Glasgow is a city that traces its origins as a small settlement of shipbuilders. Now the city is an industrial metropolis, successfully leaving behind an unsavory reputation of grit and gangsters that defined the city in recent decades. Today Glasgow is modern to the core, the Scotland's industrial center. It has even surpassed Edinburgh in its newfound life and vibrancy, easily seen in its colorful a music and arts scene.

The city is home to a population of about 1.8 million inhabitants and differs from Edinburgh with the absence of historic castles and fairy-tale palaces. Instead, Glasgow is all modern high-rises and monuments of steel, true to its industrial nature but now more clean, more polished and definitely cosmopolitan.

It was named as City Of Culture in 1990 and City of Architecture and Design in 1999. It was also named Capital Sport in 2003. Just recently Glasgow became the 2nd city in Scotland to join the UNESCO Creative Cities after it was named City of Music along with Bologna and Seville. In preparation for this bid, the city hosted a total of 130 music events per week that involved various acts of different musical genres ranging from rock to folk music.

Aside from its musical festivals and its architecture, Glasgow is also a city of art patrons. The city is home to the Glasgow School of Art as well as its numerous museums, a legacy of the city's Victorian ancestors. These include the Burrell Collection, the Gallery of Modern Art and the Glasgow Science Center.