A dog-friendly guide to Glasgow
City breaks shouldn't be the preserve of those on two legs, and Glasgow offers proof. This dynamic urban sprawl on the west side of Scotland has plenty to entertain a dog and its humans for a weekend away in the country's second city.
Its very name alone is tempting: ' Glasghu ' in Gaelic means 'dear green place', and green it is – in parts.
Dogs will love sniffing about Kelvingrove Park, where a rushing river flows through its centre – ideal for doggy paddles on those rare hot days – and bandstands and statues make excellent perching places for picnics.
Those who need a good game of fetch will enjoy the wide open lawns of Glasgow Green, set right on the Clyde in the east side of the city, and if you're feeling adventurous, get out to Pollok Country Park for longer walks amid woodlands and manicured gardens.
With diverse neighbourhoods from trendy Southside with its neat rows of tenement houses to buzzing Finnieston with its student population, and the city's thronging centre around Merchant City, here's how to spend a great weekend in Glasgow with your dog.
Things to do
Glasgow is famous for its arts and culture, with a healthy roster of free museums and art galleries to explore. Sadly, dogs with a nose for the arts can't enjoy the vast majority of these, as pets aren't allowed in these spaces.
However, bringing the dog means you can go a little off piste and see a side to the city many don't. These are the best dog-friendly things to do in Glasgow.
Take a walking tour
Desperate to see some art but can't take the dog into Glasgow's galleries? Glasgow Walking Tours offer a fine solution to your problem: street art abounds in Glasgow, as does fabulous architecture by the lauded Charles Rennie Mackintosh. See plenty of both on a 90-minute exploration of the city, which takes in its history and geography for an all-round excellent orientation. Tours begin in George Square right by the regal City Hall, and they finish in Merchant City beside the Duke of Wellington statue, where you'll learn just why he wears traffic cone (or sometimes three) on his head at all times.
Daily tours from £12 per person; private tours start at £95
Police Museum
Forget the Met – Glasgow's police force was the very first in Britain to attempt to keep law and order on the mean streets of this city, and now there's a museum dedicated to its long, 225-year history. It's a tiny, low-key exhibit put together largely by volunteers and passionate collectors, but it's fascinating and has some deeply entertaining tales of grave robbers, tavern brawls and the UK's first ever police dog unit, whose first working dog was an Airedale-Collie-Retriever cross called The Executive. A fine hound, indeed.
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