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George Square

4.0 (21 reviews)
Open 6:00 am - 6:00 AM (Next day)

George Square Photos

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Martyn M.

Pigeons! George Square is basically Glasgow's smaller, less well populated, younger brother of London's Trafalgar Square. It's the heart of Glasgow, and is fun to sit in and have a picnic during summer, or to go to the Ice Skating Rink, or one of the rides set up during Winter. Not the most eye-catchingly beautiful place in Glasgow; I think it would be better if the ugly slabs of orange were grass. It would encourage more summer picnics and would probably make the place a hell of a lot more popular, but oh well, I suppose the tarmac makes it easier to hold events.

Christmas helter-skelter at George Square
Nicola B.

George Square is what Glasgow is all about. It's smack bang in the middle of the city centre, like Glasgow's own Trafalgar Square. With stone lions and all! It's home to the City Chambers, one of Glasgow's landmark buildings. It's surrounded in beautiful architecture (let's pretend the Millenium Hotel doesn't exist for a moment, shall we!) and is a lovely place to visit. It's full of statues of people Glaswegians have probably still never heard of, and has plenty of benches on which to dine. Well, munch on a packed lunch sandwich or store-bought sausage roll from Greggs on the corner. It's a beautiful square. No longer has grassy areas, which is a shame, as those were the best part on a summer's day. However, it still hosts loads of events like the Winterfest, and you'll see all kinds of things set up here when you least expect it. A great part of Glasgow. I love it!

Christmas lights going up
Nadya S.

Despite its prominent location it is such a disappointment and eyesore. GCC really need to consider investing in this space. It's a red tarmac nightmare instead of a dear green space.

Sui B.

First off I'm not really sure how I'm supposed to rate a square.. I guess it is sort of a square although I didn't do my due diligence and measure the square to validate that it is actually a square. My favorite part of the Square was all the pigeons sitting on top of the head of the statues. Their white droppings created an interesting effect on the statues themselves, giving the statues the illusion of having white long wavy hair.

Big wheel
Austen M.

George square. The sort of square that if I was in a foreign city I would trek around loads of little streets for ages trying to find it and take lots of pictures once I got there. However as I have lived in Glasgow all my life I think I just take it for granted and don't pay it to much attention. Not much to say, other than it has lots of interesting statues that if your a tourist you will enjoy. If the sun is out it is definitely a good place to grab a seat and watch the world go by. There is often plenty going on whether it be ice skating, a big wheel or even the commonwealth games pop up shop that is there now. All in, definitely worth a wee look if your visiting Glasgow.

Steven B.

I have spent an equal number of lonely and lively lunchtimes here. It's an iconic landmark that is home to some big events throughout the calendar year, particularly coming alive at Christmas time. I mostly enjoy being here over Summer time though, sipping on a can of juice and gasping for breath. Word of warning though. Summertime not only attracts pigeons, but perverts. Or maybe I'm just paranoid? I watch too much BBC News 24..

George Square
Darryl R.

Home to memorials, many fairs, performance artists, the Scottish Piping championships and even, during winter, an ice rink and Christmas fair, George square is as versitile as they come. A nice place to stop and sit during a busy day of shopping, or even just to meet friends, I enjoy the views - the busy train station at one end, and the grand Glasgow Chambers at the other (lovely old building with many a grand hall inside...). Possibly the busiest square traffic wise however, which is hard to forget with the 3 lanes of traffic surrounding you from either side...

Katie A.

A little way away from the hustle and bustle of Sauchiehall and Buchanan Streets - George Square often feels like the true centre of town. Whenever you go a-wandering down in this direction - there's always something suitably entertaining going on. At the moment, the Square is packed out with Christmas fun, including a whole fairground. Helter Skelters and Merry-go-rounds aplenty. At other times of year you will find performance artists as well as seasonal displays such as the Remembrance Day service on 11th November. I have also witnessed, on a number of occasions, bungee jumpers. Yes, really. They have a huge crane type thing with a cage on a winch. They put a few brave (or very stupid) people in the cage and pull them all the way up to the top of the crane. THEN, the bottom of the cage falls out, and you and the other hundred people who have gathered in the square get to watch them plunge screaming to the ground. Fun? I think so! You'll also notice that at the far end of the square there are some stone lions and lots of pretty flowers. All together, George Square is a nice place to be - Winter or Summer.

Yas, man! A giant square in the middle of the city! You can run around it, jump on it, sing on it. Anything! In the summer it's a sunbed, in the winter, a merry-go-round. It's the centre of our community. They got rid of the grass areas a few years ago which means that when it isn't putting on a show it can be a little bleak, but hey, that's how it rolls. It's a great spot to relax and watch the world go by.

Like Trafalgar Square, but smaller and less iconic. George Square is usually filled with white tents, which hold fashion or art shows, although I have never actually been in one of them. I like the square because it is kind of like the heart of Glasgow- a perfect place to eat lunch, sit and read on a bench or meet friends. It's particularly nice in summer, where it is usually bustling with picnicers, and Christmas, when the lights and ice rink are erected, and the smell of chestnuts and mulled wine fill the air. Perfect, and signals that Xmas has really arrived. George Square is part of Glasgow's charm and appeal, and a perfect place to sit and people watch.

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Review Highlights - George Square

However, it still hosts loads of events like the Winterfest, and you'll see all kinds of things set up here when you least expect it.

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Duke of Wellington Statue - Perfect traffic cone Duke of Wellington with a seagull landed at the right moment

Duke of Wellington Statue

(14 reviews)

City Centre

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.

Royal Exchange Square

Royal Exchange Square

(7 reviews)

City Centre

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).

George Square - localflavor - Updated May 2026

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