Gallifrey may be the native planet of Doctor Who but it’s Glasgow, the home of the new Time Lord, that’s in the spotlight as Peter Capaldi hits our screens as the new Doctor tomorrow, August 23.
To celebrate the eighth series, Glasgow is inviting Doctor Who enthusiasts to take a city tour like no other, with The Whovian Guide to Glasgow. From the iconic blue police boxes dotted around Glasgow which inspired the Doctor’s time travelling machine, to the Glasgow School of Art where Peter studied before he was thrust into the spotlight, to the riverside mural of the giant Dalek which is said to sit at the bottom of the River Clyde … there are dozens of Whovian locations to discover in Scotland’s biggest city.
See www.peoplemakeglasgow.com/whovianglasgowguide
Your-Hols also put together these Top 10 things to do in Glasgow:
The Riverside Museum
Designed by renowned architect Zaha Hadid, The Riverside Museum, which houses Glasgow’s transport collection, picked up a gong in 2013 as European Museum of the Year. It features more than 3,000 exhibits in over 150 interactive ‘story displays’, which detail the histories of hundreds of individuals. Visitors to Riverside can also venture aboard the tall ship Glenlee, a restored Clyde-built ship.
See glasgowlife.org.uk
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
Housed in a splendid Victorian building, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum has 22 themed galleries displaying an astonishing 8000 objects ranging from Dali’s The Christ of St John of the Cross to a World War II Spitfire.
See glasgowlife.org.uk
King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut
Glasgow’s music scene is so legendary, it’s been designated a Unesco City of Music. There are more than 130 live events a week and the iconic King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut is one of the best places to take in bands.
See kingtuts.co.uk
Make like Sir Chris Hoy at the Velodrome
Designed by Ralph Schuermann, the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome – known for sponsorship reasons as The Emirates Arena – was one of the iconic venues for the Commonwealth Games. If you fancy your hand at trying to emulate one of Scotland’s most famous sons, you can do so with an introductory cycling session on the 250m track.
See emiratesarena.co.uk
The Burrell Collection
Set in woodland at Pollok Country Park (above), the award-winning Burrell Collection displays works by masters including Rodin and Degas along with important examples of late medieval, Chinese and Islamic art. The collection is named after its donor, the shipping magnate Sir William Burrell.
See glasgowlife.org.uk
Take the Charles Rennie Mackintosh walking tour
Glasgow-born architect, designer and artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh was of the most creative figures of the early 20th century and his works can be seen at the Glasgow School of Art (above), The Mackintosh House, The Willow Tea Rooms and Queen’s Cross Church to name but a few. The school of art has a new walking tour which is a fantastic way to get an overview of his work.
See gsa.ac.uk
Image by Neale Smith
SSE Hydro
Glasgow’s skyline has now got a new star: The SSE Hydro. The 12,000-capacity venue will host some 140 events every year from music megastars to sporting events and the city is expecting it to soon rank alongside venues such as Madison Square Gardens and London’s O2.
See thehydro.com
Dear Green Place
Given most people think of Glasgow as an industrial city, it might come as a surprise that it has more than 90 parks and gardens – little wonder its original Gaelic name translates as Dear Green Place. Take a walk around Kibble Palace in the Botanic Gardens, visit the Highland Cattle at Pollok Country Park or along the banks of the River Kelvin in Kelvingrove Park.
See glasgow.gov.uk
Loch Lomond Seaplanes
Get a bird’s eye view of the city from Europe’s only city centre-based seaplane company Loch Lomond Seaplanes. It offers scenic tours from the River Clyde and Loch Lomond to Scotland’s West Coast.
See lochlomondseaplanes.com
Whisky taste at Glengoyne Distillery
No trip to Scotland is complete without a whisky visit. This distillery offers a range of tours including a Master Blender Tour where you can create your very own whisky blend and a new Whisky and Chocolate Matching workshop with chocolate supplied by Glaswegian chocolatier Nucoco.
See glengoyne.com
