A circular saunter through the centre of Great Britain's second city, concentrating on some of the remarkable buildings which manage to survive despite the depredations of modern times. This is a necessarily subjective choice from one who shares much of our future sovereign's reservations about most modern architecture.

The so-called 'Tobacco Lords' had brought considerable wealth to Glasgow and helped finance the city’s newer industries successively based on cotton and linen, sugar-refining, pottery, chemicals, coal and iron and shipbuilding, for which the Clyde had to be deepened. The confidence of Victorian Glasgow is reflected in its many fine buildings still surviving, even though many of them are now forced to rub shoulders with some regrettable modern-day excrescences.

Walkers are recommended to bring binoculars, so as better to appreciate the sculptures, carvings and other fine details on upper stories, but are warned not to be so intent on the soaring architecture as to be oblivious to Glasgow's traffic; please watch your step!

Scotland - Glasgow - Town/city

View a road map to the starting point of this walk.