Historic Walking Tours of Glasgow

Take a walk around Glasgow in the company of an experienced guide and discover some of the important buildings and landmarks in Glasgow’s history.

[Historic Walking Tours of Glasgow @tours_historic]

A blog about The Jubilee Pediment on Glasgow City Chambers -
https://t.co/ve3zHaSX4p

[Historic Walking Tours of Glasgow @tours_historic]

Telling the tale o' Tam O'Shanter at the Robert Burns statue on George Square, a few days ago.

[Historic Walking Tours of Glasgow @tours_historic]

Have really enjoyed doing walking tours around Glasgow for the past few weeks. A tour is like a performance in many ways. Feels good to get back in that space. Just mornings at the moment but will introduce afternoon tours soon. Join us if you can. https://t.co/uoNcPWLJxt

[Historic Walking Tours of Glasgow @tours_historic]

This short tour, around 90 minutes long, is focused on the buildings and statues around George Square and a few stories of events that took place there, and will hopefully be of interest. https://t.co/Lr82Rkfnxa

[Historic Walking Tours of Glasgow @tours_historic]

More than anything, I want the tours to have the elegance of storytelling, of theatre. I don't just want to walk around pointing at buildings and listing dates. There are so many stories to tell. So that's what I'll be working on during the winter months.

[Historic Walking Tours of Glasgow @tours_historic]

The weather is always going to be factor at this time of year, so I don't expect to be out that often in this period. But if there's a rare nice day, or if anyone is willing to brave the elements, then I'm more than happy to get back out there. Check out the website or Eventbrite

[Historic Walking Tours of Glasgow @tours_historic]

Now's the time, to hit the books again, to revise and refine the existing tours and come up with some new routes for 2023. I hope to have a few more options available by the new year. I'll test out some of them for free, so keep an eye on this page or follow us on Twitter.

[Historic Walking Tours of Glasgow @tours_historic]

The statues on the Corinthian on Ingram Street are From left to right, Navigation and Commerce, Britannia, Wealth, Justice, Peace, Industry, Glasgow and finally Mechanics and Agriculture. Above the door, is the combined coat-of-arms of Glasgow and Edinburgh.

[Historic Walking Tours of Glasgow @tours_historic]

The M&S store on Argyle Street was once the site of the Black Bull Inn and Hotel. Robert Burns, Scotland's national poet stayed there in 1787 and again in 1788. read more on our blog , here - https://t.co/IrvEj7KGeh

[Historic Walking Tours of Glasgow @tours_historic]

Glasgow's Statue of Liberty, at the very top of the City Chambers, facing George Square.
William Young, the architect said 'The central figure is emblematic of Truth, holding the light of liberty over the city and in her train are the two supporting figures of Riches and Honour'.

[Historic Walking Tours of Glasgow @tours_historic]

The unveiling ceremony of the statue of Robert Burns in George Square in 1877. The first statue to Burns anywhere in the world, and one of the first crowdfunded public projects. There was a penny subscription scheme and people from all over the world contributed.

[Historic Walking Tours of Glasgow @tours_historic]

Maggie May's on the Trongate was once home to the Great Western Cooking Depot, one of 60 branches around the city that fed the working-classes of 19th century Glasgow. Read more here - https://t.co/2jfYxdNHtJ

[Historic Walking Tours of Glasgow @tours_historic]

Today is the 160th anniversary of the opening of Queen's Park, on the southside of the city. The original plans included included villas all round the park, an artificial lake, near Langside and a spectacular pavilion.

[Historic Walking Tours of Glasgow @tours_historic]

High Street, Glasgow c.1520 (David Simon)

[Historic Walking Tours of Glasgow @tours_historic]

In 1912, The West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser reported that -

[Historic Walking Tours of Glasgow @tours_historic]

Outside Cruise, the clothes shop on Ingram Street, are four small sculptures of individuals who helped create and build what we now call the Merchant City. This one is of a builder and plasterer called Thomas Clayton who lived from 1710 - 1760.

[Historic Walking Tours of Glasgow @tours_historic]

There's some amazing sculpture to look at on on the main facade of the City Chambers facing George Square. Above all the windows on the second floor, in the spandrels, are sculptures representing the many different trades of Glasgow. Here's Stonemasonry and Carpentry.

[Historic Walking Tours of Glasgow @tours_historic]

George Square was known as George's Square in 1807. The old Theatre Royal round the corner on Queen Street which opened in 1805, was described at the time, as 'the most magnificent provincial theatre in the Empire'.

[Historic Walking Tours of Glasgow @tours_historic]

George Square, Glasgow around 1900. Note the statues of Victoria and Albert in different positions than they are today. Victoria is on the west side and Albert is on the east, just in front of the City Chambers, twenty four years before the Cenotaph was unveiled.