Sometimes there's nothing better than spending a sunny Sunday afternoon being a tourist in your own…read morecity. I'd heard about the Merchant City Public Art Trail last year and had it on my "to do" list ever since, and we had a few hours to kill yesterday afternoon so started our wee wander around Merchant City. It's a self-guided trail and is suitable for nearly anyone - there is a very steep hill in part of it, but apart from that it's an easy ramble around Merchant City. Sadly they didn't have any printed versions of the trail at GOMA so we made do with the online version - it'd be better to have a printed copy though as the online version is a PDF file which doesn't make for the easiest viewing. Starting at GOMA, you follow the trail to Royal Exchange House, the Mercure Hotel, Jigsaw, the Italian Centre ... and on and on. The guide tells you where to look and some information about it - I think the snippets of information are perfect as they're long enough to give you detail but not so long that you're standing there reading for ages. The guide also gives you instructions where to walk next so you don't have to flick back to the map each time to check. We found so many wee (and not so wee) pieces of artwork we'd never noticed before on this wander that it really was a totally delightful afternoon. I can't pick just one highlight as I genuinely found each stop really interesting. It really makes you appreciate just how much there is to Glasgow and what an amazing city we live in. (Note: we only made it to 14 on the trail, there are 21 in all so we are planning on finishing it off over the summer. There are so many great bars/restaurants in the area that it makes for the perfect bar-hopping or pre-dinner activity. And it's also a good walk!)

What a hidden gem! It is a beautiful building inside. Can't imagine what it must have been/smelled…read morelike when it was a fish market. Glasgow CAMRA recently had their beer festival there and it was the perfect space for it. Think it is mainly used as an artist space which is good but then most people will not see the building, which is a shame. Would be good to see some cafés or bars opening up so more people can use and see the building.

The Briggait is a pleasant looking, large and spacious place, at a really good location…read more I've been there several times already, attending The Glasgow Coffee Festival, Judy's Vintage Fairs, and the Etsy Made Local Fair (maybe even more, but these were the most remarkable occasions). The most important thing I have to mention is that I liked all of these. Not only were the topics usually interesting to me, but the exhibitors/sellers were also carefully selected. The events were always well organised, and I never had the feeling that many things could be improved about the circumstances. What I especially appreciate is that the venue is never overcrowded, either because there is a limit to people attending at the same time, or a small entrance fee that might keep some of the less interested audience out. I hope it will keep hosting lots of interesting events in the future as well. I will be looking for them.

4.5 star rating on yelp I am not convinced…read more In my mind this really was a square you would walk past without hardly even noticing it if I am being honest. So I have had to have a think as to what would bring it such high ratings. Plus points for me are of course the duke of Wellington statue. For some reason like many Glaswegians I love the cone on his head, just says something about our sense of humour I think. But... It has its own yelp listings so can be rated highly on its own. I'm struggling to think of anything much else. It's got some nice shiny Christmas lights that hang over it at night and look pretty ........ Ohhh and there are some bars and restaurants as well that could be worth a wee look .... And that's about it. Average square. Average 3 star rating.

Royal Exchange Square is one of those breathtaking places in Glasgow that you can wander into and…read morefeel like you've been transported back in time, or to a city on the continent. It is a really gorgeous space, with welcoming archways from Buchanan Street. One of the archways (the more southern one) has scaffolding on it just now to repair it, but I believe the other one is just as beautiful as ever. I love the fairy lights they have up here during the winter, I just wish they'd leave them up year round. Yes, I know that Glasgow doesn't get dark til 11pm in summer but they're still so beautiful. We had our wedding photos taken in this square and the photos are a really gorgeous reminder of what a wonderful city is. We even got a photo with the Duke of Wellington statue with a cone on his head (a daily occurrence in Glasgow).

The West End Festival is one of my favourite events of the year in Glasgow. The parade is a mix of…read morecolour and music as the people in it dance down the streets of the West End. Mouths won't go hungry as local businesses set up stalls and seats outside. Burgers, pizza, chips, cakes and pastries: there's lots to fill you up whilst you're entertained by the parade. Outside Hillhead Bookclub is the over 18s area which is a good escape from the pushy prams. You just need to make sure you get a good spot or you might not get to see a lot!

Did anyone make their way to Glasgow Mela last weekend? Cause I thought it was FAB! Lucky enough…read morethat the weather was on our side last weekend too. The festival had so many things and I'm glad that it was free too seeing as it was in Kelvingrove Park! The atmosphere of family, children and friends of different cultures (many Indian folk, locals and a bunch of other random nationalities including myself :D) came by to chill out at the park. Whether it was to play with outdoor installations or at the fun fair, or listen to music with a pint under the sun, or watch silly performances by street artists (and magicians) or even dance along with the amazing traditional performers (and also Irish line dancers) the day was just great! My partner and I explored everything! We were down at the smaller stage listening to Indian music with toddlers dancing everywhere. And then we watched as a parade of what seemed to be circus performers walked by. We slept on the grass while having Pimm's cocktails and listening to some dj sets. And then watched the amazing performers by so many tradition local clubs! If you haven't been before, you should really consider going in the next years to come :) Update: also, went to Chop Pop's exhibition of her Love Letters to Glasgow in the Hillhead Library and it was wonderful! Her artwork is amazing and meticulous! She's also a friendly wee lady and I love her. Check out her facebook if you didn't manage to catch her!

Hands down a must visit in Glasgow! Free admission!…read moreLocated in Kelvingrove Park, West End. This is a popular museum and art gallery with the likes of Dali and more. It's a large space and it's divided up by fine art, natural history, etc. I wandered through all of the rooms and believe that I saw almost every exhibit. I spent hours and just took my time taking it all in. Stopped by the cafe' for a cuppa tea too. Fantastic museum.

The museum is one of the top attractions in Glasgow. It was established in 1901- 125 years ago. The…read morearchitecture of the building itself is a marvel. I'm not much of a museum person, but entrance is free. The expansive museum's west wing focuses on "Life" (natural history/prehistory), while the east wing focuses on "Expression" (fine art). There are 22 galleries with 8,000 objects. Salvador Dalí's "Christ of Saint John of the Cross" is one of their most famous works of art. I was most interested in "The Floating Heads" installation by Sophie Cave. We spent most of our time viewing Scotland's Wildlife, where most of the kids were. While we were there, we also enjoyed an organ recital- 1:00pm Monday-Saturday and 3:00pm on Sunday.

i don't know much about Dolores Ibarruri but I'm not sure if this statue represents her or would…read moreinspire anyone to want to find out, its a bit dull looking, uninspiring, boring. i wouldn't go out of my way to see it.

I love this statue, located on the north bank of the Clyde in the city centre…read more La Pasionaria (The Passion Flower) commemorates Dolores Ibarruri, a Spanish communist who symbolised Republican resistance against fascism during the Spanish Civil War. "Better to die on your feet than live forever on your knees" "The City of Glasgow and the British Labour movement pay tribute to the courage of those men and women who went to Spain to fight fascism 1936-1939"

Banksy has declared this as his favorite work of art in the UK and it matches that artist's own…read morestyle and humor. The statue of the Duke of Wellington on a horse was sculpted in the late 18th century but has been famous since the 80s for the cone on its head. It's public, guerilla, and collaborative. Different "special cones" have been placed on the head to commemorate events such as Olympic gold wins but the one you will typically see is the orange traffic cone. There are other statues nearby with scarves and hats added by the public but this is the most famous. A friend from Glasgow told me how he got the cone on and despite the height I can see how locals could easily get a cone on the head when no one is around around. The tradition on has spread and I saw it on some statues in Edinburgh, but nothing beats the original. If you go in for a closet look there are stickers slapped on and little doodles. Lots near the horses rear :)

I knew that when I visited Scotland I would make a point to stop by the Duke of Wellington Statue…read more The statue was placed in honor of Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington. It was erected in 1844 and stands on the Royal Exchange Square. For over 140 years the statue stood untouched but by the early 1980's a jokester placed a traffic come on his head. Since it's first occurrence the Glasgow City Council and the police have exhausted themselves attempting to permanently remove the traffic cone. For over thirty years each time the cone is removed a new one appears within days. The council not only did not want the cone on the head of this statue but they also worried about someone getting hurt or cause damage to the statue while replacing the cone. In 2013 they came up with the bright idea to double the height of the statue to put an end to the shenanigans. This caused a "Keep the Cone" movement. In the end everyone agreed that the placing the cone on the statue is not an act of vandalism. The statue with the cone on his head is a representation of local culture. The cone is allowed to stay and is on a list of the top ten most bizarre monuments on earth. I think that this is a great story and shows off an awesome sense of humor and the ability for the government to stand down and allow the people to express themselves.

The Merchant City pretty much covers everything from George Square to High St, and is one of my…read morefavourite parts of Glasgow. Classed as a residential area, you'll also find all sorts of businesses: from the City Chambers, GOMA, bars, cafes and restaurants. Not to mention music venues like The Fruitmarket and City Halls. The buildings are beautiful - you'll find quite a few of them poem to the public during Doors Open Day each September - look out for St Andrews in the Square. One of the focal points is Merchant Square - a converted market with an awesome internal roofed courtyard, which is surrounded by bars, restaurant, and is home to a weekly craft and design fair. The Merchant city festival runs for around 10 days every July, and is well worth a wander round. All in all, one of the friendliest and most vibrant places to be.

My first ever visit to Merchant City was pretty underwhelming - I'm going to say that during the…read moreday in the middle of the week, this area can seem a bit dull. At night is when it really comes alive and there's lots going on! You have the obvious drawcard of Merchant Square but personally, I don't love the offerings. Other streets of Merchant City have great bars and restaurants, and a few favourites for me are Guy's Restaurant, Wilson Street Pantry for brunch, Spitfire Espresso for a great cake/meeting/working spot and Blackfriars for a pint. New additions like BrewDog and Hutchesons are just wonderful, and really add something special to this great part of Glasgow. Parking can be a pain so I recommend parking at King St car park which is a great excuse to pop into the 13th Note/Mono for a pre-post soft drink. There's also a fabulous walking tour/art trail you can do if you pick up a leaflet at GOMA which shows off some of the amazing art in this area.

Designed by Charles Rene Mackintosh, probably the most famous architect to come out of Glasgow. I…read morewould best describe him as a proto-modernist who was way ahead of his time and somehow achieved architecture, furniture, and design that could be both described as minimal and also Art Nouveau. Out of all the places you can visit in Glasgow I would recommend this one as closest to the original intent. Other places have had to unfortunately modernize with exit signs, lighting, etc... that were not part of the original vision. On site there is a gift shop, cafe with indoors and outdoor seating, upstairs private meeting room and wedding area, and of course rooms designed by Mackintosh. The only unfortunate name is "House For An Art Lover". It seems somehow not so serious and I think it should have just been called "Mackintosh House". This was designed in paper in 1908 but not completed until 1996, there is an alcove between the 1st and 2nd story that has a scale model and reproductions of the design drawings. The thing I LOVED is there were no barriers and you could touch and sit anywhere you want. There is a room with a fancy piano and I was surprised you could sit there and play on it, listened to our oldest play Minuet in G and felt like we were transported back in time. This is the room that shows up in a lot of photography and our favorite.

House for an art lover is situated in Bellahouston park, a beautiful house designed by Charles…read moreRennie Mackintosh in beautiful grounds with some interesting art pieces in and around the area. As you enter there is a £7 entry fee and you will be handed an audio guid and instructed to head upstairs where you will find stunning Mackintosh designed rooms including the main hall, the oval room and my favourite: the music room and the staircase! This is definitely a wonderful place to visit whether your a Mackintosh fan or not!