As a foremost capital of culture and UNESCO City of Music, the city on the River Clyde deserves a good chunk of your precious holiday time. Glasgow is a potent destination, with over 1.2 million residents strong and a vibrant landscape that spans Medieval, Gothic Revival, Industrial Revolution and contemporary architecture. All just for starters, of course.

You want character? Glasgow has it galore. Festivals year-round? Check. Nightlife? No problem. With that, check out a shortlist of what to see and where to stay with only 24 hours to spare in the former Second City of the British Empire.

Glasgow City Guide

Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum

Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum – Photo credit

The most popular free attraction in Scotland unfurls one of the indomitable civic art collections in Europe. The Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum is a giant and absolute requisite on the Glasgow scene. A stroll through adjacent Kelvingrove Park and the University of Glasgow campus is a good idea too.

Where to stay: Kelvingrove Hotel Glasgow

High Kirk of Glasgow

The High Kirk or central Cathedral of Glasgow is a paragon of Scottish Gothic architecture and dates back to the 12^th< century.

Where to stay: Millennium Hotel Glasgow

Clyde Auditorium

Photo credit

The superb Clyde Auditorium has all the design hallmarks of Sir Norman Foster, the Pritzer Architecture Prize laureate, + Partners.

Where to stay: Mint Hotel Glasgow

Mitchell Library

A pinnacle landmark in Glasgow, the fabulous Mitchell Library is the number one reference library in Europe, with over 1.2 million volumes.

Where to stay: Hilton Hotel Glasgow

Gallery of Modern Art

The Glasgow GoMA is the contemporary art museum of record in Scotland. Look for the Duke of Wellington equestrian sculpture in front. If all is right with the world, the Duke should have a traffic cone on his head.

Where to stay: Grand Central Hotel Glasgow

Merchant City

A legacy-laden ‘hood full of tobacco baron architecture, Merchant City is now a premier leisure and upmarket retail enclave in Glasgow. Home of the annual Merchant City Festival.

Where to stay: The Spires Hotel Glasgow

Pollok Country Park

Highland Cattle at Pollok Country Park – Photo credit

With numerous citations as the best civic park in Europe, Pollok Country Park is a Glasgow must.

Where to stay: Sherbrooke Castle Hotel Glasgow

People’s Palace and Winter Gardens at Glasgow Green

Social history museum, park and pre-eminent civic space, the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens at Glasgow Green is a gem. Be sure to ogle the spectacular Doulton Fountain.

Where to stay: Express By Holiday Inn Glasgow Riverside

Old Firm

Old Firm, the indelible city derby between fierce association football rivals Rangers and Celtic, is an event every prospective Glasgow visitor should strive to experience. Whether at Ibrox Stadium or Celtic Park, the atmosphere is intense. Since 1888 and over close to 400 head-to-head contests, the clubs are at a practical dead heat.

Where to stay: Crowne Plaza Hotel Glasgow