This impressive and striking old building is a familiar sight in this part of the city. One of the…read morehistoric Merchant City buildings, it was built in the 1920s and designed by A. Graham Henderson as part of the redevelopment of Glasgow Cross. It has a very grand façade fronted by two large Ionic columns and featuring some interesting scupture by Benno Schotz. These days (rather a shame I think) the ground floor is simply a large furniture store. It's found at Glasgow Cross between London Road and the Gallowgate in the southeast corner of the Merchant City.

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.

This is a very striking medieval landmark which you'll find at Glasgow…read moreCross on the east side of the Merchant City area. It is actually all that remains of a larger building which comprised a debtors' prison, the town clerk's office and the council hall. It was built in 1636 and stands 7 storeys and 126 feet high, being an extremely prominent landmark within the city. This area was, at one time, the centre of Glasgow (now considered to be George Square owing to the first railroad terminus being built at Queen Street). On the steeple you'll see some of the oldest sculpture to be found in Glasgow, including a shield which portrays the city's coat of arms. It has recently been renovated and repaired at a cost of £200,000, and I think it looks quite beautiful! I know that, at one time, it was possible for tourists to view the interior (and views from the top!) but I can't find out if it's allowed today. Perhaps someone will tell me, or I'll ask at a tourist information centre.

You won't get very far as we were sternly instructed that we could only tour the first floor. But…read moreit's a pretty building that dates to 1888. It's not old by Scottish standards. Heck, it's not even old by American standards. But it's worth a couple of photos if you're in Glasgow and killing some time. The square outside is more photogenic than this building though.

I've long admired the City Chambers from outside on George Square and I never knew until recently…read morethat you could take a tour of the building (I'll have to try to book one soon). The building is certainly impressive from the outside and, if anything, it's even more so from the inside. I was there for a civic reception. It turns out that Glasgow City Council is very keen to welcome guests to the city, especially if they're visiting in large numbers for a conference or some similar event. To make them welcome the offer civic receptions, which involve the opportunity to visit the City Chambers for a glass of wine or two and some (mercifully short but very kind) speeches by Glasgow officials. You can see why they go to the effort. Some people from outside the city still hold on to old views that it isn't a very nice place. Nothing could be more effective at dispelling that myth than exploring the huge halls and marble staircases of the City Chambers.

So, I was having a think last week that I wanted to review something epic for my 300th review - the…read morePrinces Square Peacock certainly ticks that box. The Princes Square building has been a fixture of Buchanan St since the 1840's. By the mid 1980's it was due for a refurb - and the Peacock was borne from this. The main Peacock is located atop the building, and his tail feathers drape all down the front of it. It's structure is a mix of iron and steel - and was all hand cast. This is one of my absolute favourite art installations in Glasgow - it strikes that difficult balance of being imposing, yet graceful at the same time. As soon as the nights start drawing in, the Peacock (and his feathers) are lit up and he truly comes into his own. But when the Christmas season hits, he's wrapped in twinkly lights and basically looks like a gigantic Phoenix getting ready to take off. You should swing past him on your way to see the Argyle Street Reindeer :) And yes, I do have a name for him too ;)

Having watched every single episode of Still Game, it was really fun to walk around George Square…read more We met up with local friends which made it even more special. Historical monuments/statues were interesting. Loved it!

Right in the center of Glasgow. Surrounded by historic buildings. Has several statues of people…read morethat I didn't really know who they were (all with pigeon poop on top). A big monument in the middle. Lots of benches. In May, lots of flowering plants. No grassy areas though. Great for just taking it all in.

Rainbow Bridge is an integral feature of the Art Park. Located within the grounds of House For An…read moreArt Lover, the park was completed in 2008. I dig bridges, and few more so than this one. I've spent many an hour playing on it with my nieces and nephew - the kids love the perspex, multicoloured panels - they rotate and provide a great opportunity to play hide and seek. I'd highly recommend a visit - especially to burn off some of the kids energy!

Glasgow's Cenotaph was quickly flung together after the first world war, and was unveiled in 1924…read more Every since, it's been Glasgow's focus during remembrance week's armistice celebrations, and more (even now) as a focal point to remember our war losses. Basically, I like it. I think it's a nice touch, and a nice place to have it. I like that it's borne witness to all of Glasgow's main public events and daily life. And the giant lions are awesome. And I've obviously nicknamed them. I'd definitely recommend a visit. And if anyone can guess how old I was when I first realised the golden cross is actually a sword... your beer is on me!

I went to a performance as part of the GIfestival and loved how they'd used the space…read more The event was called the Circus Between Worlds and it had the feel of a travelling group of performers with food stall, side shows, yes even a fortune teller, and a main arena. The space is outdoors so if you're going for an event dress for Scottish weather. That said it was a clear dry, if windy, night when I attended. Definitely worth checking out.