The secret is in its haggis and Irn Bru!

Scotland is well known for its dramatic scenery of mountains and valleys, its rolling hills and rugged coastline but above all, the warmth of its people and the rich history and pride you encounter within.

I first came to Scotland in the summer of 2013 to go on a tour of the Highlands starting in Glasgow and then onto to Fort Williams, Inverness and ending a two weeks journey in Edinburgh.

Glasgow:

Once known worldwide for being the center of the shipbuilding industry, this city has now diversified its industry to welcome tourism, commerce and innovation. As per WikiTravel.org "Glasgow has been awarded the European titles of City of Culture (1990), City of Architecture and Design (1999) and Capital of Sport (2003). In 2008, Glasgow became the second Scottish city to join the UNESCO Creative Cities initiative when it was named as a UNESCO City of Music (joining Bologna and Seville). In preparing its bid, Glasgow counted an average of 130 music events a week ranging from pop and rock to Celtic music and opera."

As you accompany me on my way throughout Glasgow, please note that as for orientation purposes, my sightseeing starts at the City Centre:

• Glasgow Cathedral:

​Also known as the Cathedral of Saint Mungo, it is a must see while in the city! It has some impressive stained-glass windows that rival the architecture of the cathedral itself.

Just behind the cathedral's gardens, you will come across a cemetery on the top of the nearby hill which will give you the sense of being in a small ​city of the dead.

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Museum-galore!  

• Gallery of Modern Art:

​I did not actually go into the GoMA but it was funny to see how the front statue that guards this gallery had this permanent traffic/safety cone on it for the entire duration of my stay.  A friend of mine told me that they actually take off the cone but it keeps reappearing on the head of the statue dedicated to the Duke of Wellington. I guess it has now become an iconic image to the daily life of Glaswegians and onlookers alike.

• ​​Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum:

​This museum is one of the most visited outside of London and it possesses many interactive displays in which you can be fully engaged for some time.
On a personal note, the main reason to visiting this museum was to admire Salvador Dali's masterpiece Crucifixion of St. John of the Cross. It is said that it had been vandalized before to the extent that some signs of the torn canvas can be somewhat seen if you look at it closely.

• For Pub lovers:

​It is not that difficult to come across a pub while in Glasgow nor can you go wrong on entering a random one. Nonetheless, it was curious to see how many bars had signs outside with messages that warned patrons about not wearing any football fan jerseys or symbols as entry would be denied to them; that does make a statement that Glaswegian do take sports seriously!

However, for those interested in visiting the U.K.'s (and apparently Europe's) longest bar, you need to head to The Horseshoe Bar.