Glasgow Hotels

Glasgow's tourist sights are spread over a wide area. The city centre is built on a grid system on the north side of the River Clyde. The two train stations (Central and Queen St), the Buchanan Bus Station and the TIC are all within a couple of blocks of George Square, the main city square. Running along a ridge in the northern part of the city, Sauchiehall St (first syllable pronounced 'suck') has a pedestrian mall with numerous High Street shops at its eastern end, and pubs and restaurants at its western end. Argyle St, running parallel to the river, and pedestrianised Buchanan St, at right angles to Argyle St, are important shopping streets. Merchant City is the commercial district, east of George Square. The university and the youth hostel are near Kelvingrove Park, northwest of the city centre in an area known as the West End. Pollok Country Park and the Burrell Collection are in the South Side, southwest of the centre. Motorways bore through the suburbs and the M8 sweeps round the western and northern edges of the centre. The airport lies 16km (10mi) west of the centre.

The main tourist period is April to September, and the height of the season is during the school holidays in July and August when accommodation is at a premium. 'Varied' is a vague but accurate way to describe the many moods of Scotland's cool temperate climate. The weather changes quickly - a rainy day is often followed by a sunny one. There are also wide variations over small distances; while one glen broods under a cloud, the next may be basking in sunshine. As some locals are wont to say, 'If you don't like the weather just wait five minutes'. May and June are generally the driest months, but expect rain at any time. Storms are rare April to August.