Scotland's Best Visits

27/04/2025

Norman Collie and John MacKenzie , contemplating their beloved Black Cuillin. 

Made by Stephen Tinney and unveiled in 2020, this bronze statue is a testimony of a true friendship, with a shared love for mountaineering and nature.

Norman Collie (1859-1942), a scientist and professor from Cheshire, England, began climbing on the Isle of Skye in 1886,  when him and his brother decided to go on a fishing and hiking trip during the summer. After two aborted attempts at Sgúrr nan Gillean, he was told by the locals to speak to John MacKenzie (1856-1933) for some advice. This encounter was the start of an incredible friendship that is still remembered today.

As the pair met every year, they decided to start climbing and mapping every peak on the island. Therefore creating a comprehensive list of routes which is still used today by professionals and amateurs who want to summit some of the toughest mountains in the British Isles.

Mackenzie spent most of his life as a mountaineering guide on Skye while Collie would travel the world to reach summits in Himalayas and the Alps. But every year he was called back to the Cuillins. 

John died in 1933 from pneumonia after falling in a loch while fishing. After his retirement, Norman lived on Skye, as a permanent resident of the Sligachan Hotel (still here next to the statue), contemplating the hills, where him and his friend John used to walk for days, both mesmerised by the beauty of the Island.

When Norman died almost ten years later, he asked to be buried next to his friend, in Struan, with a view over the Cuillin.

19/04/2025

A colourful and wonderful new addition to the Glasgow Murals! Another Big Yin, a national treasure: Sir Billy Connolly. Painted by the duo ConzoGlobel in homage to a previous portrait done by John Byrne, this wall art represents the comedian in his iconic Banana Boots.

If you're not familiar with Billy Connolly (where have you been? Time to catch up!) , he is a multifaceted talented and hilarious Scottish comedian, artist and musician.

Born in 1942 the neighbourhood of Anderston and brought up first in Partick and later on in Drumchapel, north of Glasgow, Connolly describes his upbringing as difficult and violent, both at school and at home. But from a very young age he knew that he wanted to make people laugh, as a sort of catharsis from the rough environment he was in.

He later obtained engineer qualifications and worked for a decade in the shipyards along the Clyde, where he really got a taste for the unforgiving "Glaswegian sense of humour". That's also when he started his folk singer career, and formed the band The Humblebums with Tam Harvey and later on Gerry Rafferty. The band got a few albums out and were fairly successful, playing in local bars and pubs, always introducing their songs with humour.

It was only in the early 1970s that Billy launched his career as a stand-up comedian and quickly filled theatres. Within only a few years, from the small venues of Cumbernauld and Airdrie, Connolly became a national star in the UK, now known for his observational comedy and strong language. He also played in films such as Mrs Brown alongside Dame Judi Dench, and gave is voice to characters in Brave and Pocahontas. Truly a talented and multifaceted artist!

The Big Yin retired from acting and comedy after a diagnosis with Parkinson's disease, but that did not stop him as an artist. Today, Billy still makes art from his home in the US, in the form of drawings and sculptures.

If you never had the chance to see him live - like me - I'd strongly advise you to do a quick search on streaming platforms to brighten your day!

Let me know what you think!

18/04/2025

13/04/2025

02/04/2025

08/03/2025

01/03/2025

25/02/2025

15/12/2024

14 December 1896: The Glasgow District Subway opened for service. Initially established as a cable railway, the system was subsequently electrified; however, the double-track circular line has remained unchanged in its extent.

Originally named the Glasgow District Subway, it was the first mass transit system to adopt the term "subway," later being referred to as the Glasgow Subway Railway. In 1936, it was rebranded as the Glasgow Underground, although many residents continued to call it "the Subway." In 2003, the operator, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), officially reinstated the name "Subway."

It is important to note that the oldest underground railway in Glasgow is a three-mile (five-kilometre) segment of the Glasgow City and District Railway, which opened in 1886 and is now part of the North Clyde Line within the suburban railway network. The Argyle Line represents another significant section of the underground suburban railway in Glasgow, previously associated with the Glasgow Central Railway.

It is the third-oldest underground rail transit system globally, following the London Underground and the Budapest Metro and features one of the few railways worldwide with a track gauge of 4 feet (1,219 mm).

(Image: Officials gather for a photograph on the opening day of the Glasgow District Subway system. Credit: SPT).