Pride on the Clyde

Chic. Stylish. Arty. Creative. Words you wouldn't automatically associate with Glasgow, perhaps. But Scotland's largest metropolis shatters negative preconceptions in a big way. Many people's suspicion - that it's a bleak, grotty place mired in post-industrial decline, destined to linger in Edinburgh's majestic shadow - is ridiculously outdated.

Over the past few decades, Glasgow has done a sterling job of reinventing itself, so much so that when you weigh up what both cities have to offer tourists, there's little in it. I'd say that if you can, visit both. They're only 75km apart, after all.

Swathes of Glasgow, including the banks of its great river, the Clyde, have been jazzed up, and there are dozens of smart places in which to eat, drink and sleep, plus a feast of outstanding cultural attractions. Other parts of the city - notably the East End, which will be the epicentre of the 2014 Commonwealth Games (July 23-August 3) - have been polished up and redeveloped.

For many Glaswegians, an early symbol of Glasgow's renaissance is the Merchant City, a revitalised city-centre district of elegant Georgian properties, neatly converted into an array of smart bars, restaurants, shops and flats. These photogenic sandstone buildings - whose previously weathered and blackened facades have been given a good clean - were built through the wealth of the so-called "Tobacco Lords" who made their fortunes from trading tobacco (and sugar) from the Americas in the 18th century.

Some of the zone's best eateries, such as The City Merchant (a seafood specialist) and Cafe Gandolfi (which had Glasgow's first cappuccino machine), are strung along the Candleriggs and Albion Street stretches, while cosmopolitan spots abound inside the Merchant Square, a former fruit market which is now a covered arcade likened to London's Covent Garden.

Round the corner, I wine and dine amid the swanky but friendly ambience of Citation, a bar-restaurant set inside Glasgow's old sheriff court, then enjoy post-dinner drinks at the super-swish Corinthian, a stone's throw from George Square, Glasgow's picturesque heart.

Like old the Royal Exchange (now GOMA, Glasgow's Gallery of Modern Art), the glass-cupola-capped Corinthian flaunts the design skills of David Hamilton, one of the greatest Scottish architects of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Later, as Glasgow grew richer from the Industrial Revolution, becoming the "second city" of the British Empire, another architect, Alexander "Greek" Thomson, was commissioned to build a raft of neo-classical Victorian warehouses, churches, terraces and mansions.

Architecture buffs are often more fascinated by the legacy of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the leader of the so-called Glasgow School - an Art Nouveau style of art, architecture and interior design pioneered at the turn of the 20th century. While Mackintosh's work wasn't universally loved at the time - many thought it peculiar compared with Thomson's more conventional gems - his reputation has grown posthumously, and the best place to appreciate his talents is at the Glasgow School of Art, his architectural masterpiece.

A fire tore through the building in May, destroying the beloved library. But plans are afoot to restore it, and you can still savour much of this impressive building, inside and out, before joining a Mackintosh-themed walking tour of the city led by the school's enthusiastic art students and graduates. One of the points of interest is the former newspaper office of the Glasgow Herald, which Mackintosh designed in 1893. Now the Lighthouse, it hosts Glasgow's centre of architecture and design, with a section exploring Mackintosh's genius.

To glimpse more Mackintosh, pop your head in - or, better still, enjoy a brew, or a bite to eat at - the Willow Tearooms, which he furnished for his friend and patron, restaurateur Kate Cranston.

The tearooms are on Sauchiehall Street - one of Glasgow's many pedestrian-friendly shopping thoroughfares (the city is, incidentally, ranked second only to London in the UK's retail therapy stakes, with a panoply of malls, arcades, chains and independent boutiques selling everything from bespoke tartanware and bagpipes to the finest Scottish whisky).

There's good shopping in the West End, where many merchants migrated when Glasgow's centre became over-crowded and insalubrious during the Industrial Revolution.

Today, boosted by a large student community, the West End has quite an artistic, bohemian feel, though several places draw a posher crowd, such as The Ubiquitous Chip, a restaurant renowned for its regional Scottish dishes and locally sourced products. If you fancy subcontinental fare, try Mother India, a jewel among Glasgow's myriad curry-houses.

Some of Glasgow's leading cultural draws are in the West End, and it's hard to trump the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. After a £35 million ($63 million) makeover, it reigns as one of Britain's most popular, free, family-friendly museums, with a spread of galleries displaying a quirky range of national and international exhibits, from Mackintosh's iconic high-backed chairs to folkloric African masks and artwork from Salvador Dali.

The museum nestles in Kelvingrove Park, one of about 90 green spaces in Glasgow's city limits. Indeed, it's a pleasant surprise to find Glasgow so verdant. In Gaelic, its name is Glas-ghu, meaning "Dear Green Place".

Other leafy Glaswegian escapes include Pollok Country Park (home to the Burrell Collection, an eclectic mix of art and craftware once belonging to former shipping merchant Sir William Burrell), and Glasgow Green, which boasts the People's Palace, a terrific museum detailing the city's often-tumultuous social history. It's attached to the Winter Gardens, a Victorian greenhouse flush with tropical plants.

Another beguiling spot is the tranquil area around Glasgow's Gothic cathedral, which includes the fine St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art (St Mungo is the city's patron saint). It backs on to a hilltop necropolis studded with the tombs of the city's Victorian industrialists.

Walking and cycling trails line the banks of the Clyde which, for so long, was the lifeblood of Glasgow's once-mighty shipbuilding and munitions industries. Now the waterfront is a drawcard for its impressive modern architecture. Designed by Sir Norman Foster, the Clyde Auditorium - dubbed the Armadillo, for its shell-like appearance - shoulders another shiny affair, the award-winning Glasgow Science Centre.

The Riverside Museum, designed by British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, houses exhibits from Glasgow's former Museum of Transport. Along with a replica of a Glasgow underground station (the system is the third oldest in the world, after London's and Budapest's), you can peruse magnificent old street trams, vintage motors and models of mighty seafaring vessels crafted in the old Clyde shipyards.

Berthed outside, the Glenlee (aka The Tall Ship), which had its maiden voyage in 1896, is one of only five Clyde-built sailing vessels that remain afloat in the world. For a ride along the Clyde, book a cruise on the Waverley, said to be the world's last ocean-going paddle steamer, or hop on a Clyde Clipper, a catamaran servicing a host of docking points along the river.

While Edinburgh is a UNESCO City of Literature, Glasgow revels in its title: UNESCO City of Music. Cultural spaces showcase classical opera and orchestral programs, while live dance, pop and rock acts - both local and international - perform at numerous venues, including the legendary King Tut's Wah Wah Hut. Glasgow's celebrated musicians include Lulu, Mark Knopfler, Primal Scream, Franz Ferdinand, Texas and Travis.

Glasgow is also a city of comics. Billy Connolly - is the most famous "Weegie" funnyman. A popular joke uttered by Glaswegians goes as follows: "What's the best thing to come out of Edinburgh? The train to Glasgow!"

FACT FILE

Glasgow caters for visitors on every budget, from backpackers to high-end business travellers. One of the city's newest boutique options, a five-minute walk from the central railway station, is the up-market Indigo Hotel. Rooms priced from about £95 ($172). hotelindigoglasgow.com.

Glasgow's weather can be temperamental, so bring a brolly or a mac (a raincoat named after Glaswegian chemist Charles Macintosh). Also consider riding the hop-on, hop-off city sightseeing bus. It covers most of Glasgow's top sights and includes an interesting audio commentary by Neil Oliver, a charismatic Scottish historian and BBC broadcaster. citysightseeingglasgow.co.uk.

For more information on Glasgow, visit peoplemakeglasgow.com. If you're planning to tour other parts of Scotland, including nearby cities Edinburgh and Stirling - both less than an hour away by rail - check out visitscotland.com.

Steve McKenna was a guest of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau.