A weekend in Glasgow - Scotland’s largest, most dynamic, often chaotic but always fascinating metropolis - is always a welcome escape from normality. There’s something about this city that always manages to surprise and delight those from south of the border in equal measure; it undeniably punches well above its weight when it comes to culture and dining, and always seems to have something new to explore.

*Dockside living, Courtyard by Marriott*

I was in Glasgow on an unexpectedly sunny autumn weekend to spend some time in and around the relatively recently face-lifted docklands area, now home to a plethora of museums, concert venues (including the now-iconic ‘armadillo’ arena that is the Glasgow SEC). The once industrial maritime landscape has managed to give itself a considerable facelift without denying its own heritage, and it’s a thoroughly pleasant place in which to spend some time.

Accommodation was provided by Glasgow SEC’s smart new Courtyard by Marriott hotel, which provides the ideal base for those heading to the city for a concert or event at the venues on its doorstep. Rooms are spacious and comfortable, staff are polite and helpful, and the full Scottish breakfast - complete with the ever-present haggis and tattie scones - was the perfect way to start a day of exploring.

My principal aim for the weekend was to take a long and leisurely walk to the south side of the city, through various winding country paths and the genteel neighbourhood of Bellahouston, and check up the newly-revamped Burrell Collection in Pollock Country Park. I’ll be honest, I’d never heard of this particular museum before looking into plans for my weekend away. However, a quick skim through the website confirmed that it more than adequately belonged on my list of must-visit attractions in the city.

*Immersive culture and history at The Burrell Collection*

The Burrell Collection fits squarely into one of my all-time favourite categories of museum, which is ‘Victorian gentleman with more time and money than sense collects random artefacts from around the world’. As such, The Burrell Collection sits happily alongside Pitt Rivers in Oxford and The Horniman or Wellcome Collection in London, a treasure trove of the beautiful and bizarre, laid out in display cases like an encapsulation of archaic orientalism or a microcosm of the empire.

For all my enthusiasm for such museums, they’re undeniably a little out of step with contemporary cultural norms. The whole ‘rich white man brings back artefacts from poor countries’ narrative has, understandably, been reappraised in recent years, and while this may not have been the primary prompt behind the museum’s recent reimaginings, it’s impossible not to apply this particular perspective.

Whatever provided the driving force for the revamp is irrelevant - design agency Event and the museum team have done an incredible job of making a dusty Victorian collection feel relevant, immersive and modern. The museum is laid out in huge, sleek open spaces - there’s a veritable Scandi vibe to the interior spaces, which bathe in natural light and are propped by unvarnished wood and glass. It not only helps place the 9,000 exhibits (which includes everything from Persian rugs to Chinese Buddhist statues, suits of armour, giant vases made from chunks of Hadrian’s wall and no shortage of taxidermy) in situ around the verdant greenery of the park itself, it also ensures visitors can genuinely relax and take their time with the exhibits.

Whether you’re enthused by medieval stained glass and Hindu votive candleholders (I am, incidentally) or are just looking for an excuse to gain a different perspective on the city, Pollock Country Park and The Burrell Collection is a fabulous choice for an afternoon of outdoor-indoor pursuits. The park itself is a rolling hillscape of manicured lawns, pastoral land and woodland dotted with sculptures - and it also features a herd of delightfully scruffy-looking Highland Cows, surely the most photogenic and photographed cattle in the world.

As we wound our way back to the docklands in search of a great curry (Glasgow’s undersung claim to fame) and some live music with which to round off the evening, time spent among The Burrell Collection felt like a fantastic use of a leisurely afternoon. Once again, Glasgow has surprised and impressed - and surely not for the last time.

To book Courtyard by Marriott Glasgow SEC click here

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