This city is slowly gaining favour with tourists, having emerged from its impoverished and at times violent past to become a mecca for shoppers, culture-vultures and gourmets.

While Scotland's capital, Edinburgh, may have the edge in terms of history, Glasgow's vibrant nightlife and burgeoning arts scene attracts those who want something more from their visit than a tartan postcard and a tin of shortbread.

daedelus adds...
Home to the Gorbals, Rab C Nesbitt and a couple of football teams that no-one has ever heard of. An inherited chequered history of poverty, slums and violence. And home to deep-fried Mars Bars.That was then, this is now. European City of Culture and European City of Architecture. And one of the best, if not the best, cities for shopping in the U.K.