Glasgow Murals Trail

Summary

Glasgow has a fantastic array of street murals. These impressive creations decorate blank end walls and vacant buildings and help to transform otherwise less attractive corners of the city into striking public art works. This walk visits many of the most impressive creations within the city centre; the artworks give great focus to an exploration of the city on foot. These works are ephemeral by nature; they are created, recreated and lost as buildings move into and out of use; some of the murals may change or be removed in the future. This is the third version on Walkhighlands!

Grade (key)

Bog Factor (key)

Rating

Terrain

City pavements; many road crossings.

Public Transport

Train to Queen St. Station; Glasgow subway to Buchanan St; bus to Buchanan St Bus Station.

Start

Buchanan Street steps outside Royal Concert Hall, near Queen St. Station and the bus station. Please note there is no parking - the walk is best done from public transport. Open in Google Maps.

Walk Statistics

Distance: 9.75km / 6 miles
Time: 3.5 - 4 hours
Ascent: 55m (Profile)
Start Grid Ref: NS591656

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Walk Description

User reports (2)

Stage 1

Begin from the steps below the Royal Concert Hall, looking down Buchanan Street - Glasgow's main shopping street. Take a left turn onto the road that heads through the shopping centre and follow this, crossing over the railway. The route takes the second right turn to head down North Frederick Steet, but before turning note the first mural, Artivisim, on the wall of the Strathclyde Uni Sports Centre. Head down two blocks to reach George Street, then turn left along this. There are soon several more murals on the walls of Strathclyde University; first is a lecture hall on the facing wall, then the road continues alongside the 'Wonderwall' celebrating the University's most celebrated people.

Stage 2

A mural of an equatorial telescope is then passed, before, looking back, a final gable depicts the Land-Ship which was a mock-up navigation bridge once used to teach at the school of Navigation. All these murals were made by Art Pistol, aided by Rogue-One and Ejek. Continue along George St to the main junction with High Street. On the gable wall just before the junction is a stunning mural by Smug of a woman with child, representing St Enoch. From here, make a detour to the left up High St. until the gable wall at the opposite end of the terrace of buildings on the left. Here is another Smug mural of a man with birds, said to represent St Mungo. From here turn around and walk back down High Street, ignoring the junction back with George St and continuing before taking the next right turn onto Ingram Street.

Stage 3

After the first block there is a car park on the left side; the wall enclosing this has a huge mural entitled Fellow Glasgow Residents - also created by Smug - which depicts the varied wildlife of Glasgow's parks. It takes some time to take all of this one in! At the far end of the mural turn left onto Candleriggs. You are now entering the Merchant City. Once the bustling commercial heart of the city, the area fell into decline before being regenerated in recent decades - it is now packed with restaurants and bars.

Stage 4

After the first block turn right. On a gable wall is 'Bow Down, Honour Thy Routes' - a mural by Indian artist Shilo Shiv Suleman created as part of COP26 held in Glasgow. Passing this, take the second left to head down Hutcheson Street, then right on Trongate. Continue ahead (it becomes Argyll St), for a couple of blocks then turn right into Miller Street to see Smug's wonderful mural of Rab C Nesbitt. Retrace your steps back along Argyll St, then turn right along Stockwell Street, then left onto Osborne Street. Looking back is a mural of Billy Connolly, based on a John Byrne painting. Easily missed in a locked parking area to the left is another important son of Glasgow - Thomas Muir of Huntershill, an advocate of democratic reforms. Back on Osborn Street, continue until you can turn up the New Wynd alley on the left. The colourful 'Spaceman' is on the left wall as you exit the alley onto Ingram Street.

Stage 5

Continue along Trongate, taking the right branch when it forks. Turn right onto the busy Saltmarket, soon passing under the railway. On the far side look left onto St Andrew Street to see a small mural - one of three studies of a Woman in Black across the city. Continue along Saltmarket then turn right onto Bridgate, passing another Woman in Black. As you reach the busy junction near the river there is a series of murals on the wall of the Clutha; if you detour round the end of the building to the left you'll also find one of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Continue the walk by crossing Clyde Street and then turning right along the Clyde Walkway, heading upriver. After passing under a suspension bridge leave the river and turn right, using the pedestrian crossing at the busy road and then heading up Dixon Street. On the right is a second mural of Billy Connolly, this one based on a work by Jack Vettriano.

Stage 6

Continue ahead, heading through the pedestrianised St Enoch Square. At the far end of this turn right onto Argyle Street, and then take a left into a narrow covered alley to see 'Are Ye Dancin?' by Conzo and Globel on both walls - an amusing take on Scottish icons. Return to Argyll Street and retrace steps back along it, then right onto Buchanan Street. In Spring Court - off on the right - there's 'Good as Gold', a humorous take on inflation and Freddo prices! Back on Buchanan St, take the next left down Mitchell Lane, then left again on Mitchell St. There are several murals along here; first on the right is Wind Power. Continuing, you need to look back to see Smug's massive 'Honey I Shrunk the Kids', then finally on the right is 'the World's Most Economical Taxi' by Rogue-One. Look closely - that is not really a brick wall!

Stage 7

Turn right at Argyll Street, then right again to head up Union Street. Next take the second left onto Renfield Lane - passing Rogue's spectacular 'Bubbles'. Take the next left down Hope Street, which later becomes Oswald Street. It's worth detouring down Midland Street - third on the left, the second with a tunnel - to see Portrait Gallery by James Klinge. Return to Oswald Stereet and continue down towards the River Clyde, crossing the Broomie Law and turn right onto the Clyde Walkway once more. When the M8 bridge is approached fork right to head along the pavement beside the Broomie Law to pass under the M8.

Stage 8

The wall on the left side features the Swimmer - another huge mural by Smug, created as part of the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Use the pelican crossing here to cross to the other side of the road and double back on the far side. Note the electricity substation building, covered on two sides by Smug to celebrate the growth of green power. Continue back along the north side of the Broomielaw, but take the third left onto Brown Street - unhelpfully lacking a sign! It's between two modern office buildings. Part way up there's a large mural on the right, including Liz Lockhead's lines 'Yes today we are in love, with the whole splintering city'. Continue up to Argyll Street and turn right, then left up Blythswood Street. There is quite a long stretch now with no murals - and a very steep hill! Continue until Bath Steet, which is a couple of blocks beyond Blythswood Square.

Stage 9

Turn left along Bath Street for three big blocks, then turn right onto Elmbank Street. In the Sauchiehall Lane off on the right is one of Australian artist Stormie Mills 'Lost Giant' murals, one of a series around the world. Continue up Elmbank St to Sauchiehall Street, and turn right along it. You are now on the homeward stretch, but there are a couple more murals to see via detours. The first is seen by turning left up the very steep Scott St, then taking the second right. This leads past the Garnethill Garden Mural. Take the next right to head back down to Sauchiehall St, and left along it once more. For the final mural, turn right at Wellington Street, then left down Sauchiehall Lane. Opposite Malones is the Musician, by Rogue One in collaboration with Art Pistol. Take the next left to head back to Sauchiehall Street, then turn right along it to continue back to the steps at the top of Buchanan St.

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