Glaswegians take great pride within their city's 'open doors' policy. There are many world-class museums and galleries across Glasgow, most of which are totally free for locals and visitors to enjoy. Combine this by having an abundance of green spaces and you may have an action-packed day in Scotland's largest city without having to spend a penny. Here are our top 10 samples by mail to do in Glasgow.
1. Kelvingrove Memorial and Museum
The jewel of Glasgow's west end, it's worth going just to admire the grand Victorian sandstone building alone. Inside Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, you'll find a treasure chest well over 8,000 objects in 22 different galleries, most abundant in famous works including Salvador Dali's 'Christ of St John from the Cross', Sir Roger the Asian elephant and Sophie Cave's now iconic 'Floating Heads'.
2. Glasgow Cathedral and also the Necropolis
Arguably the nation's most majestic medieval building, Glasgow Cathedral may be the just one on the Scottish mainland to survive beyond the 1560 reformation act intact. Throughout the magnificent Gothic structure within the east end of Glasgow is the crypt which houses the tomb of St Kentigern, or Mungo, the city's founder and patron saint. The adjacent Necropolis, inspired by Paris' revered Père Lachaise, is the site close to 50,000 burials and 3,500 tombs, and a spot that offers a distinctive go over Glasgow from its hilltop position by the cathedral below.
3. George Square and City Chambers
The city's focal point, George Square isn't just a spot for Glaswegians to collect: it is also a celebration of a few of the country's historical figures, with several statues depicting notable Scots including poet Robert Burns and playwright Sir Walter Scott. A normal stage for high-profile music events and festivals, George Square featured in Hollywood blockbusters World War Z and, more recently, Hobbs & Shaw. The eastern edge of the square is covered with the prestigious City Chambers, which you can wander around on the free guided tour.
4. Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA)
Located in the middle of the town centre, the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) is easily the most visited gallery in the country; works from local and international artists are housed inside the striking Royal Exchange Square building, the former townhouse of the Glasgow tobacco merchant. On GoMA's front doorstep you'll encounter the statue from the Duke of Wellington – never witnessed with no traffic cone on his head – a landmark that has become almost as notable because the gallery itself.
5. Kelvingrove Park
An oasis of calm in the middle of the town, Kelvingrove Park is Glasgow's most popular green space. Surrounded by Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and Glasgow University, the park offers raw beauty throughout every season of the year. Be prepared to be greeted by cheeky squirrels and dogs out for a stroll using their west end owners. Make your way north to Gibson Street for a fine row of coffee houses and restaurants including the superb Stravaigin.
6. Riverside Museum and also the Tall Ship
Replacing the much-loved transport museum at Kelvin Hall in 2011, Zaha Hadid's fine feat of architecture helps to transform the look of the Clyde, while reflecting the river's storied shipbuilding past. Artefacts displayed at the Riverside Museum – illustrating transport and traverse the years – range from skateboards to stormtroopers, as the Tall Ship – saved from ruin and sailed to Glasgow from Seville in 1990, over A century after its maiden voyage – remains a major draw.
7. People's Palace
Look no beyond the People's Palace for an interactive lesson in history around the city and it is people. The stunning 19th-century building, which sits proudly in the vast, lush Glasgow Green, is home to hundreds of paintings, prints and photographs illustrating the life of Glasgow from 1750 until the current day. A trip here will even see you marvel at the incredible five-tier Doulton Fountain and the former Templeton Carpet Factory, modelled on Venice's Doge's Palace.
8. City Centre Mural Trail
Over the past decade, run-down and hidden regions of Glasgow in need of some TLC have been transformed by bright and delightful murals because of an ever-growing local street art scene as well as vibrant contributions from overseas. The City Centre Mural Trail, a self-guided walking tour, consumes 25 such sights, many of them depicting the storyline of Glasgow and it is people. The much-Instagrammed spots are easy to find thanks to an easy mural map you'll find around the trail website.
9. The Hunterian Museum
A remain in Glasgow would not be complete without a trip to Glasgow University, explained many as a real-life Hogwarts and not one for Harry Potter fans to overlook. Within, you will find the fantastic Hunterian, Scotland's oldest public museum, which features an eclectic variety of items such as an Egyptian mummy, objects from the voyages of Captain Cook and the largest body of work from famed Glasgow architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
10. The Lighthouse
Found just off Glasgow's busiest shopping strip, Buchanan Street, Scotland's national centre for design and architecture is the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the gift to the city's present-day creatives. Hosting regular events and exhibitions showcasing the very best in modern Scottish design, readers are asked to climb The Lighthouse's helical staircase for an uninterrupted panoramic look over the city, arguably the very best viewpoint within the whole of Glasgow.
