Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
10th century—another ecclesiastical focal
point along with St. Kentigern's north of
the river. The first shipyard, Mackie &
Thomson, opened in 1840. But with the
demise of shipbuilding, the fortunes of
Govan fell too. Today, it is hoped that the
Science Centre and other developments,
such as a new Transport Museum and BBC
Scotland's headquarters, will revive Gov-
an's fortunes.
Pollokshaws
Along with
Strathbungo,
Queens Park, Pollokshields,
and
Crosshill,
these neighborhoods form the heart of the
city's more modern Southside suburbs. Pol-
lok Park and the Burrell Collection are the
primary tourist attractions, and Queens Park
is perhaps better and more verdant than
Kelvingrove Park, even if it lacks the monu-
ments and statues of the West End's oasis.
13
GETTING AROUND
One of the best ways to explore Glasgow is by foot. (See chapter 17 for walking
tours.) The center of town is laid out on a grid, which makes map reading relatively
easy. However, some of the city's significant attractions, such as the Burrell Collec-
tion, are in surrounding districts, and for those, you'll need to rely on public trans-
portation or a car.
Glasgow by Bus
Glasgow has an extensive (if somewhat confusing) bus service run by the privately
owned
First Group.
The buses can be embarrassingly litter-strewn by the end of the
day, and routes tend to run between east and west or north and south, with almost all
buses coming through the city center on busy thoroughfares such as St. Vincent,
Hope, Argyll, and Sauchiehall streets. Service is frequent during the day. After 11pm
it is curtailed on most routes, but some (for example, 40 or 62) run all night long (at
least on weekends), although there is a
premium put on tickets. Typically,
one-way (single) fares are about £1.80,
and for £3.75 you can use the buses
(after 9:30am) all day long with few
restrictions. A weeklong ticket costs
£16. The city bus station is the
Buchanan Street Bus Station.
The
“Traveline” number (
&
0871/200-
2233
) gives timetable information
(but not fares); you can also log on to
www.firstgroup.com.
Glasgow by Underground & Suburban Train
Glasgow's Underground, which in a nod to the city's American cousins is officially
called the
Subway,
offers a 15-stop circular system linking the city center, West
End, and a bit of the Southside. There are no stops east of the city center. During
the day there is generally no more than a 5- to 8-minute wait for trains. Trains run
on longer intervals on Sunday and at night. The one-way adult fare is £1.10. Alter-
natively, you can purchase an all-day Discovery Ticket for £3.50 or a 20-trip ticket
“FirstDay” Bargain on the
Buses
For £3.75, at time of writing, you can
buy a FirstDay ticket that allows you to
hop on and off buses run by the main
bus company all day long. The ticket is
valid daily from 9:30am to midnight. It's
sold by drivers. For more information,
check www.firstgroup.com.
