Glasgow: days 4 and 5

Thursday was my birthday treat day. I was going on a sea plane with Loch Lomond Seaplanes. Originally booked in for a tour, I had a call on the Wednesday to say they were having to cancel the tour, but as I’d travelled up from London for this, they would fly me to Tobermory (on the island of Mull) and back again later the same day.

So I took the underground (apparently the locals call it the Clockwork Orange) out to the Science Centre where the plane takes off from the River Clyde. I got there, took one look at the plane… and headed for the toilet, which is what I do when I’m nervous! It was tiny! And after the Mackintosh Tower incident of vertigo, I wasn’t that sure about going up in some teeny tiny plane.

Glasgow Science Centre and seaplane, as seen from Glasgow Tower

By the time we were ready to board I was terrified. And told them so! However, the guys were great! I’m sure they must have nervous passengers all the time, and they let me sit up next to the pilot, so I had my own private tour guide there and back!

Co-pilot Jo ready for take-off!

Leaving Glasgow by seaplane

We had to set down at Loch Lomond for refuelling, which was great! I didn’t get the proper tour, but I think I had a far better experience!

View of Loch Lomond through propellors

Refuelling on Loch Lomond

Loch Lomond, looking back towards Glasgow

Once we’d got the fuel on board it was off again. Over the Highlands and on to Mull. We’d left a dreary dull Glasgow, but once we were over Loch Lomond, the sun came out, the grass was green and the skies and seas were bright, bright blue!

The pilot, Andy, was a fantastic tour guide. But I guess when you do this 3 or 4 times a day, you’re going to know what’s what and where’s where.

Wind farm

View of a castle from around 2,000 feet

Reflection of the plane in the water

View of islands from the air

And then we reached Tobermory. We landed, the passengers for the island went by boat over to the shore and the next lot of passengers came back by boat. So all I saw of Tobermory was the view from the jetty.

Coming into Tobermory harbour

And then, sadly, it was all over. Despite my earlier terror, I was so excited by the trip I wanted to go back again. But it was not to be.

Me with the pilot and safety boat driver

So, bolstered by my new-found courage, I took a trip up Glasgow Tower, at 127 metres high, the tallest free-standing building in Scotland and the only building in the world capable of rotating into a prevailing wind, with barely a shaky knee in sight! And they rotated the tower for me!

Reflection of Glasgow Tower on the River Clyde

And then it was off to bed and ready for my long trip home the next day. Which was long! I travelled first class (well it was my birthday), but found the seats difficult to sleep on – too much leg room! Some amazing views of the North East coastline as we travelled to Berwick-on-Tweed – I might have to check that out next!

And then back to London and reality. The hustle and bustle and thousands of grumpy people. Within seconds I was back into London transport mode, head down, fast walk, off you go. Nobody smiled, but then it wasn’t particularly sunny weather.

So that was it, my Glasgow trip all over and done with. But what a trip!

Glasgow: day 3

Day 3 started at The Lighthouse. The Lighthouse is Scotland’s centre for architecture and design, and is in the old Glasgow Herald building, which was one of the first buildings designed by Mackintosh.

Exterior of Mackintosh Tower

The 6th floor boasted a viewing platform, with views over the city centre. It was rather high, and I developed a rather serious case of vertigo, which required me to sit down and have a biscuit!

There were a number of exhibitions, including one about fast food over the years, which explored the culture of takeaway food and other objects associated with eating food on the move.

There was also a floor devoted to Mackintosh and his work, and you could, if you wished, climb the tower which you can see on the photo above. However, after an attack of the vertigo’s, I decided this was a bit to windey and high for me!

After that I hopped back onto the tour bus and headed west, over to the University, Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum and the Transport Museum.

Glasgow University

Kelvingrove art gallery and museum
The art gallery and museum hosts so much stuff! Stuffed animals (including 2 elephants, one of them, Mr Roger, was shot dead whilst eating his breakfast!), Glaswegian artists, Mackintosh work, and other designers of Glasgow style, and Dali’s Christ of St John of the Cross

After all that art and culture I needed a spot of lunch, so sat outside on the grass for a while until I got too cold from the wind, then headed off to the Museum of Transport.

After that I walked along the River Kelvin and through Kelvingrove Park, named after William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, a student of Glasgow University and inventor of, among other things, the Kelvin scale of absolute temperature.

Correction (see comment below):

After that I walked along the River Kelvin and through Kelvingrove Park, after which William Thomson, was given his title 1st Baron Kelvin; Kelvin was a student of Glasgow University and inventor of, among other things, the Kelvin scale of absolute temperature.

Other famous Glasgow University alumni include Joseph Lister (surgeon who developed the process of sterilisation during surgery) and John Logie Baird (inventor of television).

Glasgow: days 1 and 2

So, last week I headed off north of the border to Scotland, for a wee holiday. More precisely, I went to Glasgow.

I’d never been to Glasgow, the trains were cheap and the guest house I found looked nice, so I thought why not go. After all, the speak English, have the same money and I could get there by train. All important things for a holiday alone.

Glasgow Central station

After arriving, I checked in at the guest house, got changed and had a wander around town. It’s fairly easy to get about – most of the streets are based on a grid, and as long as you can remember where North, South, East and West are, you can usually get back to where you started. It’s rather hilly, though, but that’ll be a result of being built on drumlins, small hills that were forced by glacial action during the Ice Age.

I came across the Willow Tea Rooms, one of the buildings designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Very unusual building compared to what we have in London. But he was one of the main architects and designers who brought about Glasgow style.

In the evening I went to Glasgow Film Theatre to watch the film XXY. Much cheaper than in London!

Tuesday
Tuesday I took the sightseeing bus around town (after buying another jumper – it was colder than I was anticipating).

First stop was The People’s Palace Museum and Winter Gardens – the social history museum of Glasgow, on Glasgow Green.

The People’s Palace and Winter Gardens

Winter Gardens (outside)

There was a photography exhibition at the museum – photos of Glasgow taken in 1955. It was very interesting. Looking at that, looking round the museum and the tourist bus commentary gave me an interesting insight into the history of Glasgow that I hadn’t known.

View down towards river under M8 motorway which runs through the city

After having lunch, I got back on the tourist bus and went all the way around the city and back to the Cathedral, St Mungo’s Museum of Religion Life and Art and the Provand’s Lordship, the oldest house in Glasgow.

I went to the museum first. It had a lot of interesting stuff about the history, beliefs and customs of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism, and I learnt things I didn’t know (and don’t again!)

After that I went to the Cathedral.

Cathedral

The interior was HUGE! It had 2 crypts – one was darker, and was built over the grave of St Mungo, the patron saint of Glasgow; the second was a light, white and airy chapel. The photo above is of the light coming through the stained glass windows onto the steps back into the main cathedral.

After that I went up to the Necropolis, an enormous graveyard (built on a drumlin), filled with graves and tombs and memorials great and small. And with stunning views over the city.


View of Necropolis, Glasgow’s graveyard

Crypt in Necropolis (an interesting message, don’t you think?)

I then went to the Provand’s Lordship, where Mary, Queen of Scots was rumoured to have stayed, and was full of interesting historical information about Scottish history.

The I walked back to the guest house, had some food and went to bed. I was exhausted!