• Electrical Voltage: 240V 50Hz AC. Adapters for most appliances (hairdryers, shavers etc) can be purchased in any electrical shop and airport stores.
• Currency: Sterling (1 pound sterling = 100 pence). In addition to English currency, Scottish banks are also entitled to print their own Bank Notes. The most common denominations for bank notes are £50, £20, £10, £5 (sometimes also £1 notes) and for coins £2, £1, 50p, 20p, 10p, 5p & 1p.
• Credit Cards: All major credit cards are accepted throughout Scotland. The most popular ones being VISA, MasterCard, Access and American Express. Look for the signs displayed at the entrance to the store or near the pay point.
• Traveller's Cheques: Should be exchanged for cash (Sterling) at any Bureau de Change or Bank.
• Banks: Opening hours are generally 9:30a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Monday to Friday.
• ATM: ATM Machines are widely available
• Medical: We pride ourselves on the high standard of medical care found throughout the country. If you require the assistance of a Doctor contact your Hotel Reception. In the event of a Genuine Emergency telephone 999 (a free call facility) from any payphone and ask for the Ambulance Service giving details of the location of the casualty.
• Shopping: In general shops are open from 9:00 - 9:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Late night opening in Glasgow City centre is Thursday evening when many shops remain open until at least 7:00 p.m. On Sunday, City Centre opening hours are generally 12 noon until 5:00 p.m.
• VAT: United Kingdom Value Added Tax (VAT - currently 17.5%) is payable on most goods and services. Visitors from abroad spending more than 50 pounds Sterling in one shop at the one time may request a VAT form to reclaim some of this purchase tax.
• Tipping: Is customary when paying for drinks and meals. 10% is regarded as acceptable.
• Phoning Home: Cheaper after 8:00 p.m. and before 8:00 a.m. Telephone payment cards are useful for some public payphones - others accept cash. Credit cards calls can also be made from some public telephones. Surcharges are often added to calls made from hotel room telephones.
• Public Holidays: New Year - 1st & 2nd January; May Day - 1st Monday in May; Queen's Birthday - Last Monday in May, Glasgow Fair - Monday of second weekend after first Monday in July; September Weekend - last Monday in Sept; Christmas - 25th & 26th December.
• Religious Services: Reformed Faith Churches; Roman Catholic Churches; Scottish Episcopal Churches; Jewish Synagogues; Moslem Mosques & Hindu Temples are all to be found within the city. (Hope I haven't missed anyone!!)
• Airport Information: Glasgow - Enquiry telephone number [44] (0141) 887 1111. 8 miles west of Glasgow, just off junction 28 of the M8 motorway. Short stay and secure long stay car parking available.
• Prestwick - Enquiry telephone number [44] (01292) 479 822. On-airport car parking is available. Regular train service to Glasgow Central Station (journey time approx. 45 minutes). Express bus and coach service to Glasgow Buchanan Street Station also available
• Public Transport: Glasgow is well served by a network of bus companies, light railways and underground railway.
• Taxis: As well as Glasgow City Council's licensed taxi owners association cabs (Distinctive Black Cabs displaying TOA pennants) which can be hailed from the city's streets, several private car hire companies operate throughout the city (but these must be hired in advance by telephone).

The Excitement Builds
Glasgow is an architectural dream: Victorian red & honey sandstone, Italianate steeples and medieval spires sit harmoniously with neo-gothic towers, the sensuous Art Nouveau of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the titanium, glass and steel of the contemporary city. Artful Attractions

Glasgow has an amazing portfolio of more than twenty museums and galleries – many of them free – including the unique Burrell Collection, stunning Mackintosh House and cool and contemporary Gallery of Modern Art.

Anyone interested in cutting-edge design should head to The Lighthouse, while the Glasgow Science Centre’s futuristic complex comprising IMAX, Science Mall, Glasgow Tower, Planetarium and Virtual Science Theatre will appeal to anyone interested in learning about technology and its applications in a fun and interesting environment.

Heritage seekers will enjoy the Museum of Transport, Museum of Scottish Country Life at Kittochside and Clydebuilt, which tells the story of Glasgow and the River Clyde from tobacco to shipbuilding. Lovers of the beautiful game meanwhile, should head for the ground-breaking Scottish Football Museum at Hampden.

An Eventful Experience
Whether you’re a clubber, concert-goer, opera aficionado, theatre lover or dance fan, visiting Greater Glasgow & Clyde Valley is always an eventful experience. No matter when you arrive you’ll find live performances, festivals and entertainment fifty-two weeks of the year.

Productions by Scottish Opera, the RSNO Summer Proms and the West End Festival as well as the smooth sounds of Glasgow International Jazz Festival, the rousing Hogmanay Celebrations and Celtic Connections are just some of the vibrant annual events, which reinforce its reputation as one of Europe’s leading cultural capitals.

Around the area’s parks, towns and villages, events like the colourful World Pipe Band Championships on Glasgow Green, the ancient Lanimer Day festivities in Lanark, and The Shot in Paisley also provide celebration, fun and spectacle.

Night owls meanwhile can groove until the small hours at a host of club venues covering the entire dance spectrum from garage and techno to house and retro.

Retail Therapy
Shopping is an absolute delight in Glasgow. Not only is it tops for shops but its compact city centre and grid system makes it easy to navigate during serious retail therapy! Giant high street malls such as the ultra modern Buchanan Galleries and the St Enoch Centre are just a mocha-powered meander from the elegance of the Italian Centre and Princes Square as well as the speciality shops of the Merchant City.

The mews and lanes of the city’s bohemian West-End are a treasure trove for anyone hunting antiques and rare books while contemporary works by both up-and-coming and established artists can be found in the art galleries of West Regent Street.

It is also worth taking time out from the hustle and bustle to explore the antique shops, craft workshops and garden centres tucked away in the area’s market towns and villages.

A Taste of the Good Life
You can quite literally eat your way round the world in Glasgow as the city’s café culture espouses the very latest trends in global cuisine, from the style & sushi bars of the Merchant City to the restaurants and brasseries in the hip West-End. So whether you prefer traditional fayre, ethnic cuisine or the very latest in fusion and Pacific-Rim, you’ll find something to savour in Greater Glasgow & Clyde Valley.

Out & About
Just beyond the city of Glasgow lies some of Scotland’s most beautiful scenery. The local area is rich in history and heritage and each of its delightful country towns and villages has its own fascinating tale to tell.

A short drive south of the city is the Clyde Valley Tourist Route, which makes its picturesque way to the upper reaches of the River Clyde and the World Heritage Site of New Lanark.

To the west is Renfrewshire and the town of Paisley with its medieval Abbey and Museum and Art Galleries, which features the world’s largest collection of the famous ‘Paisley Pattern’ shawls.

Inverclyde’s coastal towns enjoy spectacular panoramas across the Clyde Estuary to the Argyll Hills while Milngavie’s Mugdock Country Park to the north of Glasgow includes a stretch of the long distance footpath, the West Highland Way.

Selected Local Attractions

• Museum of Transport (6 km) - Walk into the Museum of Transport and the first impression is of gleaming metalwork and bright paint. All around you there are cars, caravans, carriages and carts, fire engines, buses, trams and steam locomotives. The museum uses its collections of vehicles and models to tell the story of transport by land and sea, with a unique Glasgow flavour
• Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow (9 km) - Set in an elegant neo-classical building the gallery houses Glasgow's collection of post modern and contemporary art over four floors, named after the natural elements of Fire, Earth, Water and Air. There is a thought-provoking programme of temporary exhibitions throughout the year
• Glasgow Science Centre (6 km) - This ground-breaking new venue comprises three landmark buildings that form a stunning complex on the south bank of the River Clyde. Scotland's first IMAX cinema; the 10,500 sq metre Science Mall which houses exhibits including a planetarium, laboratories
• Mugdock Country Park (11 km) - This country park incorporates the remains of Mugdock and Craigend castles, set in beautiful landscapes as well as an exhibition centre, craft shops, orienteering course and many walks.
• Burrell Collection (8 km) - Set in Pollok Country Park, this award-winning building makes the priceless works of art on display seem almost part of the woodland setting. Shipping magnate Sir William Burrell's main interests were medieval Europe, Oriental art and European paintings.

Finnieston Crane
Founded by a Christian missionary (St Mungo), Glasgow became a major religious centre. Mungo's original church was destroyed by the wars which swept the country in the years after his death. Today's Cathedral dates from the 12th Century and has been added to in the years which followed.

Provand's Lordship, the oldest house in Glasgow was built over 500 years ago for the Lord of Provan, an official of the Cathedral. The house still welcomes visitors today to view its proud history. In 1451 Glasgow became a University City. Glasgow University was originally built in the High Street area of the city, but was moved to its present site in Glasgow's West end in 1870.

Glasgow has also been the site of many battles. Bishop's Castle once stood on the site now occupied by Glasgow's Royal Infirmary. Here, in 1300, William Wallace (of "Braveheart" fame) with 300 men defeated an army of 1000 English Knights who had taken possession of the castle under the English Bishop of Durham. Two centuries later the castle was again the scene of battle when two opposing forces fought for control of the Crown of Scotland then in the possession of the baby, Mary Queen of Scots.

Due to its location on the west of the country, Glasgow was well positioned to send shipping to the West Indies and America.
By the 18th century many merchants had acquired great wealth by importing sugar, rum and tobacco. Thus were born the Tobacco Lords who built fabulous mansions in the city.

However, life was very different for the city's poor. By the 19th century the influx of people looking for employment spawned the emergence of tenement accommodation. The poorest families were forced to live in "single ends", one roomed homes where the entire family, often including grandparents, would live together. An example is displayed at The People's Palace. Many families had to share common lavatories and wash facilities. However, the struggle for survival generated a common bond between the tenement dwellers and a great sense of community spirit, kindness and sharing dominated everyday life. The existence of vast deposits of coal and iron ore in the Glasgow area shaped the next two centuries of Glasgow's history. With the coming of the Industrial Revolution, aided by technological advances designed by Clydeside inventors such as James Watt, Heavy Industry in the shape of Railway Locomotives and Shipbuilding flourished.

Locomotives were exported throughout the world. "Clyde-Built" became synonymous with quality and reliability. The launch of the three "Queens" - luxury passenger liners - was the pinnacle of Glasgow's shipbuilding achievement. (Many of the original shipping models are on display in the beautiful "Clyde Room" at the Transport Museum)

Sadly, the changing pattern of industry means that the Clyde no longer employs the vast throngs of workers in the shipbuilding trades, although there are notable exceptions. The proud "Clyde-Built" traditions are still in evidence among the workforces of BAE Systems (Govan) and BAE Systems (Scotstoun), to name but two of Clydeside's remaining shipbuilding yards.

Over recent years the city has been the focus of International attention. In 1988 Glasgow's Garden Festival was a spectacular success. 1990 saw the city adorned as the European City of Culture and in 1999 Glasgow hosted the Festival of Architecture and Design . Today the city beckons tourists from all over the world. Glasgow's art treasures are world renowned and most of the city's museums and art galleries offer free entrance to view their treasures. The city boasts a fine Concert Hall, International Conference Centre, Science Centre, Sports Arena and shops rivalling the best in the land.

All this combined with Glasgow's unique friendliness and hospitality makes the city a favourite destination for visitors from all nations.

The Thistle - National Emblem of Scotland
Common throughout the highlands, islands and lowlands of Scotland, the prickly purple thistle has been Scotland's national emblem for centuries. This proud and regal plant, which grows to a height of five feet, has no natural enemies because of the vicious spines that cover and protect it like a porcupine.

There are several different legends that tell how the thistle became Scotland's symbol, but most date from the reign of Alexander III and in particular the events surrounding the Battle of Largs in 1263.

It is often forgotten, that for hundreds of years much of Scotland was part of the Kingdom of Norway. By 1263 however, Norway seems to have had little interest in their former territory, that was until King Alexander III proposed to buy back the Western Isles and Kintyre from the Norse King Haakon IV. The thought of relieving King Alexander of some of his riches and territories appears to have re-kindled Norse interest in Scotland.

Late in the summer of 1263 King Haakon of Norway, now intent on conquering the Scots, set off with a sizeable fleet of longships for the Scottish coast. Gales and fierce storms forced some of the ships onto the beach at Largs in Ayrshire, and a Norwegian force was landed.

Legend has it that at some point during the invasion the Norsemen tried to surprise the sleeping Scottish Clansmen. In order to move more stealthily under the cover of darkness the Norsemen removed their footwear. But as they crept barefoot they came across an area of ground covered in thistles and one of Haakon's men unfortunately stood on one and shrieked out in pain, thus alerting the Clansmen to the advancing Norsemen.

His shout warned the Scots who defeated the Norsemen at the Battle of Largs, thus saving Scotland from invasion. The important role that the thistle had played was recognised and so was chosen as Scotland's national emblem. The first use of the thistle as a royal symbol of Scotland was on silver coins issued by James III in 1470.

It is said that the Order of the Thistle, the highest honour in Scotland, was founded in 1540 by King James V who, after being honoured with the Order of the Garter from his uncle King Henry VIII of England and with the Golden Fleece from the Emperor of France, felt a little left  out. He resolved the issue by creating the royal title of Order of the Thistle for himself and twelve of his knights, ‘…in allusion to the Blessed Saviour and his Twelve Apostles'. He set up the arms and badges of the order over the gate of his palace at Linlithgow. The common badge worn by the knights is a cross surmounted by a star of four silver points, and over this a green circle bordered and lettered with gold, containing the motto "Nemo me impune lacessit", "No-one harms me without punishment" but more commonly translated in Scots as "Wha daurs meddle wi me", in the centre is the thistle. The badge is normally worn over the left breast.