Glasgow

Glasgow is Scotland's largest city, about 50 minutes by train from Edinburgh. It boomed in the 19th century on shipbuilding and trade, and that era left grand Victorian architecture such as the City Chambers on George Square and the Gothic tower of the University of Glasgow, founded in 1451.

Glasgow's major museums are free: Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, with art and natural history collections that children enjoy, and the Riverside Museum of transport on the Clyde. The city is also known for the architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his distinctive style.

Glasgow is Scotland's first shopping city, centred on pedestrian Buchanan Street. With a large Muslim community it has plenty of halal restaurants, and Glasgow Central Mosque stands on the banks of the Clyde. It is also the natural gateway to Loch Lomond and the western Highlands.