Walking Glasgow

06/03/2025

Glasgow's Citizens Theatre will re-open shortly after a £40m renovation. We go inside for a first look - and find there's a lot of excited about.

06/03/2025

Walking Glasgow on tour, on a warm, beautiful day.
Cambo snowdrop,Kingsbarns GC and Crail harbour. Hope all enjoying the weather. Kevin

03/03/2025

March 24th walk- Secret Glasgow now full.

Now doing it again on March 28th,1-3.30,
meeting outside the Bank of Scotland on Argyle St at St Enoch's Square.

Picture below is of Chisholm's Emporium in Chisholm St, Trongate. Predecessor to Chisholm Hunter- diamond merchants!

03/03/2025

It was celebration time today at the Medieval walk as Walking Glasgow celebrated our 14k follower on Facebook, with a box of yummy donuts.

Continued thanks to everyone who supports me/ RNLI throughout the year. Out tonite and 2moro doing the Grahamston powerpoint talk, if anyone is a member of a group/ society/ sewing bee lol, I'd be happy to come along and speak.

Tara the noo,
Kevin

02/03/2025

Next March walks availability.

18th-Mackintosh/Greek Thomson, 10-12. Meet outside Clutha Vaults on Clydeside

19th- Secret Glasgow-FULL

20th- Central Murals, 11-1. Meet outside the Bank of Scotland on Argyle St at St Enoch's

22nd- Early & Medieval Glw, 11-1 pm. Meet B of S.

24th- Secret Glasgow, 1-3.30pm. Meet B of S.FULL

25th- To***co Lords/Merchant City, 1-3pm. BofS

26th- 10-11.30. Grahamston- Glasgows Forgotten Village. Meet outside B of S. (NEW TIME)

27th- Old Govan, 1-3pm. Meet at Govan X bus/ subway station.

NEW ADDITION
28th- Secret Glasgow, 1-3.30pm. Meet @ BofS

28/02/2025

Having shown a group of walkers around the new Parick- Govan bridge yesterday, I ventured out today to see how Glasgow's newest bridge was coming along, a bit further down river.

This new two-lane road bridge will connect Yoker, Renfrew, and Clydebank. It's part of the Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside project, which is funded by the Glasgow City Region City Deal.

Features
The bridge will open for passing ships
It will connect Yoker train station and the national cycling network
It will provide a direct link for car users, cyclists, and pedestrians
It will reduce travel times
It will allow commercial and leisure ships to travel down the river when it is open

Design
The bridge's design draws on the area's shipbuilding heritage
It will use a cable stay system similar to the Queensferry Crossing
The bridge features cable stays and pivots on slew bearings

Construction
The bridge's design posed challenges to designers and contractors
The two bridge leaves were manufactured offsite in different locations outside the UK
Opening date
The bridge is planned to open in Spring 2025

27/02/2025

Glasgow was once considered having two centres. The lower was commercial while the upper town was characterised by ecclesiastical buildings.

Extension and repair work to the cathedral throughout the middle ages meant a permanent workforce of masons, joiners and other craftsmen. Although dominated by ecclesiastical buildings, there was also a certain lay element
- bakers, fishermen, fleshers (butchers), dyers, skinners and cordiners shoemakers) were an essential lay back-up to the religious centre.

As a result, it made sense to have the Almshouse for the trades in the upper part of the town before the 1790s when it moved to Glassford Street.

The old map also shows the four old gates or ports into the town.


My thanks to Grant McLeod of Trades House for posting the above. I hope to resume tours of his premises in the near future. Watch this space.

23/02/2025

INGRAM ST FIRE STATION
Morning. The next round of available free walks to attend follows .I've a couple of weeks away in St Andrews in the middle, so this takes us up to April.
As usual, just advise if you'd like spaces, and let's hope that better Spring weather's not far away.

FEB
Wed 26th- Grahamston, Glasgow's Forgotten Village, 10-11.30 (meet outside BofS,Argyle St)

MAR
Tues 18th- Mackintosh/Thomson-10-12. Meet outside Clutha bar on Clydeside
Wed 19th-Secret Glasgow, 10-12.30. (Bof S)
Thurs 20th- Central Murals 11-1pm. (BofS)
Sat 22nd- Early & Medieval Glw, 11-1.(BofS)
Mon 24th-Secret Glasgow, 1-3.30 pm (BofS)
Tues 25th-To***co Lords/Merchant City, 1-3pm
Wed 26th.Grahamston, 11-12.30.(BofS)
Thurs 27th- Old Govan, 1-3pm. Govan X meet.

As ever, not obligatory, but any small donations to the RNLI are gratefully received, before later presenting to a lifeboat station around Scotland.

20/02/2025

Hi guys. Sorry, but I'm making an early calloff for tomorrow's Mackintosh/ Greek Thomson walk. Lousy forecast hasn't shifted for the morning.
Please contact me, if on list, to acknowledge receipt of this news, if you possibly could.

Will be doing again, monthly through the year, no worries. Stay dry and enjoy Saturdays rugby v England, lol. Kevin

19/02/2025

Latest on availability- tomorrow Thurs 20th-(1-3pm)To***co Lords/ Merchant City.
(5 places left) and Grahamston- Glasgows Forgotten Village ,Wed 26th(10-11.30) and. March 19th Secret Glasgow (10-12.30,).
Hope to see you soon, as weather improves,ahem!
Kevin

15/02/2025

I saw this Glasgow Times article on the Glasgow Times app and thought you’d be interested.

New website launched to help people learn about Glasgow's history

https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/24935390.new-website-lets-explore-glasgows-rich-history-online/?ref=psapp

12/02/2025

I don't know about beans. But you're all filling the free walks well enough. Here's the latest on what's still available. If your choice not here, let me know, and I'll include in Mid - March's itinerary lol. K.

Feb
14- Grahamston (2 places), 1.30-3pm
15- Grahamston-FULL
17- Laurieston- FULL
18- Glw Canal & Medieval Glw- BOTH FULL
19- Old Govan- FULL
20- Tob Lords/Merchant City (7 places)1-3pm
21- Mackintosh/ Greek Thomson - FULL
25- Central Glw Murals ( 15 places) 10-12
26- Grahamston- Glasgows Forgotten Village (8)
27- Old Govan (6 places) 1-3pm
March
2- Secret Glasgow- FULL
3- Early/Medieval Glasgow- FULL
NEW. Wed 19th- Secret Glw (20 places)10-12. 30

Meeting
G'ston, To***co,Murals, Secret- all start outside the Bank of Scotland on Argyle St,St Enoch's Sq.
Govan- outside Govan X bus/ subway stations.

Free, but small donation to RNLI gratefully rec'd.

10/02/2025

Hi,have posted this before, but here's my back story;
I'm frequently asked on my walks why it is the RNLI charity i support with my time, and your considerate donations. A giving link button exists on my website page-www.walkingglasgow.com.

Many of you know my oldest Glasgow connection is via the village of, now-forgotten, Grahamston, but my ancestors gradually moved eastwards to settle in Eyemouth, where they soon entered the fishing fraternity.

It was there, 142 years ago, on October 14, 1881, that Scotland’s worst fishing disaster occurred off the south-east coast, when a violent storm swallowed up 29 fishing boats, most of them from Eyemouth in Berwickshire. A total of 189 men lost their lives, 129 of them from Eyemouth.

In 1881, east coast fishermen were still going to sea in sail and oar-powered boats that were known to be deathtraps in severe storms. despite that poor weather forecast, they put out to sea to fish as normal, and indeed the early conditions were not bad at all.

The fishermen of Eyemouth ignored the weather forecast on that fateful day, which is still known locally as Black Friday. At lunchtime, however, the whole fishing fleet was engulfed in what would now be classed as a hurricane. The boats that could be controlled headed for harbour, while some began to sink miles out to sea.

Eyemouth had been the boom town of the fishing industry, landing huge catches of haddock and herring, but its harbour was one of the few not to be improved after an earlier Moray Firth disaster.

In all some 129 men from Eyemouth perished –( 5 of my Scott ancestors) – along with 24 from Burnmouth, 15 from Newhaven by Edinburgh, 11 from Cove, seven from Fisherrow in Musselburgh and three from Coldingham.

The sheer scale of the Eyemouth disaster is very difficult for us to contemplate, as we now live in a safety-conscious world where, thankfully, maritime workers no longer face death on a daily basis.

That is due, in a large part, to the fantastic work done by the RNLI-an entirely voluntary association who, last year, celebrated their 200th year in existence on the 4th of March 2024.

I have written 4 books on every harbourage around our Scottish coastline for them previously, and for the past 2 years have continued to support their charitable cause thru my free walks.
That said, if you can spare an odd pound or two, I regularly pass your donations onto our two most local stations in the west of Scotland ie. Troon and Largs. Thank you all for your support. Kevin.

10/02/2025

For those asking where to get the below logbook; enjoy,when weather improves. Kevin

08/02/2025

Hi all, but especially those booked on Early / Medieval walk on Tuesday 18th Feb. I'm having to change morning walk to the afternoon. Meeting now 2-4. Same place, outside Bank of Scotland.
Could those booked on, please acknowledge this. Sorry for late change. Kevin

07/02/2025

Morning everyone. That Friday feeling- even retired, is still good.
Next walks, and current availability are listed below. Hope to see you along soon. Kevin
FEB
Tues 18th. Early/Medieval Glw, 2-4pm
Thurs 20th.To***co Lords/ Merchant City,1-3
Tues 25th. Central Murals 10-12 (NEW)
Wed 26th.Grahamston Forgotten Vill.10-11.30 (N)
Wed 26th. Glasgow Canal. 1-3pm (NEW)
Thurs 27th. Old Govan, 1-3pm (NEW)
MAR
Mon 3rd. Early/ Medieval Glw, 1-3pm

Meeting points:
Medieval/To***co/Murals/G'ston ' outside BofS
Canal- outside SeeWoo/ Glw Angling Centre
Govan- Govan X bus/ subway station.

Just let me know if attending. Ta. Kevin

03/02/2025

https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/24900444.plaque-commemorate-final-service-held-glasgow-church/

03/02/2025

Glasgow community bands together for 'night and day' transformation of neglected park

Elder Park, in Govan, was described as recently as last year as an "absolute mess", with shopping trolleys in the pond, overgrown weeds, shrubs and grasses, and rubbish littering the park.