Swadish

Sir Walter Scott column

City Centre · 0.6 miles

1771 - 1832 Designed by Greenshields, the statue was completed in 1837

National Piping Centre

Cowcaddens · 0.6 miles

Glasgow's Cowcaddens district houses a dedicated centre for the playing of bagpipes, encompassing the Great Highland Bagpipes, Scottish smallpipes, Irish uileann pipes and other traditional instruments. The institution comprises practice rooms, an auditorium and the Museum of Piping, providing both educational and performance facilities under one roof. The museum presents a collection that spans three centuries of piping heritage, including 18th-century Scottish bagpipes, examples of European pipes and artefacts linked to noted pipers such as John MacColl and Robert Reid. Exhibits also illustrate the competitive tradition that has shaped Highland bagpiping. Housed in the former Cowcaddens Free Church, the building holds a Category B listing, reflecting its architectural significance. In 2018 the centre formally merged with the College of Piping, subsequently acquiring the college’s premises on Otago Street in Glasgow’s West End, thereby extending its role as a central hub for piping education and heritage. Visitors reach the centre within the Cowcaddens area of Glasgow; the nearest recognised locality is listed as Cowcaddens. The site offers practice spaces and an auditorium for public use, alongside the museum displays. Specific admission charges or opening hours are not detailed in the available material, so prospective guests should consult the official website for the latest visitor information.

Finnieston Crane

Finnieston · 1.9 miles

The Finnieston Crane or Stobcross Crane is a disused giant cantilever crane in the centre of Glasgow, Scotland. It is no longer operational, but is retained as a symbol of the city's engineering heritage. The crane was used for loading cargo, in particular steam locomotives, onto ships to be exported around the world.

Glasgow Science Centre

Stobcross · 1.9 miles

Located on the south bank of the River Clyde within the Clyde Waterfront Regeneration area, the Glasgow Science Centre serves as a science-focused museum near Stobcross. The complex comprises three distinct structures – the crescent-shaped Science Mall, the rotating Glasgow Tower and an IMAX cinema – each wrapped in a different metal skin. As a registered Scottish charity it attracts visitors who pay an admission charge, and it also oversees the visitor centre at Whitelee Wind Farm. The attraction carries a five-star rating from VisitScotland. Opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 5 July 2001, the centre formed part of the Pacific Quay redevelopment that followed the 1988 Glasgow Garden Festival. The architects Building Design Partnership designed the Science Mall, while the tower’s original concept came from Richard Horden with engineering by Buro Happold. Inside the Mall, three floors host more than 250 interactive exhibits, a planetarium with a 15-metre dome, a children’s area called The Big Explorer, and themed galleries such as Powering the Future, Idea No59 and BodyWorks. The ground floor houses ticketing, cafés, a gift shop and a cloakroom, together with flexible spaces for education and events. The Glasgow Tower, intended as the world’s tallest freely rotating tower, was closed from August 2010 until July 2014, and the IMAX cinema – Scotland’s first – seats 370 patrons before a 24 × 18 metre screen capable of 3D presentation. A 2021 “Connect: Outer Space” project added a two-way cycle lane, expanded greenspace and outdoor science exhibits along the waterfront.

Balgray Tower

Balgrayhill · 1.9 miles

A striking example of early-nineteenth-century Gothic Revival architecture stands at 50 Broomfield Road in the Springburn district of Glasgow. Commissioned around 1820 by ironfounder Moses McCulloch and designed by the city’s leading architect David Hamilton, the villa incorporates a castellated tower that originally dominated an open countryside setting. The structure, now surrounded by residential streets, retains its U-plan layout of rubble stone with harled finishes, ashlar dressings and a central tower capped by crenellated parapets, round-headed bipartite windows and decorative arrow slits. A rear circular staircase turret rises above the parapet, its interior spiral stair providing panoramic 360-degree views over the neighbourhood. Designated a Category B listed building on 15 December 1979, the tower is recognised for its regional architectural and historic importance. Over the nineteenth century it acquired local names such as Breeze’s Tower and Springburn Castle, reflecting ownership by the Breeze family. Although the building now forms part of a suburban streetscape, its elevated position keeps it visible across the area, and local folklore sometimes mentions it as a haunted site. The tower can be seen from Broomfield Road; no specific admission or visitor facilities are recorded, and access is limited to external observation from the public thoroughfare.

Cathkin Park

Hangingshaw · 1.9 miles

The municipal park occupies the former football ground that hosted the second Hampden Park, a venue that saw organised matches from 1884. Situated in Glasgow, Scotland, the site lies close to the town identified by OpenStreetMap as Hangingshaw. Historically it served Queen’s Park between 1884 and 1903, after which Third Lanark took the lease and renamed it New Cathkin Park, using the ground until 1967. While it was known as Hampden Park it staged seven Scottish Cup finals, several Glasgow Cup finals and nine Scotland internationals between 1885 and 1890, as well as a rugby union international in 1896. After the demolition of most structures, the remaining terraces on three sides of the oval-shaped pitch are still visible, and the park is now maintained by Glasgow City Council’s parks department. Today the area functions as a public park where football continues to be played on the central pitch; the ground is freely accessible and does not charge admission. Amateur sides such as a re-formed Third Lanark team, Hampden AFC and the Jimmy Johnstone Academy have used the field, and volunteer projects have carried out basic renovations of the surviving terracing. In September 2025 the site was designated a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland. Visitors can reach the park via local road networks in Glasgow, and basic facilities are provided by the council as part of the municipal park setting.