Image:  House for an Art Lover -  Jean-Pierre Dalbera

The Art & History of Glasgow, Edinburgh & Charles Rennie Mackintosh

A 5 day tour in October 2025 

The weather was kind to us and we were pleased that 23 people were able to join another successful tour, this time to Scotland where we were  based in Cumbernauld, having visited Dunham Massey, near Altringham en route.  We would like to thank our excellent guides and coach driver who made everything run smoothly.

Our first day was spent in Glasgow at St Mungo's Cathedral, the building of which began in 1136 and took about 350 years to finish. The cathedral was dedicated to St Kentigern (or St Mungo), a Christian missionary.  The Gothic Cathedral’s architecture includes many magnificent modern stained-glass windows.  We then visited Kelvin Grove Art Gallery which opened in 1901 and is a firm favourite with local people and visitors. It has stunning architecture and a family friendly atmosphere in 22 galleries.  The House for an Art Lover, Bellahouston Park, was our final stop.   A cultural centre, the building was constructed between 1989 and 1996 based on a 1901 Art Nouveau house design by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife, Margaret MacDonald.

You could find us at National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh  and the Royal Yacht Britannia, Leith, on the second day.  A Royal residence for over 40 years, The Royal Yacht Britannia sailed over 1,000,000 nautical miles on 968 state visits with the Royal Family where they entertained prime ministers and presidents.

Day three took us to the  Burrell Collection, Pollark Country Park, a museum housing the art collection of Sir William Burrell and Constance, Lady Burrell.  The museum reopened on 29 March 2022 following a major refurbishment.  Later in the day we also visited The Hill House, Helensburgh.  

Our journey home took us via Dumfries House, Cumnock, Ayrshire, a stunning estate and 18th-century house with an unrivalled collection of Chippendale furniture.