow's premier museum and art gallery, housing one of Europe's great civic art collections.]]
Glasgow's West End refers to the bohemian district of cafés, bars, boutique hotels, clubs and restaurants in the hinterland of
Kelvingrove Park , the
University Of Glasgow ,
BBC Scotland 's Headquarters,
Glasgow Botanic Gardens and the
Scottish Exhibition And Conference Centre . The district includes the upmarket residental areas of
Hillhead ,
Kelvingrove ,
Partick (originally a relatively working class area),
Kelvinside and
Hyndland . However the name is now being used to mean anywhere to the west of Charing Cross. This includes areas like Kelvindale and Jordanhill. The spire of Sir
George Gilbert Scott 's
Glasgow University main building (the second largest
Gothic Revival building in Britain) is a major local landmark, and can be seen for miles around, sitting atop Gilmorehill. The University itself is the fourth oldest in the United Kingdom, after
Oxford ,
Cambridge and
St. Andrews . Much of the city's student population is based in the West End, adding to its cultural vibrancy and unique identity.
The area is also home to the
Kelvingrove Art Gallery And Museum ,
Hunterian Museum ,
Kelvin Hall International Sports Arena , Henry Wood Hall (home of the
Royal Scottish National Orchestra ) and the
Museum Of Transport , which is to be rebuilt on an old dockland site at Glasgow Harbour to a design by
Zaha Hadid . The
West End Festival , one of Glasgow's biggest festivals, is held annually in June.
Glasgow is Europe's fastest growing conference and events destination, and the
SECC is the UK's largest exhibition and conference centre. A major expansion of the SECC facilities at the former Queens Dock by
Foster And Partners is currently planned, including a 12,000 seat arena, and a 5 star hotel and entertainments complex.
The area is well served by bus, rail and the
Glasgow Subway , which is the easiest way of travelling to the City Centre and the Southside.
in Glasgow Green.]]
The East End is home to the famous
Glasgow Barrowland Market , popularly known as 'The Barras', and
Barrowland Ballroom music hall,
Glasgow Green , and
Celtic Park , home of
Celtic Football Club . Many of the original sandstone
Tenements remain in this district. The East End includes some of the most deprived areas in the UK.
The
Glasgow Necropolis cemetery was created on a hill above the
Cathedral of
St Mungo in 1831 and is Glasgow's equivalent of Paris's
Père Lachaise . Routes curve through the landscape uphill to the 62 metre high statue of
John Knox at the summit, with some tombs designed by prominent local architect
Alexander 'Greek' Thomson . The design creates a dramatic skyline of
Obelisk s, pinnacles and statues in memory of Glasgow's wealthiest inhabitants. It was described by James Curle as 'literally a city of the dead'. The main entrance is approached by a bridge over what was the
Molendinar Burn towards an impressive set of classical
Mausolea . The bridge, designed by James Hamilton, is known as the Bridge of Sighs because it formed the route of funeral processions.
There are two late 18th century tenements in Gallowgate. Dating from 1771 and 1780, both have been well restored. The construction of Charlotte Street was financed by
David Dale , whose former pretensions can be guaged by the one remaining house, now run by the
National Trust For Scotland . Further along Charlotte Street there stands a modern
Coia building of some note. Once a school, it has been converted into flats. Surrounding these buildings are a series of innovative housing developements conceived as 'Homes for the Future', part of a project during the city's year as UK City of Architecture and Design in 1999.
East of Glasgow Cross is the magnificent St Andrews Church, built in 1746 and displaying a presbyterian grandeur befitting the church of the city's wealthy Tobacco merchants. Also close by is the more modest
Episcopalian St Andrews-by-the-Green, the oldest post-Reformation church in Scotland.
Overlooking
Glasgow Green is the façade of Templeton's carpet factory, featuring vibrant polychromatic brickwork intended to evoke the
Doge's Palace in
Venice .
The extensive
Tollcross Park was originally developed from the estate of James Dunlop, the owner of a local Steelworks. His large
Baronial mansion was built in 1848 by
David Bryce , which later housed the city's Children's Museum until the 1980s. This is sited within the
Forge Shopping Centre at Parkhead. Today, the mansion is a sheltered housing complex.
The new Scottish National Indoor Sports Arena, a modern replacement for the Kelvin Hall, is planned for
Dalmarnock . If the
2014 Commonwealth Games bid is successful, the area will house the Athletes' Village, adjacent to the new indoor sports arena.
To the north of the East End lie the two massive
Gasometer s of
Provan Gas Works , which stand overlooking
Alexandra Park and a major interchange between the M8 and M80 motorways. Often used for displaying large city advertising slogans, the towers have become an unofficial portal into the city for road users arriving from the North and East.
is one of the city's top cultural attractions.]]
Glasgow's Southside, sprawls out south of the Clyde, covering areas including
The Gorbals ,
Shawlands ,
Pollokshaws ,
Nitshill ,
Pollokshields , and
Queens Park .
Although predominantly residential, the area does have several notable public buildings.
Charles Rennie Mackintosh 's
Scotland Street School Museum , the world famous
Burrell Collection in
Pollok Country Park , the National Football Stadium
Hampden Park in Mount Florida and
Ibrox Stadium , home of
Rangers . The former docklands site at Pacific Quay on the south bank of the River Clyde, opposite the SECC, is the site of the
Glasgow Science Centre and the new headquarters for
BBC Scotland and
SMG which are relocating there to a new purpose built digital media campus.
In addition, several new bridges spanning the River Clyde are currently planned or under construction, including The Finnieston Bridge and 'Neptune's Way' in Tradeston.
The Southside also includes many great parks, including Linn Park,
Queens Park and
Bellahouston Park , and several golf clubs, including the championship course at Haggs Castle.
Govan is a district and former burgh in the southwestern part of the city. It is situated on the south bank of the River Clyde, opposite
Partick . It was an administratively independent Police Burgh from
1864 until it was incorporated into the expanding city of Glasgow in
1912 .
Govan has a great legacy as an
Engineering and
Shipbuilding centre of international repute and is home to one of two
BAE Systems Shipyards on the
River Clyde and the precision engineering firm,
Thales Optronics . It is also home to the Southern General Hospital, one of the largest
Teaching Hospitals in the country, and the maintenance depot for the
Glasgow Subway system.
North Glasgow, extends out from the north of the City Centre towards the affluent suburbs of
East Dunbartonshire . It contains some of the city's poorest residential areas.
Possilpark is one such area, where levels of unemployment and drug abuse continue to be above the national average. Much of the housing in areas such as Possilpark and
Hamiltonhill had fallen into a state of disrepair in recent years. This has led to large scale redevelopment of much of the poorer housing stock in North Glasgow. This has also led to the wider regeneration of many areas, such as
Ruchill , which have been transformed, with many of its run-down tenements now refurbished or replaced by modern
Housing Estates .
Much of the housing stock in North Glasgow is
Socially Rented accommodation, managed by the Glasgow
Housing Association . In parts of the North of the city, such as
Springburn , there are many high-rise tower blocks. These buildings were constructed in the
1960s and
1970s and were viewed as the answer to Glasgow’s inner-city slum problems, but are now widely discredited as being poorly built and unsuited to traditional urban living, and are held responsible by many for the social alienation that exists in the poorest parts of the city today.
Not all areas of North Glasgow are of this nature however.
Maryhill for example consists of well maintained traditional sandstone tenements. Although historically a
Working Class area, as it borders the upmarket West End of the city, it is relatively wealthy compared to the rest of the North of the city, containing affluent areas such as
Maryhill Park and
North Kelvinside . Maryhill is also home to
Firhill Stadium , home of
Partick Thistle since
1909 , and since
2005 , the professional
Rugby Union team,
Glasgow Warriors . The
Junior team,
Maryhill F.C. are also located in this part of North Glasgow.
The
Forth And Clyde Canal flows through this part of the city, at one stage forming a vital part of the local economy. It was for many years polluted and largely unused after the decline of heavy industry, but recent efforts to regenerate and re-open the canal to navigation have seen it rejuvenated, although it currently remains underutilised by the public.
Sighthill is home to Scotland’s largest
Asylum Seeker community. This large resettlement of people had brought about some tensions in the area, with incidents of racist violence initially reported. More recently however, there has been widespread praise about how this diverse new community has been able to successfully integrate with the existing native communities.
A huge part of the economic life of Glasgow was once located in Springburn, where the engineering works and locomotive workshops employed many Glaswegians. Indeed, Glasgow dominated the manufacturing of locomotives, with 25% of all the world’s trains being built in the area at one stage. It was home to the headquarters of the
North British Locomotive Company . Today the engineering group
Alstom maintain a railway maintenance facility in the area, all that is left of the industry in Springburn.
Unlike
Edinburgh , very little of
Medieval Glasgow remains, the two main landmarks from this period being the 14th century
Provand's Lordship and
Glasgow Cathedral . The vast majority of the city as seen today dates from the 19th century. As a result, Glasgow has an impressive heritage of
Victorian Architecture , the
Glasgow City Chambers , the main building of the University of Glasgow, designed by Sir
George Gilbert Scott , and the
Glasgow School Of Art , designed by
Charles Rennie Mackintosh , being outstanding examples. Another architect who had a great and enduring impact on the city's appearance was
Alexander Thomson , who produced a distinctive architecture based on fundamentalist classicism that gave him the nickname "Greek". He was described as a "quiet, stay-at-home Victorian behind whose buttoned-up facade there seethed a kind of stylistic corsair who plundered the past for the greater glory of the present".
The buildings reflect the wealth and self confidence of the residents of the ''"Second City of the Empire"''. Glasgow generated immense wealth from trade and the industries that developed from the
Industrial Revolution . The
Shipyard s,
Marine Engineering ,
Steel making, and
Heavy Industry all contributed to the growth of the city. At one time the expression ''"Clydebuilt"'' was synonymous with quality and engineering excellence. The Templeton's Carpet Factory on
Glasgow Green was designed to resemble the
Doge's Palace in Venice. The allusions another great trading city, seem appropriate.
Many of the city's most impressive buildings were built with red or blond
Sandstone , but during the industrial era those colours disappeared under a pervasive black layer of soot and pollutants from the furnaces.
Tenements were built to house the workers who had migrated from
Ireland and the
Scottish Highlands in order to feed the local demand for labour; these tenements were often overcrowded and insanitary, and many developed into the infamous Glasgow
Slum s, the
Gorbals area being one of the most notorious.
In recent years many of these buildings have been cleaned and restored to their original appearance. Others were demolished to make way for large, barrack-like housing estates, and high-rise flats in , were just dormitories well away from the centre of the city with no amenities ("deserts wi' windies"
with windows , as
Billy Connolly put it), and their establishment led to the split up of long established community relationships. Some of the high-rise developments were poorly designed and cheaply built and became magnets for crime. Over time some have become as bad as the slum areas that they replaced, though at the time of construction they were largely welcomed. On
7 March ,
2003 , the took ownership of the housing stock from the city council, and has begun a programme of demolishing or redeveloping the worst of the high-rises.
Modern buildings in Glasgow include the
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall , and along the banks of the Clyde are the
Glasgow Science Centre and the
Scottish Exhibition And Conference Centre , whose
Clyde Auditorium was designed by Sir
Norman Foster , and is affectionately known as the "
Armadillo ".
Zaha Hadid has won a competition to design the new
Museum Of Transport , which will move to the waterfront. Shopping centres include the
Buchanan Galleries , the
Glass pyramid of the
St Enoch Centre , and the upmarket Princes Square.
Given the history of high rises in Glasgow, the council's policy of allowing new tall buildings has attracted some controversy. The 39-storey Elphinstone Place mixed-use skyscraper in Charing Cross, will be the tallest building in Scotland, and is scheduled to begin construction in mid 2006
Elphinstone Place: Glasgow - Tallest Building in Scotland glasgowarchitecture.co.uk . Much development is taking place along the banks of the Clyde.
Glasgow Harbour , which neighbours
Partick is one of the largest residential developments. The second phase was unfavourably compared to the Red Road flats
Tower blocks plan 'too like city in 1960s' www.eveningtimes.co.uk , but was granted planning permission.
See Also: Culture in Glasgow
The city has many amenities for a wide range of cultural activities, from
Curling to
Opera and from
Football to
Art appreciation; it also has a large selection of museums that include those devoted to
Transport ,
Religion , and
Modern Art . The city even has the largest public reference
Library in Europe in the form of the
Mitchell Library .
Glasgow is home to a variety of theatres including The Kings Theatre,
Theatre Royal and the
Citizens Theatre and is home to many municipal museums and art galleries, the most famous being the
Burrell Collection ,
GoMA and
Kelvingrove Art Gallery And Museum .
See Also: Glasgow Festivals
The city has hosted many exhibtions over the years, including being the
European Capital Of Culture 1990, National City of Sport 1995-1999 and European Capital of Sport 2003.
In addition, unlike the
Edinburgh Festival (where all Edinburgh's main festivals occur in the last three weeks of August), Glasgow's festivals virtually fill the entire calendar, from January through to December. Major festivals include the
Glasgow Comedy Festival ,
Glasgow Jazz Festival ,
Celtic Connections ,
Glasgow Film Festival ,
West End Festival , Merchant City Festival,
Glasgay , and the World Pipe Band Championships.
Glasgow has one of the most exciting music scenes throughout the whole of Europe, with a plethora of live music pubs, clubs and venues.
Some favourite venues are the
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall , the
Scottish Exhibition And Conference Centre and
King Tut's Wah Wah Hut where
Oasis were spotted and signed by Glaswegian record mogul
Alan McGee . Another favourite is
The Barrowlands , a historic ballroom, converted into a mecca of live music.
Famous exports include:
See Also: Sport in Glasgow
, and holder of most European records for attendance size]]
Glasgow has a long sporting history, with the world's first international
Football match held in 1872 at the
West Of Scotland Cricket Club 's
Hamilton Crescent ground in the
Partick area of Glasgow. The match was between
Scotland and
England and resulted in a 0–0 draw. It is the only city to have had two football teams competing in European finals in the same season: in 1967 Celtic were in the European Cup final while at the same time Rangers were in the Cup Winners' Cup final.
The city is home to Scotland's largest (60,832 seats),
Ibrox Stadium (50,411 seats) and
Hampden Park (52,670 seats), which is Scotland's national football stadium.
Glasgow has three professional football clubs: , which moved to
Cumbernauld , and
Third Lanark , which went bankrupt. There are a number of
Scottish Junior Football Association clubs within the city as well, such as
Pollok ,
Maryhill and
Petershill , as well as countless numbers of amateur teams.
The history of football in the city, as well as the status of the
Old Firm , attracts many visitors to football matches in the city throughout the season. It is the only city in Europe with three stadia each with a capacity of at least 50,000. They all also have been awarded UEFA's elite 5-star status, meaning that they are capable of hosting the final of the
Champions League . Hampden has hosted the final on three ocassions, most recently in
2002 . The
Scottish Football Association , the national governing body, and the
Scottish Football Museum are based in Glasgow, as are the
Scottish Football League ,
Scottish Premier League ,
Scottish Junior Football Association and
Scottish Amateur Football Association .
Glasgow also boasts a professional
Rugby team, the
Glasgow Warriors , which plays in the
Celtic League alongside teams from Scotland,
Ireland and
Wales .
In the Scottish Club leagues,
Glasgow Hawks was formed in 1997 by the merger of two of Glasgow's oldest clubs: Glasgow Accademicals and Glasgow High Kelvinside (GHK). Despite the merger, the second division teams of Glasgow Accademicals and Glasgow High Kelvinside re-entered the Scottish Rugby League in 1998.
Major international sporting arenas include the
Kelvin Hall and
Scotstoun Sports Centre. In 2003 the National Academy for
Badminton was completed in Scotstoun. In 2003 Glasgow was also given the title of European Capital of Sport.
Smaller sporting facilities include an abundance of outdoor
Playing Fields , as well as golf clubs such as Haggs Castle and artificial ski slopes. Between 1998 and 2004, the
Scottish Claymores American Football team played some or all of their home games each season at Hampden and the venue also hosted
World Bowl XI.
Befitting its strong Highland connections as the City of the Gael ''Baile Mòr nan Gàidheal'', Glasgow is also one of five places in Scotland which hosts the final of the Scottish Cup of
Shinty , better known as the Camanachd Cup. This is usually held at Old Anniesland. Once home to numerous Shinty clubs, there is now only one senior club in Glasgow, Glasgow Mid-Argyll, as well as two university sides,
Strathclyde University and
Glasgow University .
Glasgow is currently bidding for the
Commonwealth Games in 2014, to be based around a number of exising and new-built sporting venues across the city, including; a revamped
Hampden Park with a Commonwealth Games village planned for the East End. This will be Glasgow's first bid for the Games, and would be Scotland's third Games. The previous two were held in
Edinburgh in 1970 and 1986.
Glasgow 2014, Commonwealth Games Candidate www.glasgow2014.com
Although
London has just won the
2012 Olympic Games , because the
Home Countries are classed as separate nations within the
Commonwealth , this should not adversely affect Glasgow's bid.
The city is a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic community with diverse religions. The Central
Mosque in the Gorbals district is the largest mosque in Scotland. Glasgow also has 7 synagogues. It has the 4th largest Jewish population in the UK but once had a large Jewish population 2nd only to London.
The city has four cathedrals:
Glasgow also has the
St Mungo Museum Of Religious Life And Art which is the only
Religious multi-faith museum in the world.
In addition, a new
Sikh Temple is planned for Glasgow's Charing Cross District, due to open in 2007.
''See also:
Religious Rivalry In Glasgow ''
Some
Sectarian rivalry still exists among certain elements of the population. Nowadays this is largely limited to the sporting rivalry between the supporters of
Celtic and
Rangers . The majority of Rangers supporters are nominally Protestant, while the majority of Celtic supporters are nominally Catholic.
is the seat of local government in Glasgow]]
''See Also:
Politics Of The City Of Glasgow ''
Glasgow has a long history of supporting
Socialist ideas and politics. The
City Council has been controlled by the
Labour Party for 30 years. Its socialist roots emanate from the city's days as an industrial powerhouse, and endure through the previously mentioned levels of relative poverty amongst many Glaswegians. In the aftermath of the
Russian Revolution , the city's frequent strikes and revolutionary fervour caused serious alarm at
Westminster , with one uprising in January
1919 prompting the Prime Minister,
David Lloyd George to deploy 10,000 troops and tanks onto the city's streets. A huge demonstration in the city's George Square on January 31st ended in violence after the
Riot Act was read.
Later,
Industrial Action at the shipyards gave rise to the "
Red Clydeside " tag. During the 1930s, Glasgow was the main base of the
Independent Labour Party . Towards the end of the 20th century it became a centre of the struggle against the
Poll Tax , and then the main base of the
Scottish Socialist Party , a left wing party in Scotland.
''See also:
Glasgow (Scottish Parliament Electoral Region) .''
The
Glasgow Electoral Region Of The Scottish Parliament covers the City of Glasgow and the
Rutherglen area of
South Lanarkshire . It elects ten of the parliament's 73
First Past The Post constituency members and seven of the 56
Additional Members . Both kinds of member are known as
Members Of The Scottish Parliament (MSPs) . The system of election is designed to produce a form of
Proportional Representation .
The first past the post seats were the same for the
Scottish Parliament . In 2005 the number of Westminster
Members Of Parliament (MPs) was cut to 59, with new constituencies being formed, while the existing number of MSPs was retained at Holyrood.
The ten Scottish Parliament constituencies in the Glasgow electoral region are:-
''See also:
United Kingdom Constituencies .''
Following reform of constituencies of the
House Of Commons of the
United Kingdom Parliament (
Westminster ) in 2005, which reduced the number of Scottish
Members Of Parliament (MPs) , the current Westminster constituencies representing Glasgow are:-
''See also:
Glasgow Patter ''
, otherwise known as The
Glasgow Patter is a local, anglicised variety of
Scots .
Glaswegian is a rich and vital living dialect which gives a true reflection of the city with all its virtues and vices. It is more than an alternative pronunciation; words also change their meaning, e.g. "away" can mean "leaving" as in ''A'm awa'', an instruction to stop being a nuisance as in ''awa wi ye'', or "drunk" or "demented" as in ''he's awa wi it''. ''Cannae'' means "can't". ''Pieces'' refers to "sandwiches". ''Ginger'' is a generic term for carbonated soft drink, generally in a glass bottle (''A boatal a' ginger''). Then there are words whose meaning has no obvious relationship to that in standard English: ''coupon'' means "face", via "to punch a ticket coupon".
A speaker of Glaswegian might refer to those originating from the
Scottish Highlands and the
Western Isles as ''
Teuchter s'', while they would reciprocate by referring to Glaswegians as the ''keelies'' or ''weegies''. A (rather old-fashioned) Glaswegian insult is ''hieland'', which means "awkward" and is Scots for "Highland". Example: ''that wean's got an awful hieland wey o haudin that knife'' meaning "that child has a very awkward way of holding that knife".
The TV series
Chewin' The Fat and
Rab C. Nesbitt capture the humour of the Glaswegian patois and sensibilities while
Billy Connolly has done a lot to make Glaswegian humour known to the rest of the world.
See Also: University of Glasgow
University of Strathclyde
Glasgow Caledonian University
University of Paisley
Glasgow is also a major education centre with four universities within 10 miles (16 km) of the city centre: the 15th-century
University Of Glasgow (which has one of the highest ratios of students who continue living at home), the
University Of Strathclyde , the
Glasgow Caledonian University , and the
University Of Paisley ; as well as teacher training colleges, teaching hospitals, the
Royal Scottish Academy Of Music And Drama ,
Glasgow School Of Art , and 10 other further education colleges.
Glasgow is home to a student population in excess of 168,000, largest in Scotland, the majority of them living in the west-end of the city, near the
University Of Glasgow 's main campus on Gilmorehill.
Glasgow is the largest economy in Scotland and is at the hub of the metropolitan area of West Central Scotland which has a total population of over 2.6 million. The city itself sustains more than 410,000 jobs in over 12,000 companies. Over 53,000 jobs have been created in the city since 1995 - a growth rate of 16%.
Jobs boom on Clyde reverses decline Guardian Online The city now outstrips most of its European counterparts and rivals most North American cities in terms of growth. 25% of the residents in the
Greater Glasgow area commute to the city every day. Manufacturing industries such as shipbuilding and heavy engineering have been gradually replaced by a modern
Mixed Economy , supported by public and private investment and a skilled workforce.
Glasgow's economy is now dominated by key
Tertiary sector industries such as financial and business services, communications, biosciences, creative industries, healthcare, retail and tourism. Between 1998 to 2001, the city's burgeoning financial services sector grew at a rate of 30%.
The city retains a strong link to the manufacturing sector which forms the fourth largest manufacturing centre in the UK, accounting for well over 60% of Scotland's manufactured exports, with particular strengths in shipbuilding, engineering, food and drink, printing, publishing, chemicals and textiles as well as new growth sectors such as is one of three Scottish companies to be included on the
Fortune Global 500 rankings.
Over the last two decades Glasgow has radically improved to become an attractive city in which to live and work. Major corporate developments have helped promote its reputation as a leading centre for business and commerce.
Glasgow - Scottish Enterprise www.scottish-enterprise.com
Glasgow is the second most popular foreign tourist destination in Scotland after
Edinburgh , the capital. The city also has the UK's second largest and most economically important commerce and retail centre. Glasgow is one of Europe's top 20 financial centres and is home to many of Scotland's leading businesses, forming an important part of the
British Economy .
''See also:
Media In Glasgow
The city is home to large sections of the Scottish national media. It is home to the headquarters of
BBC Scotland as well as
Scottish Television . The Scottish press publishes various newspapers in the city such as the
Evening Times and
The Herald . Scottish editions of
Trinity Mirror and
News International titles are also printed in the city.
SMG Plc is a Glasgow-based media conglomerate with interests in Television, Radio, Cinema, Advertising and Publishing.
ITV Plc is believed to own a significant stake in SMG. Amongst others, SMG owns and operates
Scottish TV ,
Grampian TV ,
Virgin Radio ,
Pearl & Dean , and Primesight - who sell outdoor advertising sites such as billboards.
Various radio stations are also located in Glasgow. sold its 27.8% stake in
Scottish Radio Holdings to the broadcasting group
EMAP for £90.5m.
is the northern terminus of the
West Coast Main Line ]]
''See also:
Transport In Glasgow ''
Glasgow has a large urban transportation system, mostly managed by
Strathclyde Passenger Transport , the only Passenger Transport Executive in Scotland. SPT, is formed and financed out of the twelve
Unitary Authorities in the
Greater Glasgow area including
Glasgow City Council . It has responsibility for local train services, the subway, certain ferries and buses.
The city has many bus services, almost all provided by private operators since bus deregulation in 1986, however SPT fund services where there is public need but no service. SPT also own and run the principal bus station in Glasgow, Buchanan Bus Station, which is a terminus point for many long distance intercity coach services as well as local journeys. A number of controversial '
Bus Corridors ' have been invested in by Glasgow City Council focusing on main bus routes with real time information, and bus priority measures at a significant cost. The Greater Glasgow Passenger Transport Executive (GGPTE), formerly the municipal transport operator, is as a result of bus deregulation now privately owned by
First Group , who operate a vast bus network in Glasgow including its twelve core 24 hour 365 days a year services. Other large operators in Glasgow are
Arriva and
Stagecoach with a number of smaller operators catering to individual districts including
First Stop Travel and many others.
Glasgow has the most extensive urban rail network in the UK outside of London, with rail services travelling to a large part of the and
Queen Street Station . Local trains within Glasgow are however run by First Scotrail to the specification and requirements of SPT, who provide rolling stock in the distincive SPT
Livery of
Carmine and
Cream . The city's suburban network is currently divided on both sides of the River Clyde. Many have long pressed for a link which will join the two halves of the urban railway network together, making possible through journeys via the central area without having to disembark at either Central or Queen Street and traverse the city centre by foot or road. The
Glasgow Crossrail initiative has been proposed as a so
