Taggart, Glasgow, Scotland

Taggart, the famous Glaswegian detective show, is the world’s longest running police drama currently on TV. Broadcast in 80 countries and translated into dozens of language, the gritty show highlights the dramatic Glasgow scenery. For a long time, Glasgow was the poor, deprived little sister of Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city, but is now a vibrant, cosmopolitan city in its own right, evidenced by its 1990 title of European City of Culture.

Thanks to its award-winning Glasgow’s Miles Better campaign, the determined bid to re-invent post-industrial Glasgow turned the city’s fortunes around, allowing it to bring in tourists and investment alike.

Based on the banks of the River Clyde in West Central Scotland, the heart of the city is in George Square where you’ll find the Tourist Information Centre.
At the centre of the city’s tourism resurgence is its focus on culture. The city plays host to the Scottish Ballet, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra as well as the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland. It also has many museums, galleries and concert venues such as the Theatre Royal (home of the Scottish Opera), the Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, the Centre for Contemporary Arts and the Tramway Theatre (now home of the Scottish Ballet company).

The Burrell Collection, housed in an award-winning building in the city’s Pollok Country Park, is considered one of the premier attractions of Scotland. Named after its donor, shopping magnate Sir William Burrell, it displays work from artists such as Degas and Cézanne as well as important pieces of Chinese and Islamic Art and examples of medieval and ancient civilisation art.

A global survey by the Art Newspaper placed another of the city’s art galleries, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, in the top 15 most visited museums in the world, ahead of such famous names as the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

Talking about Glasgow’s cultural side wouldn’t be complete without paying homage to the city’s most celebrated architect, artist, designer and sculptor, Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Mackintosh’s presence is felt throughout the city, from the buildings he designed such as the Glasgow School of Art and the Scotland Street School Museum, to his interior design skills showcased at the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery.

A great many of the city’s prime locations have been featured in episodes of Taggart. Indeed, the changing face of the city has been reflected in the show ever since the first episode was aired in 1983.

Taggart is famous for surviving the death of its title character Detective Chief Inspector Jim Taggart, played by Mark McManus in 1994.

Glasgow can be reached from the UK by intercity train to Glasgow Central or Glasgow Queen Street stations (four-and-a-half hours from London) or by National Express bus.

Glasgow has two international airports (Glasgow International Airport and Glasgow Prestwick Airport), catering for both domestic and international flights.

If driving, the M74 north/south motorway gives access from the South; while the M9 from the north and the M8 from the east all lead to Glasgow. The Clyde Valley Tourist Route (via the A73, A72 and A702) offers a scenic alternative.