Quality of Life

As well as being a fantastic business location, Glasgow is a great city to live in. It is a stylish, cosmopolitan centre packed with an abundance of features and attractions that make it a top European city.  Each year, the list of accolades for Glasgow grows longer.

National Geographic Traveller magazine called it "the UK's Coolest City", a testament to the style evident in Glasgow's shopping and café culture, art galleries and museums, its bars and restaurants, nightlife and entertainment, its buildings and, above all, its people.

Catering for Every Taste

If you choose Glasgow for your corporate relocation you will not be disappointed.

Visitors to Glasgow never fail to be impressed by their retail experience. For years, Experian's annual retail vitality index has confirmed Glasgow as offering the best shopping in the UK outside London's West End.

Across the city centre, attractive malls sit alongside designer boutiques and specialist retailers.

From gourmet style restaurants to cafes, bars and traditional pubs, Glasgow caters for the widest range of tastes and preferences.

For arts and culture, the city offers an equally eclectic mix. It is home to the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet. Major pop and rock acts play at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall and many other atmospheric venues.

Glasgow is also home to the International Comedy Festival, Glasgow International Jazz Festival, Celtic Connections and many more.

World Renowned Galleries

The city's art galleries and museums rank on a worldwide scale. The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum attracted an incredible 1.8 million visitors in the first six months after it was reopened by HM The Queen in 2006, following extensive refurbishment.

The Burrell Collection in Pollok Park is an architectural masterpiece that houses the intriguing lifetime collection of one of Glasgow's greatest philanthropists, shipping magnate, Sir William Burrell.

The Gallery of Modern Art, House for an Art Lover and the People's Palace are other outstanding examples in the city's complement of over 20 galleries and museums.

The River Clyde offers a number of leisure attractions - the Tall Ship at Glasgow Harbour, the Glasgow Science Centre and an iconic Riverside Museum development which will open in 2011 all sit along the waterfront.

Glasgow is the birthplace of world renowned Charles Rennie Mackintosh, one of the most celebrated architects of his generation.  Mackintosh took his inspiration from our Scottish traditions and blended them with the flourish of Art Nouveau and the simplicity of Japanese forms. Much of his work has survived and can be seen today at numerous locations across the city.

The Great Outdoors

Glasgow is known affectionately as the 'dear green place', a sobriquet earned through its 70 parks, more green space per square mile than any other UK city.

Whether you hanker after peace and tranquillity, or you are an outdoor sports enthusiast, neither is far away for Glaswegians. Loch Lomond, the gateway to the Highlands and Scotland's first national park, is only 45 minutes drive from the city centre.

The great golf courses of Turnberry,Troon, Gleneagles and Loch Lomond, home of the Scottish Open, are all within one hour's drive from Glasgow and sailing enthusiasts will love the proximity of Kip Marina at Gourock, only 40 minutes from the city centre.

Sporting City

Glasgow's pre-eminence in the field of sport was recognised when it was selected to host the Commonwealth Games in 2014.  And, it is home to two of the world's best

known football teams, the Old Firm of Celtic and Rangers as well as Hampden, Scotland's National Stadium for important football matches which also hosts a range of other sporting and cultural events.

Living in Glasgow

Anyone looking for a home in Glasgow is spoilt for choice. From trendy waterfront apartments on the River Clyde, just along from the IFSD, to generously proportioned Victorian flats and town houses in Glasgow's west end. From loft apartments in the Merchant City, to substantial family villas in a range of outstanding high quality suburbs with excellent commuter links, Glasgow has it all. Also on offer is a range of commercial property from new build office developments to top quality refurbished office space, Glasgow is the perfect city to locate your business.

For a quality of life that is difficult to beat, Glasgow is a great choice.

Further Information

If you have any queries or would like more information on the range of support available to financial services companies in Glasgow, then contact Colette McBride of Scottish Enterprise on 0141 842 3565 or at ifsd.enquiries@scotent.co.uk

Scotland with Style

Glasgow: Scotland with Style is an innovative campaign to position Glasgow as a cosmopolitan, European city, as well as a modern, dynamic location for inward  investment and tourism. This strategic brand capitalises on an advantage that no other city can claim - Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the Glasgow Style movement of the early 1900s.

THEY SAID IT …

"As an Englishman who has worked in London, Edinburgh and overseas, I would say that Glasgow is a fabulous city to live and work in. The city is really cosmopolitan - it offers all manner of entertainment and boasts the best shopping outside London, as well as very quick access to the countryside.

Jonathan Polin, Sales and Marketing Director Ignis

"The time has come for Lonely Planet to let one of its worst kept secrets out:  Glasgow's got everything.  When we put together "Best in Travel 2009" we were looking for the best places to go and things to do in the world right now.  We're delighted to highlight such a fun, stylish city".

Tom Hall, Lonely Planet Travel Editor

"It was a pleasure to come and work in a city that isn't a carbon copy of everywhere else; Glasgow has real character."

Ashley Page,Artistic Director, Scottish Ballet

"Visitors to the city have a culinary feast in store! Glasgow is now the envy of many European cities for its amazing and eclectic restaurants and café scene."

Alan Tomkins, Glasgow Restaurateurs Association

Useful information

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