Glasgow has been named the ‘most fun’ place to study in the UK and, with its rich variety of attractions and culture, it’s unsurprising to see why. Get in touch to find out how to join us.
The city is renowned for being warm and welcoming and is home to thousands of students at a variety of institutions, including our SAE campus.
In our latest guide, we celebrate Glasgow and why it’s such a fantastic place to launch your creative career…
The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
Opened in 1901, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is one of the city’s most famous attractions and with good reason – this sprawling cultural hub hosts a wide variety of historical objects and artwork inside more than 20 galleries as well as being placed in the beautiful Kelvingrove Park.
Located in the city’s West End, the park also features a skate park, children’s area and bandstand as well as offering visitors a chance to see some of the world’s best exhibits, all for free.
Some of the artworks on display include Salvador Dali’s painting, Christ of Saint John of the Cross, Sir Roger the Asian elephant and many more.
Nightlife
Glasgow’s nightlife is legendary across the world, with many of the UK’s best clubs to be found in the city.
The Sub Club on Jamaica Street has attracted some of the greatest DJ talent to its basement while the likes of locals Optimo, Harri (pictured above) and Jasper James have ensured that its dancefloor keeps moving all night long.
Elsewhere, SWG3 is a hub for creative endeavours while La Cheetah, the Berkeley Suite and Nice and Sleazy are just some of the other must-visit late night hostelries.
Mackintosh architecture
Glasgow is proud of its many architectural gems, several of which were designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
Born in 1868 in Glasgow, Mackintosh attended the Glasgow School of Art and is responsible for many beautiful buildings in the city. The Lighthouse on Mitchell Lane was his first public commission and was once owned by the Glasgow Herald.
The recently-restored Willow Tea Room in the city centre was completely designed by Mackintosh, opening its doors in 1903.
House for an Art Lover is in Bellahouston Park, one of Glasgow’s great green spaces, and was created from Mackintosh’s response to a competition in a German magazine to create a unique and original ‘Art Lovers House’.
The West End
If you’re looking for beautiful buildings, independent shops and brilliant eateries, then Glasgow’s West End has it all.
Spreading west from Charing Cross, it includes Woodlands, Hillhead, Hyndland and Byres Road. It also includes the Kelvingrove and the area of Partick running from Argyle Street.
Alongside the Kelvingrove and University of Glasgow, there’s a vast array of vintage shops, restaurants, bars and much more to get lost in.
Ashton Lane (pictured above with an image from Visit Glasgow) is a cobbled backstreet in the area noted for its bars, restaurants and licensed cinema.
Live Music
Alongside nightclubs, Glasgow’s live music scene has plenty to offer.
King Tut’s Wah Was Hut (pictured above) is well known as the venue where Creation Records’ discovered Oasis. But the city has plenty of other venues to match – Ovo Hydro Arena is where stadium-sized headliners visit while there are plenty of great smaller spaces too – Mono, Stereo, Broadcast and more.
Riverside Museum
The Riverside Museum is a purpose-built cultural space next to the River Clyde and lets visitors into Glasgow’s industrial past, when the city was known as the ‘workshop of the world’.
The Clyde was a central thoroughfare for trade – and the museum offers multiple attractions and exhibits celebrating this. All are aimed at showcasing the city’s huge contribution to shipbuilding and manufacturing.
The river is also a great spot for a walk or run with plenty of other attractions including The Tall Ship and Glasgow Science Centre.
Barras Market and Barrowland
The Barras Market is a mixture of street markets, indoor markets, shops and pubs.
Since 1921, the market has been the place for shoppers to pick up anything ranging from antique goods to more practical items.
According to history, it was established by Margaret ‘Maggie’ McIver who wanted to create a safe place for people to trade from their barrows in Calton, in Glasgow’s East End.
The Barras is also home to the Barrowland Ballroom, one of the city’s most iconic live music venues and theatres.
Finnieston
Finnieston is north of the Clyde and seen as one of the hippest places to live and hang out in Glasgow.
Full of bars and restaurants offering traditional Scottish food alongside the latest craft beers and cocktails, the area is also home to the iconic SEC Armadillo venue and Ovo Hydro arena too. There is also the Hidden Lane, a community of artists, designers, musicians and more, working in around 100 studios.
Bands and artists
Glasgow’s musical history is a rich one – not only for its nightlife and venues as we’ve already seen, but the many bands and artists to have come from the city.
From the eighties post-punk of Simple Minds to the dance-music defining albums of Primal Scream (pictured above on tour in 2023 celebrating their Screamadelica album), there have been a huge amount of brilliant groups. Orange Juice, Mogwai, Texas, the Fratellis and Bis are just some of the other notable acts.
Pollok Park
Pollok Park is the largest in Glasgow and the only country park inside the city boundary, located just ten minutes away from the city’s centre by train.
It offers some respite from the urban sprawl with its lush green areas – it’s also home to the Burrell Collection, featuring over 9,000 cultural items.
Study at SAE glasgow
Whether you want to work in Film Production, Audio Production or more, there are many different opportunities to elevate your career in the creative industries at SAE Glasgow.
Our degrees will provide you with the skills, experience and knowledge to succeed at the highest level.
