Glasgow, northern Europe’s second largest metropolitan region, is the Gateway to Scotland. Meaning “a dear, green place”, Glaschu the Gaelic for Glasgow, has the largest proportion of green space to enjoy of any UK city.
Our city was the engine of the first Industrial Revolution. Innovation and the Scottish Enlightenment spawned its growth from a small medieval town to be a titan of the industrial age. Glasgow is again at the forefront of a more equitable, sustainable future.
As Scotland’s economic and cultural powerhouse, Glasgow is home to the largest cultural offer, the largest sporting infrastructure and the largest retail centre in the UK outside London. The ‘Glasgow Miracle’, how cultural and creative industries revitalised our economy is built on it being the hub of not only Scotland’s cultural life, but the leading UK city for culture as recognised by the European Commission. Home to more than 100 cultural organisations and 5 of Scotland’s 6 internationally renowned national performing arts companies, and to world leading museum collections and buildings. Our reputation is built on an authentic, edgy, contemporary arts scene that has produced more Turner Prize winners than any city outside London.
Declared the first UK European Capital of Culture in 1990, Glasgow is home to many other firsts: the inaugural European Championships , winning the world’s Best Small City for hosting sporting events at the biennial Ultimate Sports Cities Awards 2018. The only city to be awarded European Capital of Sport status twice (2003 & 2023), Glasgow also secured the World’s Leading Festival And Events Destination at the World Travel Awards (2019).
A recent Quality of Life survey rated Glasgow as having the second highest overall quality of life in the UK, just outside Europe’s Top 10 and within the Global Top 40, should surprise no-one. Over the next 15 years Glasgow’s metropolitan population will grow at a faster rate than in Lisbon, Helsinki and Amsterdam, and as fast as New York, Los Angeles and Paris.
Glasgow boasts one of Time Out magazines Top 10 coolest neighbourhoods in the world. second largest student population in the UK, we have the best graduate retention levels and among the world’s mid-sized cities we are top 5 for the number of international students.
Recognised for openness, social cohesion and inclusivity, the friendly Glaswegian spirit and high levels of affordability mean that Glasgow is not only as a to visit and do business but also a place to call home.
