For a real flavour of how Mackintosh and his wife Margaret McDonald so radically transformed the…read moreart scene, I would recommend a visit to The Tenement House in Garnethill (which will show you what Glasgow tenements were like in Victorian days) before coming here. It is near-impossible to imagine that this interior started out as a typical Glasgow tenement on nearby Southpark Avenue, such is the transformation that they wrought on it. Moving from the typical dark Stygian Victorian décor to this wonderful temple of light that they created was a quantum leap in interior design that still resonates even today. The actual house was demolished as it was thought to be unstable when the University were building next to it - however it turned out to be not as bad as was originally thought and could have been saved, which leaves the University in something of a questionable position to say the least. It is rather ironic then that this specially-built extension to the Hunterian Art Gallery, constructed solely to house the interiors of the Mackintosh house, is now in such a parlous state of disrepair itself that it is going to have to be dismantled and moved to the new Kelvin Hall museum extension where it is not going to enjoy the wonderful natural light and east-facing views that it currently has. Mackintosh's interiors are all about the light - how it can be introduced and channelled into the space. He installed extra windows in the south wall of the house and in the hallway used a mirror to spread the light around the otherwise dark wooden walls. Little arrays of square stained glass pieces (something of a Mackintosh trademark) catch your eye when the light is behind them. In the main living area, the transom in front of the bay window is dropped to just above head height, which seems very counter-intuitive until you see how this matches up with the height of the doors, the dropped picture rail, the new side window, and the opening knocked through to the back room (yes, this is not a modern idea!). It completely changes the proportions of the space and focuses the light where it is needed. The house contains the Mackintoshs' own furniture - all to their design of course - and there are some wonderfully quirky pieces, such as the small wooden chair with the heart- (or buttock-) shaped depression on the seat that looks so inviting. The large high-sided box chair (surely inspired by Orkney chairs) looks as though it would be very cosy on a draughty winter's day. I also loved his personal writing cabinet in the rear space, which with its doors open looks almost like a small Japanese lady in a kimono; Mackintosh, along with several other of his fellow artists, at the time, was heavily influenced by Japanese design that was just starting to make an appearance in the West. I could continue to wax lyrical about the Mackintosh house as I love it so much, but there is also the main Hunterian Art Gallery to consider. Personally I find this rather overshadowed by the Mackintosh house, yet it is a fine collection and there are some notable works by Rubens, Rembrandt and Chardin as well as the Scottish Colourists and Glasgow Boys. It also has the largest collection anywhere of works by American artist James McNeill Whistler. The Art Gallery is free, although they sometimes charge for special exhibitions, but there is a small charge (£5) for entry to the Mackintosh House. Get there early on a sunny morning (it opens at 10am, 11am on Sundays) for the best experience.

I visited today to see the excellent Ingenious Impressions, an exhibition of some of the earliest…read moreprinted books from the 1400s onwards. It's on until 21st June 2015 and I think I'll be back again because it was fascinating and there were so many books to look at. The University of Glasgow has an outstanding collection of paintings, books, artefacts and many many other things. Much of it is from William Hunter's collection hence the Hunterian Art Gallery and Museum but there are many other collectors who have sold or gifted amazing things to the uni. And now we get to see it all FOR FREE! This is what blows me away about the art galleries and museums in this fine city. The Hunterian Art Gallery has a wonderful collection of paintings with many works by Whistler. I'm not very knowledgeable about Art History but I love wandering round here in the afternoon, it's peaceful and interesting. It doesn't attract many children or families in the way that Kelvingrove does so you can get around without dodging hectic toddlers! The Mackintosh House is a must see and they run regular short tours throughout the day. I would quite like to live in the White Room if that could be made possible?! The only thing I don't like about the Hunterian is that the building is a bit dated, I think it opened in the 80s and hasn't changed much since. Other than that it's a great place to visit if you're in the area and interested in art and painting.

Gallery 23 is a really welcoming and inviting art gallery and framing shop on Parnie Street. The…read moreowner is really friendly, and will happily have a chat with you. He's happy for you just to browse - which is great. They have a wide variety of art on offer, varying in both style and price. They even offer small "exhibitions" of individual artists, which brings a great feeling to the place. It's eclectic, stylish and friendly; which is a great mix for an independent gallery! They've also done some collaborative work with charities to raise funds for some important causes.

Hill House is one of the most approachable of Mackintosh's buildings, as it is one you can relate…read moreto on a very human scale. It was a commission for a family home, and consequently it's not as large as some of his other works. What is so astonishing is how contemporary the rooms still look today, a testament to the enduring quality of Mackintosh's designs. The highlight for me is the downstairs lounge with its large window alcove - it's just a fantastic room to be in and really demonstrates that first and foremost, this was a family home that was meant to be lived in. The boy's bedroom with its under-stair toy cupboard-cum-den is also great. How I would have loved a room like that as a child! The upstairs rooms are largely given over to Trust displays and exhibitions about the house, Mackintosh and his work. The displays about the choices of shapes and colours used are particularly interesting and give an insight into the design ethos that underlies all of Mackintosh's work - an approach that today we could call nothing less than holistic. There are two NT shops as well, one selling (as you would expect) Mackintosh-themed designs; the other more select artisanal and designer wares.

Students of art history will enjoy this place. Certainly is it shows off the style to good effect…read more Pretty but impractical and eventually there is just too much of a good thing and it can leave you a little jaded. Standard NTS prices and these are quite exciting at £9 a head.

It took me an embarrassingly long time to actually visit The Lighthouse, and I'm even more…read moreembarrassed to admit that I *still* haven't been up the top to look at the view over Glasgow! Next time, I promise! The Lighthouse is tucked down Mitchell Lane and has a wonderful gift shop on the ground floor. I am a certified museum-gift-shop addict and this one is nearly as good as the one at GOMA. At the moment, they're selling some great stuff to accompany the "Hello My Name is Paul Smith" exhibition and I couldn't resist getting a couple of the pencils, an eraser as well as a nice card from the range. There's a lot of nice Scottish stuff if you're looking for a gift so it's worth a browse even if you're not planning on going to an exhibition. We were there to see the Paul Smith exhibition which is on the first floor and ticketed at £6 per adult. While I think the price is a little steep, it's a fab exhibition which was really interesting, stimulating and thought-provoking - I think we were only there for half an hour or so, but really enjoyed it. I'll definitely be back sooner rather than later for a visit to the viewing platform so I'll update accordingly! But for now, I'm already a massive fan so I can't expect the rating to change for this lovely gallery.

The Lighthouse is a lovely museum that you'd probably never find, and I genuinely didn't even know…read moreabout until about 6 months ago! It's a lovely hidden museum, with free entry, and has all your museum-y needs, from general Glasgow goodness to a lovely Mackintosh exhibition. There's a 6th floor viewing platform, but you can also go to the 3rd floor and climb to the top of the viewing tower - which gives you phenomenal views of all of Glasgow. It really is something you must see! There's a cafe, a bar and a gift shop all included, and I genuinely can't believe I hadn't discovered this sooner! Go see it if you haven't already!

I bloody love this place!…read more Completely forgot about it until a trip back home saw me passing the front door of the Museum and flooding back came the memories! The Museum and Art Galleries is an absolute asset to the Inverclyde area. The museum itself has some seriously amazing exhibits. Everything from Stone Age artifacts to ancient Egyptian relics and a preserved mummy kept in a climate controlled viewing cabinet! The building also plays host to some beautiful British and Scottish art but my favourite section depicts the history of the Clyde from Shipbuilding to the present day. Wondered what all those place looked like that your grandparents talked about? Well you'll get a good feel of them by seeing all the old pictures, the little bits of history people have kept and by reading the stories as you walk around. The also offer classes during the holidays for school children but these are extremely popular! One or two day events they usually revolve around art and gives your kids the chance to be hands on in a number of different art projects! Highly recommended!

I used to come here years ago when it was mainly a natural history museum in the upstairs part of…read morethe building. It has had a huge face-life and undergone extensive work and now it is a small but beautiful museum with extensive displays of many kinds. There are collections from many cultures across the centuries, industrial, marine and local history, and there is still a fine natural history section too. A nice little shop is found downstairs too where you can buy books on the area, gifts and small toys. There's free internet access as well. Highly recommended. Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQFanSNgg18

Southside Art displays, as the name suggests, art works. It's a good sized shop and everything is…read moreneatly displayed, it doesn't feel cluttered and you can see all the pieces clearly. They have watercolours, prints, oil pastel pieces, little metal figures that you see in quirky gift shops and I also noticed Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne prints if that's something that you're looking for. When I popped in I noticed the shop assistant talking to other customers about a purchase they had made, it's nice to see that they're knowledgeable about the products that they sell and it's not just a case of wham, bam, thankyou mam when they take your money then you leave as in some other shops. I guess this added to the friendly atmosphere that the shop had. I often feel intimidated in art shops as if the staff are wondering if I know my Picasso from my Klimt but I didn't feel like that here. If you're looking for artworks to spruce up your house or as a gift for someone then they have some really nice pieces here.

21st century art seems to me to be about pickled cows carcasses, brazen nudity, or massive piles of…read moresteaming feces, so it's refreshing to see that this little gallery in the Southside hasn't went down that route. The stuff in here is safe, welcoming, and suits the suburban location. You won't find anything too controversial, just nice pictures to stick above the fireplace. All the usual suspects are here, from famous artists' prints to that picture of the Glasgow tenement in the snow, and a quite comical sketch of John Wayne. There's also a few more unusual pieces for the chin strokers amongst us, but it all fits together nicely in a way that both Joe Public and art lovers can appreciate.

Art Pistol on Cresswell Lane sells a mixture of artists and has an emerging/independent focus. It…read morelooks very appealing from the outside and I couldn't resist going in for a visit, even though we have more than enough artwork to cover our walls! It's a lovely gallery space and great for a relaxing look around. Most stuff seemed to be pretty reasonable to me and there are prints as well as large framed pieces, so you could grab something interesting as a gift. The only reason this isn't a 5 star review is that the person working in the gallery that day didn't seem to be bothering to greet customers, which I think is a pretty basic courtesy. That wouldn't stop me returning for another visit though.

I absolutely lovely going to this wee museum in Hamilton, because it's so great to see all the…read morehistory that my town has, and you'd be surprised just how much that is. There's so many displays here to suit both children and parents, and so many different rooms to visit. The museum frequently has a couple of interchanging displays, and depending on when you go, you could see a couple of different displays to last time. The museum is a pretty good size, with 2 large parts for all the displays, a lovely little gift shop just as you enter the building, and a large mezzanine cafe in the larger of the display rooms. It's not big enough in that you could spend a whole day here, but a good couple of hours yes. It's also free entry, so it's a great idea for something to do on a low budget!

A nice little museum situated next to Hamilton's Mausoleum, a historical landmark of South…read moreLanarkshire. We stumbled upon his purely by accident whilst on a walk in Hamilton one Sunday, and was surprised to see that it was pretty busy! Inside the free of charge museum lies loads of interactive and educational displays, perfect for adults and kids alike. The displays tell the story of the history of Hamilton and the building is actually an old part of the Duke of Hamilton's estate. You can also have your wedding here in the Assembly room complete with its grand piano. As well as the displays and artefacts, there is also a nice mezzanine cafe serving coffees and lunches, and a wee shop which stocked loads of unusual Scottish wines including a strawberry rose and Elderflower white. Great wee hidden gem of Hamilton and well worth a visit.