Two thousand years ago, the Scots were the only Britons who successfully resisted the advancing Roman armies, and the Antonine Wall marked the northernmost boundary of the Roman Empire. Sections of the wall are still visible in Bearsden, in the northwest of Glasgow. A Roman fort has been discovered there, and its bathhouse is still viewable (but alas, not swimmable). Find them in the New Kilpatrick Cemetery and in Roman Park.

Glasgow’s food scene reflects its traditional tastes along with the international influences that come from being a bustling modern metropolis. The traditional stuff is battered and fried (think fish and chips), but you can get pretty much anything battered and fried in Glasgow: Mars Bars, haggis, pizza, anything! International cuisines get paired off and remixed like dance anthems, and it’s not unusual to find curried fish and chips or deep-fried donner kebab pizza. Leave the diet at home and indulge.

Glasgow’s most famous park, the Glasgow Green is a huge public space with lots of modern attractions and it doubles as a major venue for concerts and outdoor events. You’ll also find the People's Palace Museum and Winter Gardens, which animates details of Glasgow life, and the beautiful Doulton Fountain, the world’s largest terracotta fountain.

Glasgow is Scotland’s gay capital, with a lively gay neighborhood in the Merchant City Area, called the Pink Triangle by locals. There’s a collections of hip pubs, dance clubs, and cafés in the area around Ashton Lane.

One of Glasgow’s most distinctive buildings, the Clyde Auditorium is a lovely concert hall that regularly hosts touring acts from around the world. Its concentric arches were meant to resemble ships’ hulls, but its local nickname – the Armadillo – suggests that the resemblance wasn’t clear enough. Fans of inspirational YouTube videos will be happy to learn that the Clyde Auditorium was where Susan Boyle’s famous X-Factor audition was filmed.

Ashton Lane, the epitome of the West End has a village-like quality of tightly-packed low-rise older buildings on narrow streets, filled with small shops, bars, cafes and with a vibrant atmosphere - thanks to local colledge students who hang out around here. The Grosvenor Cinema has a bar and cafe with live music acts, vinyl-only music DJs in addition to the movie screens, and there are plenty of places to relax over cover and catch up with the email, or just read the paper and watch the people go by. 

Each Sunday the Ashton Street Market fills the lane with an eclectic mix of stalls with crafts, artwork, homemade food goodies and a big selection of vintage clothing -a great way to spend a lazy afternoon after late breakfast at one of the cafes such as Radio. Even on cooler days the lane has warm and cozy places to hang out.

Also here, the Ubiquitous Chip has courtyard dining in a magical spaces, with fine dining or lighter brasserie fare or brunch in their bars, the mezzanine or the roof terrace. Besides the tradional Scottish food, they have periodic events for sampling a wide range of cuisines, wines and cultures.