Glasgow City Guide
United Kingdom>Glasgow
Glasgow was originally founded in around 1175AD and is now
Scotland's largest city. It has a colourful past and is
now a diverse, modern cosmopolitan city, full of contrasts.
Situated in West Central Scotland, Glasgow is just an hour
away from the Capital, Edinburgh in the East and the ideal
base to see the Highlands! From stylish restaurants to Continental
style pavement cafes, from lively modern clubs to quiet
wine bars, theatre, cinema, opera...Glasgow has it all!
Glasgow is the best UK shopping centre outside London,
a top rated business location and the third most visited
city in Britain. European City of Culture in 1990, UK City
of Architecture and Design in 1999 and a National City of
Sport.
Once famous for its shipbuilding and steelmaking industry,
Glasgow, since its tenure as European City of Culture during
1990 has reinvented itself and is now probably as well known
for its art and architecture. During 1999 Glasgow is City
of Architecture and Design.
Getting There and Moving Around
By rail
An extensive network of regular and frequent local rail
services operates in Glasgow, its suburbs and the West of
Scotland. Most suburbs and towns within this area are accessible
by train, however, the level of service varies greatly and
some stations are closed on Sundays.
Underground services run from approximately 6.30am to 10.35pm
form Monday to Saturday and from 11.00am to 5.50pm on Sundays,
with a minimum service frequency of every 8 minutes. The
underground has a flat rate to travel on the circular system
which connects the 15 stations in the centre, west and south
of the city.
By road
Private bus operators (notably First Glasgow, 0141 423
6600 and Stagecoach: Glasgow, 0141 333 1100 ) provide a
comprehensive network of services from early morning until
about midnight.
Night bus services operate at weekends only, when they
can be quite boisterous. Tourist bus services operating
from George Square are a very popular and informative way
to see the city sites. Bus services to and from other UK
towns and cities depart from Buchanan Street Bus Station.
Glasgow has approximately 1500 traditional London-type
black hackney taxis, Taxis can be flagged-down in the street
or queued-up for at designated taxi stances. The stances
are usually located at busy spots such as stations and main
thoroughfares - a taxi will not usually stop to pick up
a hire if they are within a quarter of a mile of a stance.
Glasgow also has many licensed 'private hire cars' which
operate on a similar basis as the black hackneys, except
that they cannot be flagged-down in the street and they
tend to be slightly cheaper.
Glasgow has few designated cycle lanes, but a plan has
been drawn up by the City Council aimed at increasing the
number.
Moving Around
Glasgow is a great city to see by foot, provided the weather
is good enough. The city centre has many pedestrian precincts.
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