Greater Glasgow is one of Europe´s most exciting and beautiful destinations, which combines the energy and sophistication of a great international city with some of Scotland´s most spectacular scenery.

Glasgow is an architectural dream: Victorian red & honey sandstone, Italianate steeples and medieval spires sit harmoniously with neo-gothic towers, the sensuous Art Nouveau of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the titanium, glass and steel of the contemporary city.

Glasgow has an amazing portfolio of more than twenty museums and galleries - many of them free - including the unique Burrell Collection, stunning Mackintosh House and cool and contemporary Gallery of Modern Art. Anyone interested in cutting-edge design should head to The Lighthouse, while the Glasgow Science Centre´s futuristic complex comprising IMAX, Science Mall, Glasgow Tower, Planetarium and Virtual Science Theatre will appeal to anyone interested in learning about technology and its applications in a fun and interesting environment.

Heritage seekers will enjoy the Museum of Transport, Museum of Scottish Country Life at Kittochside and Clydebuilt, which tells the story of Glasgow and the River Clyde from tobacco to shipbuilding. Lovers of the beautiful game meanwhile, should head for the ground-breaking Scottish Football Museum at Hampden. Whether you´re a clubber, concertgoer, opera aficionado, theatre lover or dance fan, visiting Greater Glasgow & Clyde Valley is always an eventful experience.

No matter when you arrive you´ll find live performances, festivals and entertainment fifty-two weeks of the year. Productions by Scottish Opera, the RSNO Summer Proms and the West End Festival as well as the smooth sounds of Glasgow International Jazz Festival, the rousing Hogmanay Celebrations and Celtic Connections are just some of the vibrant annual events, which reinforce its reputation as one of Europe´s leading cultural capitals.

Around the area´s parks, towns and villages, events like the colourful World Pipe Band Championships on Glasgow Green, the ancient Lanimer Day festivities in Lanark, and The Shot in Paisley also provide celebration, fun and spectacle. Night owls meanwhile can groove until the small hours at a host of club venues covering the entire dance spectrum from garage and techno to house and retro.

Shopping is an absolute delight in Glasgow. Not only is it tops for shops but its compact city centre and grid system makes it easy to navigate during serious retail therapy! Giant High street malls such as the ultra modern Buchanan Galleries and the St Enoch Centre are just a mocha-powered meander from the elegance of the Italian Centre and Princes Square as well as the speciality shops of the Merchant City. The mews and lanes of the city´s bohemian West-End are a treasure trove for anyone hunting antiques and rare books while contemporary works by both up-and-coming and established artists can be found in the art galleries of West Regent Street. It is also worth taking time out from the hustle and bustle to explore the antique shops, craft workshops and garden centres tucked away in the area´s market towns and villages.

Just beyond the city of Glasgow lies some of Scotland´s most beautiful scenery. The local area is rich in history and heritage and each of its delightful country towns and villages has its own fascinating tale to tell. A short drive south of the city is the Clyde Valley Tourist Route, which makes its picturesque way to the upper reaches of the River Clyde and the World Heritage Site of New Lanark. To the west is Renfrewshire and the town of Paisley with its medieval Abbey and Museum and Art Galleries, which features the world´s largest collection of the famous ´Paisley Pattern´ shawls.

Inverclyde´s coastal towns enjoy spectacular panoramas across the Clyde Estuary to the Argyll Hills while Milngavie´s Mugdock Country Park to the north of Glasgow includes a stretch of the long distance footpath, the West Highland Way Up until the 1840s Glasgow´s West End consisted of open countryside, isolated farmhouses and the country dwellings of Glasgow´s most wealthy citizens. The completion of the Great Western Road and the re-location of the Botanic Gardens to the Kelvinside Estate in the early 1840s was the catalyst for rapid change to the character of the area. Terraced and detached houses built by speculative developers began to appear - eager to attract the growing mercantile class away from the overcrowding and polluted city to the ´fresh air and hilltop views´ of Glasgow´s West End. The re-location of Glasgow University to Gilmorehill in 1870 added the academic elite to the West End´s social mix.

Houses where of the highest quality; designed by talented architects such as Alexander ´Greek´ Thomson, Charles Wilson, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, James Sellars and J.T. Rochead. Classical villas, attractive terraces and superior tenements are to be found throughout the West End - gardens, trees and cast-iron railings complement the buildings and add further character to the area. Buildings generally are constructed in cream, red or occasionally pink sandstone - most of which was locally sourced.

Some of the best tenemental buildings can be found in Hyndland, Woodlands, and Hillhead. Superior terraces/crescents and villas in Park Circus, Kelvinside, Dowanhill and running parallel to Great Western Road west of Kelvin Bridge. It was a great and well deserved honour for Glasgow when it received the award of City of Architecture in the UK in 1999 - the city certainly has its fair share of great buildings. On the Web site we have highlighted some of the most historically interesting buildings in the West End.

However, with the construction of the new Homeopathic Hospital next to Hyndland Station in the grounds of Gartnavel Hospital we have something new to shout about and many further developments and at the start of the Millennium there are many further developments under way.

The new hospital opened in 1999 - it was designed by Maclachlan Monaghan Architects, who were selected for the job after winning a national competition. The aim was to create a building in keeping with homeopathic ideology linking harmony with healing. The fi rst phase has now been completed - there has been no unsettling of the equilibrium and the architects have achieved a look which is both contemporary and welcoming with lots of light and space. Inside the colours are soft and clear and Jane Kelly the artist has worked closely with the architects to create a very attractive interior with lots of natural materials, comfortable seating and beautiful plants. The final landscaping phase is now underway. Many interesting projects and major refurbishment programmes have been recently completed or are underway in Glasgow´s West End:

Work at Kelvingrove - Refurbishment of Kelvingrove Art Galleries and Museum - to be completed 2006.

Amazing project in the heart of the west end - Colin Beattie - The Skerryvore Project.

Cottier Project - Hyndland Highlighting the work of Daniel Cottier, Glasgow Architect. Glasgow´s West End get its picture hall back Grosvenor Cinema re-opens Interesting Facts:

The first official international football match was played at the West of Scotland Cricket Club in Partick in 1872. The splendid and spectacularly domed glasshouse the Kibble Palace´ (1873) located in the Botanic Gardens (1842) was originally the conservatory of John Kibble - a Victorian eccentric.

Partick has been in existence since at least 1136 at various times being known as Perdeyc, Perthic, Perthec and Partic.

There are only five Clyde built sailing-ships left afl oat in the world. The largest collection of Clyde ship models in the world is housed in the Museum of Transport The world´s last sea-going paddle-steamer, the ´Waverley´ was built on the banks of the River Kelvin by A & J Inglis in 1947. The first weekly service to North America sailed from Yorkhill Quay.