The Royal Geographical Society has published a new walking tour of Glasgow as part of their Discovering Britain project.
Glasgow is one of Britain’s most remarkable places, so wealthy in Victorian times that it became known as ‘the Second City of the Empire’. Its strength stemmed from heavy industry and development of the River Clyde into a major shipbuilding centre. Glasgow also became a hub of creative ideas, home to innovative artists, designers and architects. The work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and others extended the city with attractive and radical new buildings.
This walk visits some of them to follow Glasgow’s development through boom, decline and rebirth. Explore how Glasgow has evolved since the nineteenth century, visit spectacular landmarks, and find out how a centre of heavy industry has become a venue for tourism and the arts.
The walk features a stop at Mackintosh’s celebrated The Glasgow School of Art, and includes historic images of the School from our archives. Though not a definitive guide to the city or its architecture, the Royal Geographical Society hope long-standing residents and new visitors alike will find it of interest – their aim is to encourage people to explore Britain’s diverse landscapes, in this case a city with a remarkable built heritage.
You can download written and audio guides from the RGS website. The booklet includes historic images of the School from our archives and collections.
