Glasgow city guide

Accommodation in Glasgow’s city centre is generally limited mainly to hotels, self-catering apartments and hostels.

If you want quick access to shops, bars and restaurants then the city centre is the place to stay. However the streets are quite busy so parking can be tricky. Slightly quieter is the Merchant City on the south and east fringes of the city centre, which is also home to numerous bars and restaurants.

To the north and east of George Square are Glasgow Cathedral and the famous Necropolis, a Victorian cemetery full of interesting, and in many cases quite grand, tombs and monuments of past residents.

The leafy West End, to the north and west of the city centre, is characterised by grand Georgian and Victorian terraces and tends to be quieter and more relaxed than the centre itself. It is still within walking distance of the city centre, or you can take the Glasgow Subway. Within the West End are the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, the Hunterian Museum and the Botanic Gardens.

The south and east of Glasgow are both mainly residential so there is less in the way of accommodation, and less to see generally, in these areas. Guesthouses and bed and breakfasts here can provide a cheaper option than city centre accommodation however.

An exception is Pollok Park to the south-east of the city centre, which is home to Pollok House, one of Scotland’s grandest Edwardian country houses, and the Burrell Collection, an internationally significant collection of art.