Glasgow city guide: Where to stay, eat, drink and shop in Scotland’s cool capital of culture

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. What to do Explore the dynamic art scene There’s an array of edgy, contemporary art galleries in Glasgow, a good cluster of which are based in Merchant City, just off Trongate. open image in gallery Kelvingrove Museum Get lost in the crowd at a gig or club Whatever your favourite sounds, there’s something for you in Glasgow, whose burgeoning music scene is to be thanked for indie legends Primal Scream, Franz Ferdinand, Belle and Sebastian and Deacon Blue, as well as house and techno whizzkids Eclair Fifi, Nightwave and Optimo. But if you’re keen to dive deeper, book yourself onto one of Walking Tours in Glasgow’s reasonably priced sojourns, which include daily ambles themed around the city centre, street art, dark history, the West End and film locations. open image in gallery Glasgow’s skyline with the Clyde Bridge Architectural highlight What remains of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Glasgow School of Art is yet to be seen, after the disastrous fire of 2018, so in the meantime gorge on his small but perfectly formed Willow Tea Rooms on Sauchiehall Street – a slice of Art Nouveau bliss from 1902.