A mix of old and new, it’s the beating heart of Scotland

IT was once known as the second city of the empire.

When it comes to Scotland, though, Glasgow has always been number one.

It’s the biggest, the boldest, the brashest and, while others may indeed beg to differ, Glaswegians will insist . . . the best. And with good reason. Recent decades have seen a cultural rebirth on the banks of the Clyde.

You only need to glance up at the Finnieston Crane to realise that a proud industrial history won’t ever be forgotten.

But Glasgow has evolved. The Garden Festival, in 1988, kick-started the renewal and the award of the City of Culture two years later was a game-changer.

Since then, the waterfront, pictured above, has been transformed. The BBC and STV’s gleaming HQs have created a media magnet and bustling tourist attractions have replaced empty yards.

Across from the hi-tech Science Centre is something even more futuristic. The SSE Hydro looks like a spacecraft that landed on the riverside three years ago. Everyone

from Still Game to Beyonce has taken to the stage of what’s now one of the world’s top entertainment venues.

Many gig-goers stop off for a meal or drinks in nearby Finnieston, now one of Britain’s trendiest districts thanks to its hip bars, cool coffee shops and upmarket restaurants.

While that’s all brand spanking new, renewing the old has been at the city’s beating heart, too.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery And Museum re-opened a decade ago after a multi-million-pound refit. And the Riverside is another museum must.

You can shop until you drop in one of Britain’s top retail meccas or, for peace and quiet, switch off in the peaceful Botanic Gardens.

Neighbouring Lanarkshire has also been renewed and revitalised. Explore tourist trails in the Clyde Valley or visit the ancient ruins of Bothwell Castle.

But if you do want to step back into the past then there’s no better place to do so than the Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life.

And it’s also home to one of Scotland’s greatest delicacies – the Tunnock’s Teacake.

Where would the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony have been without dancing teacakes?