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Feb 28, 2017
2 min

The University of Glasgow

Anyone contemplating a tour of Glasgow City is bound to be interested in its architecture. There are fewer building more captivating than the University of Glasgow, situated in the the West End of the city. Apart from the Palace of Westminster in London, there is no finer example of Gothic revival architecture in the United Kingdom. With its stunning vaulted undercroft and captivating twin quadrangles, it really is a beautiful sight. The original University was originally sit

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Glasgow Necropolis vs the Père Lachaise Cemetery

glasgowprivatetours

Feb 26, 2017
2 min

Glasgow Necropolis vs the Père Lachaise Cemetery

One of the buried gems of Glasgow is the Necropolis that lies behind Glasgow Cathedral, and is visited as part of our ‘Glasgow Must See’s’ tour. You might be forgiven for thinking that it’s the oldest cemetery within the boundaries of the city, but it’s not. It was founded only in the first half of the 19th century on territory purchased by the Glasgow Merchants in 1650 for quarrying. However, the western part of it was not suitable for excavations and it was transformed in a

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glasgowprivatetours

Nov 9, 2016
3 min

Saint Andrew and the Flag

St Andrew the Patron of Scotland People often ask about the Scottish flag or ‘saltire’ which is also seen within the flag of Great Britain; the Union Jack. The Union Jack dates back to the union of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801. The flag combines aspects of three national flags: the red cross of St George of the Kingdom of England, the white saltire of St Andrew for Scotland (the two were united in the first Union Flag in 1606), and the red saltire of St Patrick to repres

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glasgowprivatetours

Nov 7, 2016
3 min

The Kilt

The kilt is the brightest symbol of Scottish national identity and it can be seen nowadays all over the world as it has become quite a fashionable dress not just within Scotland itself. If you are on a tour about Glasgow or any other Scottish city you will definitively see people wearing the kilt. How old is it and does it come from? After the Glorious Revolution of 1688–89 the Catholic king James II of England and VII of Scotland, fled to exile in France. James' daughter Mar

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glasgowprivatetours

Nov 5, 2016
3 min

The Thistle Story

Thistles can be found everywhere in Scotland – not only in parks and the countryside. Any sightseer on a Tour of Glasgow City is bound to see one. This emblem crops up on the strip of the international rugby team and football clubs, local and major organisations and even on the uniforms of police officers. It’s also the symbol that greets people arriving to the airports. So when did it become a national emblem? There are different legends about its symbolic origins, but here

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Why Is The Nine Of Diamonds The Curse Of Scotland?

The University of Glasgow

Glasgow Necropolis vs the Père Lachaise Cemetery

Saint Andrew and the Flag

The Kilt

The Thistle Story

Benjamin Franklin and the Lightning Rod

Gypsy Kings

Russo-Scottish Tartan?

The ‘Irn’ Duke

Why Is The Nine Of Diamonds The Curse Of Scotland?