Glasgow is a city with a fascinating history and an equally vibrant present. Quingo Scooters is heading to Scotland’s second city for the next part of our Accessible Getaways series.
Exploring Glasgow
Glasgow, almost more than any city we can think of, is a city of contrasts. It has a tough reputation of course, but it is also a place of great artistic and creative beauty. It is a working city, but also one that is famous around the world for its museums, its music and its galleries. There is plenty to keep you busy for a few days. Here are some of our top picks.
Soak up the atmosphere in Merchant City
Glasgow is great for shopping, full stop. It has well over 1,500 shops, covering all the usual high street chains but also plenty of fascinating independent retailers too. And one of the best centres of the independent scene is Merchant City. It is an area that includes Merchant Square, which used to be Glasgow’s old fruit market in the 1800s. Today, it is packed with independent shops and bars and is just a great place to spend some time (and money). It’s all totally accessible too.
To find out more, check out their site here, as well as DisabledGo’s full review of their facilities. There is a Q-Parks car park at Candleriggs, just off Tron Street, that has five dedicated Blue Badge holder spaces.
Enjoy a spot of culture at Kelvingrove
First opened back in 1901, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in the city’s West End is unmissable. Quite apart from anything else, it is just a stunning piece of architecture, set in the picturesque surroundings of Kelvingrove Park itself.
Once you’re inside, there is a huge range of different displays to enjoy, with everything from a gallery stuffed full of paintings from 17th century Dutch and Flemish Old Masters through to an exhibition on Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the Glasgow Style. The great news is that most of the galleries and museum are open to all, with most of the exhibits at an accessible height for those of us using mobility scooters. Just remember to use the Argyle Street entrance, which has a lift, when you arrive. It has its own dedicated car park with free parking for Blue Badge holders.
The People’s Palace and Winter Gardens
Every city needs a quiet place for people to relax and recuperate and The People’s Palace and Winter Gardens is Glasgow’s. You’ll find the People’s Palace in the heart of Glasgow Green, and as you may have guessed it is a celebration of the ordinary (and extraordinary) people of this great city.
It is full of exhibits that explore Glaswegians’ lives over the century. It’s a wonderful place to get a sense of the city. The Winter Gardens are a beautiful space packed with exotic plants in a stunning setting and we’d also recommend you refresh yourself at the Winter Gardens Café, which is fully accessible and open daily until 5pm. Both the Winter Gardens and the People’s Palace are full accessible, with lifts to all floors. You will find free on street parking at Glasgow Green, with six spaces reserved for Blue Badge holders.
Get a fresh perspective with Glasgow’s City Centre Mural Trail
We found that this was a fantastic way to explore the city and to see it from a different angle. How often have you visited somewhere and forgotten to look up? There is so much to see when you really look around you, and this fascinating trail that takes in many of the striking public murals around the city is a great way to see another side of Glasgow.
There is everything from a taxi being carried by balloons and a giant man in a kilt to spot. They are not all easy to find, but as public artworks most of them are fully accessible and visible from the street. All you need to do is look up. Head to the trail on Google Maps to start your adventure.
Accessibility
There are a huge range of things to see and do in Glasgow, and many of the venues and attractions have done a good job of making sure they are accessible. The DisabledGo site for Glasgow is a great place to start and has a list of helpful links, and the city council website also has information including a list of accessible toilets in the city.
Getting to Glasgow
Unsurprisingly for the largest city in Scotland, Glasgow is very straightforward to get to. There three international airports within 40 miles, Glasgow, Glasgow Prestwick and even Edinburgh Airport, which is only a short bus ride away (they run every half hour). It’s also well connected to the rest of the UK rail network, via services into Glasgow Central Station, for example, the city is just over four hours from London.
If you’re planning to drive to Glasgow, then it also couldn’t be easier either. If you are coming from Edinburgh, then head along the M8 or take the M74 if you are coming from the south. The M80 links the city with Stirling and M77 brings visitors in from the West Coast of Scotland.
About Quingo Scooters
The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.
Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.
All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC). AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 308478.
