Taking A Cultural Vacation In Glasgow

It is a great shame that the majority of visitors to Edinburgh (the capital city of Scotland and the nation's top vacation destination) fail to visit the wonderful city of Glasgow which is only a short distance away.

Glasgow is a lively and vibrant city attracting more and more visitors annually. While most folk visit to enjoy the vibrant nightlife that the city offers more people are becoming aware of the many artistic and cultural elements of this fascinating city. Below I introduce the reader to three such places to visit in Glasgow.

The Glasgow School of Art: The building was originally founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Government School of Design, but in 1853 the school changed it's name to The Glasgow School of Art. Originally it was located at 12 Ingram Street, but moved in 1869 to the McLellan Galleries. In 1897 work began on a new building to house the school on Renfrew Street. It was this new building that Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed, which was completed in 1909. The school actually spreads across 10 buildings, and it is The Mackintosh Building, or 'The Mac', as it is affectionately known, that is the heart of the campus. The Mackintosh Building also houses the Mackintosh gallery, which holds many different exhibitions throughout the year.

The Willow Tea Rooms: It was Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who designed the world famous Willow Tea Rooms, in Glasgow. The tea rooms were a collaboration between Mackintosh and Catherine Cranston, a local business woman, whose father was a Glasgow tea merchant. The tea rooms were located in Sauchiehall Street, and opened for business in October 1903. The name for the tea rooms was derived from Sauchiehall; 'saugh', being the Scots word for a willow tree, and 'haugh', the Scot's word for meadow. The tea rooms were the only building where Mackintosh had complete control over every aspect of the design. Mackintosh designed the exterior, all the interior decorations, the waitresses' uniform, furniture, cutlery, and even the menus.

The Scotland Street School Musem: Scotland Street School Museum, is Scotland's only Museum of Education. The school was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh between 1903 and 1906, and is classed as a must for all Mackintosh enthusiasts. Here one can learn the story of Scotland Street Public School, and the developments in education in Scotland, through a combination of displays, audio-visuals and reconstructed and restored classrooms. There are classrooms from the Victorian era, through to the Second World War, to the classroom of the fifties and sixties. The audio-visual room has an introductory video about the school as well as showing educational and historical archive films.

Of course there are a great many more cultural attractions in Glasgow so when you are next planning a Scottish vacation you should investigate this stimulating city further. One final word is that you may have difficulty finding hotel vacancies at times so it is well worth booking your accommodation at the earliest opportunity.

Article Source: TravelFreeGuides.com

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Learn more about hotels in Glasgow. Stop by Karl Fraser's site where you can find the best deals on Glasgow hotels.

by: Andrew Kelly

Total views: 1 Word Count: 493 Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2010 Time: 6:45 AM - 0 comments

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