Glasgow

Glasgow, city, west-central Scotland. It is situated along both banks of the River Clyde 20 miles (32 km) from that river’s mouth on the western, or Atlantic, coast. Glasgow is Scotland’s largest city, and it forms an independent council area that lies entirely within the historic county of Lanarkshire.

The city occupies much of the lower Clyde valley, and its suburbs extend into surrounding districts. Most important commercial and administrative buildings lie north of the Clyde. Area council area, 68 square miles (177 square km). Pop. (2001) council area, 577,869; urban area, 935,760; (2011) council area, 593,245; urban area, 957,620.

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History

Glasgow’s Gaelic name, Glaschu, means “Green Glen.” There is evidence of a fortified prehistoric village on the site, but Glasgow did not begin to develop until about 550 ce with the arrival of St. Kentigern (Mungo), who established a religious community there. The present cathedral, dedicated to St. Mungo and begun in the 12th century, was built on the site of the chapel. About 1180 William I designated Glasgow a burgh of barony, and about 1189 it was granted the right to hold an annual fair. The first stone bridge over the Clyde was built in 1350. Glasgow was created a royal burgh in 1450, and its university was founded in 1451. Glasgow prospered as a market centre because it was well situated between Highland and Lowland Scotland and also between Edinburgh—the capital, 45 miles (72 km) east—and the west. Yet it was not until after the union of the Scottish and English crowns (1603) that Glasgow grew significantly.

When trade with the Americas developed in the 18th century, Glasgow was already exporting coal, plaid (wool cloth), and herring to Europe. Trade in the Americas’ tropical produce (tobacco, sugar, and rum) then made fortunes for the Glasgow merchants, as the Clyde was dredged and deepened and eventually made navigable to the heart of the city. In 1745, however, Glasgow was almost ruined by the levies imposed by the army of the insurgent Charles Edward Stuart, the “Young Pretender,” which occupied the city. A greater blow followed in 1775 with the revolt of the American colonies and the end of the tobacco trade. Cotton manufacture, which was well suited to Glasgow’s damp climate, succeeded the trade in tobacco. Textiles were exported, sugar from the West Indies was processed, and Glasgow’s fortunes revived until supplies of raw cotton were disrupted during the American Civil War (1861–65).

With the Industrial Revolution came coal mining, iron founding, chemical manufacturing, and, especially, shipbuilding, which developed in Glasgow early in the 19th century. The prosperity of Glasgow’s shipbuilding and heavy industry was badly shaken after World War I, and its industry has since tended toward greater variety.

Industrial decline in Glasgow and the development of the peripheral new towns of East Kilbride and Cumbernauld reduced the inner city’s population and congestion. During the mid-20th century high-rise redevelopment schemes replaced Glasgow’s notorious slum tenement areas (particularly the Gorbals). Late in the century Glasgow experienced a new wave of revitalization and construction.

The contemporary city

Glasgow’s economy in the 21st century includes traditional heavy engineering, advanced engineering and manufacturing, aerospace technology and development (notably the production of satellites), information and communication technology, software engineering, and renewable energy and low-carbon innovations. The city’s BioCorridor brings the public sector, business, and academia together in the research, development, and production of pharmaceuticals, bioinformatics, and medical technology. Glasgow also has a huge retail sector, is a centre of film and television production, and is an important global financial and business services hub. Modern business and industrial estates house many small firms, and others have moved to Glasgow’s new towns. Tourism has increased in importance, aided by the Scottish Event Campus (known as Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre when it opened in 1985), which includes the 12,000-seat SSE Hydro entertainment arena (2013), the 3,000-seat SEC Armadillo auditorium (1997), and the SEC Centre, a complex of interconnected exhibition and meeting rooms.

The city is a notable education centre, led by the University of Glasgow (founded 1451). The University of Strathclyde was founded in 1796 as Anderson’s Institution and obtained university status in 1964. Glasgow Caledonian University, founded in 1875, gained university status in 1993. Glasgow’s other postsecondary institutions include the Glasgow School of Art (founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Government School of Design), the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (founded in 1847 as the Glasgow Athenaeum), City of Glasgow College (established in 2010 by the merger of Glasgow College of Nautical Studies, Glasgow Metropolitan College, and Central College Glasgow), Glasgow Kelvin College (formed in 2013 by the merger of North Glasgow College, Stowe College, and John Wheatley College), and Glasgow Clyde College (formed in 2013 by the merger of Anniesland, Cardonald, and Langside colleges).

Few ancient buildings have survived the industrial era, apart from the cathedral and Provand’s Lordship (1471), Glasgow’s oldest house, but the historic district known as Glasgow Cross, just east of the modern city centre, preserves buildings and streetscapes from the 17th and 18th centuries and is well endowed with parks and cultural amenities, including the Scottish Opera, the Scottish Ballet, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. The Burrell Collection, in Pollok Country Park, includes ancient art and works by European and Asian masters. Glasgow also is the site of the Gallery of Modern Art and the Lighthouse, an exhibition and conference centre devoted to architecture, design, and city planning. The Riverside Museum, on the banks of the Clyde, explores the history of transportation. The Glasgow Science Centre explores the effect of science and technology on society and includes the Glasgow Tower. This 459-foot- (140-metre-) high tower is the tallest freestanding structure in Scotland and the only structure of its height in the world that revolves 360 degrees from its base. Scotland’s first public museum, the Hunterian (established in 1807), is housed on the grounds of the University of Glasgow. Glasgow’s rich array of cultural institutions also includes the National Theatre of Scotland, the Citizens Theatre, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Scotland Street School Museum, and St. Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art,

Glasgow’s Hampden Park is the home ground of Scotland’s national football (soccer) team. The city is also the home of two of the world’s most renowned club teams, Celtic and Rangers, collectively known as the “Old Firm.” Their fierce rivalry dates from 1888.