Glasgow

We had a quick visit to Glasgow on the way north, and found some really good things to see.

We walked the attractive Kelvingrove Park (admittedly in the rain), then caught the cute little Glasgow Subway - with carriages so small you wonder how all the people will fit - to the city centre.

George Square, with statues of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert mounted in twin equestrian poses at one end, and a pantheon of famous Scots at the other, is a magnificent civic space.

Just down the street was the Gallery of Modern Art, mostly famous because the Glasgwegians insist on keeping a traffic cone on the head of the statue of the Duke of Wellington that sits outside, a long-standing tradition.

From there we went to the Clyde River, where we visited the Riverside Museum, full of interesting things (from locomotives to fashions and a lot in between) and interesting stories of the social impact of many of them.

Outside the museum is the tall ship Glenlee, steel hulled and built on the Clyde in 1896.

Our final stop - other than a few pints and a curry for dinner - was the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

Housed in a stunning building dating from 1900, we barely skimmed the collection. There were paintings by Rembrandt and Monet, to name just two diverse geniuses, along with Scottish masterpieces and installations galore.

That was just the top floor. The eclectic collection on the ground floor included a hall full of life-sized stuffed animals apparently being strafed by a Spitfire hung from the ceiling.

We felt like we packed a lot into our single day in Glasgow; after a well-earned rest we are now getting lost on the motorway system en route to the Isle of Skye.Read more