Out and about for nowt in Glasgow
There’s lots to do for free in Scotland’s most populous city
Andrew Menzies lost sons Alexander and William when aged six months, and son Andrew when he was two. His neighbour, Thomas Alston, lost three young children in the space of nine years.
Gravestones can unfurl such great tragedies. These stones, over a century old and a reminder of how grim the Victorian age could be, are outside medieval Glasgow Cathedral in Castle Street. It is one of the city’s three cathedrals, all open to visitors at no charge.
The sizeable graveyard, and the ghostly Glasgow Necropolis further on, perched on a low but prominent hill, are a stirring sight. Especially since the monuments, tombs and memorials spread around the spooky network of paths extend right up the hill to create a dramatic skyline.
The necropolis, which opened in 1833, contains the graves of 50,000 individuals, yet only a small percentage are named on monuments and not every grave has a stone. Various films, such as Batman (2021), have been filmed here. There are free daily guided tours.
By the cathedral is Glasgow’s oldest house, Provand’s Lordship, built in 1471. Antique furniture sits underneath the dark beams.
Cross the road to the unique St Mungo’s Museum, which explores religions around the world. Displays attempt to explain the many faiths and include religious paintings, charms, bibles, stained glass, a friar’s habit, an ancestor skull and - handy for those on the move - a portable shrine.
St Mungo’s is just a taster of Glasgow’s surprisingly rich and varied choice of museums and galleries. Many are free and most charge nothing for guided tours and talks.
The Burrell Collection, set in Pollok Country Park south of the centre has a staggering 9000 pieces of treasure, artworks and exotic objects collected by Glasgow merchant, Sir William Burrell. The Gallery of Modern Art at Queen Street is an exhibition space for living artists. Experimental art sits happily with the likes of Beryl Cook.
Around the corner stands City Chambers, dominating George Square, the geographical heart of Glasgow. The splendid Victorian architecture is modelled on the Italian Renaissance style. There are hour-long guided tours most weekdays at 10.30am and 2.30pm, where you can admire the ornate decoration including fine mosaic floors and Wedgwood ceilings.
Glasgow Police Museum in Bell Street provides an insight into the people, events and other factors which contributed to the founding, development and progress of the City of Glasgow Police from 1779 - 1975.
You can spice up a walk around the city centre by going on the City Centre Mural Trail. Glasgow is one of the best cities in the UK for street art and huge, colourful murals can be found on the side of numerous city buildings. You can use a selfguide for the tour, and download a map.
Several attractions are conveniently clustered together just north-west of the centre around the Glasgow University campus.
The Riverside Museum of Transport and Travel located on the banks of the River Clyde especially captivates kids. The 3000 exhibits include cars, locomotives, skateboards. prams, bicycles, buses and horse-drawn carriages. You can walk down an old cobbled Glasgow street with shops dating from 1895 to the 1980s and interactive displays allow you to walk through Glasgow streets and visit the shops, bar and underground.
Berthed outside is the Tall Ship, Glenlee, the UK's only floating Clyde-built sailing ship, which is also free to enter. There’s an under 5s play area in the cargo hold and children’s activities such as a mouse hunt.
The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Argyle Street in Glasgow’s West End is a sprawling museum containing a wonderfully varied collection including artefacts from the stone age onwards, guns and armour, pewter, jewellery and displays on Scottish wildlife. There’s activities for 4-8 year-olds and the art gallery displays works by Rembrant, Picasso, Dali,Van Gough, Cezanne and Constable. There’s a free daily organ recital too.
Art lovers will also appreciate the Hunterian Art Gallery in the university campus. Although it has a sculpture courtyard and an impressive collection spanning old masters to the present, perhaps its greatest attraction is Mackintosh House, containing rooms recreated from the strikingly original home of famous architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh early this century.
Also in the campus is The Hunterian Museum. It has some fine archaeology, ethnography and geology including 80m year-old dinosaur eggs, African carvings and an Egyptian mummy. And the small Zoology Museum contains 800 different species on display.
A short walk to the Great Western Road leads to the pleasant botanic gardens by the River Kelvin, and contains a variety of plant collections, woodland copses and riverside walks as well as Kibble Palace, a distinctive, magnificent Victorian glasshouse. There is also a children’s play area within the gardens and a tearoom.
A good way to round off a visit to Scotland’s largest city is to take in some live music. There’s a fabulous selection of free performances throughout the city.
Traditional Scottish bars with free traditional music sessions include the Ben Nevis Bar, The Islay Inn, The Machair Bar and The Park Bar.
More modern music (some is ticketed, but all have regular free sessions too) can be found at Avant Garde, Box, The Butterfly and the Pig, The Clutha Bar, The Duke’s Umbrella, The Howlin’ Wolf, Iasg Restaurant at Kimpton Blythswood Square Hotel, Jinty McGuinty’s, The Lismore, MacSorely’s, Maggie’s Rock n Rodeo, Nice n Sleazy, Red Sky Bar at Radisson Red, The Scotia, Slouch, The State Bar, Stravaigin, Sweeney’s on the Park and Waxy O’Connor’s.
Also, The University of Glasgow has regular free concerts, usually at lunchtime in the Concert Hall, off University Avenue. The Burrell Collection often organises free music performances too.
The Kelvingrove hosts several free music events, including the Glasgow Mela, a multicultural festival with music, dance, and interactive arts, and the Kelvingrove Bandstand, which features various concerts throughout the summer.
While at a burger restaurant in Glasgow, I asked my server what the best thing to do in the city was. When he looked around, leaned in, and said, "This may sound weird, but the Necropolis", I knew I had to go. It was such an incredible place. Now, I recommend it to everyone.