THE GLASGOW MURAL TRAIL: A COMPLETE WALKING GUIDE + MAP

Scotland’s largest city, is not just full of culture, diversity and bohemian charm but is also home to one of the world’s most impressive mural trails, The Glasgow Mural Trail in our opinion is one of the best things to explore in the city. We’ve put together this complete walking guide of the trail including most of the murals you’re be likely to see as well as their exact locations which should help with planning your own itinerary. There’s alos a handy Google Map which marks the location of each art piece but alos our personal recommendations and tips on seeing the whole trail.

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The city centre mural trail was officially launched in 2014 to promote the growing portfolio of works that were transforming the exteriors of buildings in Glasgow City Centre.

The Glasgow Mural Trail have helped with the urban development of streets and refresh buildings and empty sites providing beautiful free pieces of public street art adding splashes of colour, brightening up the Glasgow city landscape. The art works showcase a range of talent and art styles of many local artists who area encouraged to get involved via the City Centre Mural Fund run by Glasgow City Council.

Related Article: The Ultimate Glasgow Guide: The best Things to Experience

Many of the murals are centred around life in Glasgow and make up a fantastic trail that is accessible to all and easily walkable.

The Best Bit: This activity is 100% sustainable. You’re walking and supporting the local artists alongside Glasgow City Council.

Things To Note About the Glasgow Mural Trail

• The trail is completely free and totally accessible to all. It’s also very helpful to make sure you have a map so you can plan your route.:
• You should plan to take with you, Comfy walking shoes, Rainproof mac or umbrella (dependent upon season but the wether can change pretty drastically in Scotland), Water (or stop off at many of the eating and drinking establishments along the way! Remember you’re burning off the calories)
• Do not forget your camera or smartphone (download a Google Map of the route)

The Glasgow City Centre Mural Trail

Please note, the number of the murals correspond to those on the downloadable city mural map which we’ve created to help you find the murals easily but only ones we saw have been featured in this guide. There have been many more additions

1. Wonderwall

The “Wonderwall” celebrates the people of the University of Strathclyde and their many significant achievements. Almost 200 metres long from start to finish and incorporating three 7- storey gables the project was completed.

The second image, features Dansken equatorial telescope, which was once used to teach nautical astronomy. The Land-Ship was a mock up navigation bridge on the roof of the School of Navigation in the Royal College, used to teach the principles of compass adjustment.

• Location: Strathclyde University Graham Hills Building.
• Address: 50 George Street Glasgow G1 1QE
• Find it Here: Map Location (Strath Wonderwall Mural – Satellite) and (Strath Wonderwall Mural – Landship)
• Artists: Art Pistol with Rogue-One and Ejek

2. St Enoch & Child

Smug (whom you may know as creating a few pieces in Leicester) has created this mature image of a modern day St Mungo (Patron St of Glasgow). The mural is a contemporary interpretation of the city’s founding story; St Thenue/Enoch cradling her beloved St Kentigern/Mungo. It’s a tender and emotionally connecting piece.

• Location: Directly behind the Strathclyde Wonderwall
• Address:  9-17 George Steet, Glasgow G4 0QR
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: SMUG (Sam Bates)

3. Saint Mungo

Another addition by Smug to his growing portfolio of work, this mural was completed in February 2016. Officially untitled, the mural acquired its name due to massive social media interest when an image of this installation was shared approximately 1.5 million times within the first week

• Location: Around the corner from St Enoch & Child
• Address:  287 High Street, Glasgow G4 0QS
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: SMUG (Sam Bates)

4. Fellow Glasgow Residents

Before the gable end wall overlooking Ingram Street car park featured peeling paint and graffiti. Now it shows all types of animals found in Glasgow’s parks and green space appearing through what looks like holes in the wall

• Location: Ingram Street Car Park
• Address: Merchant City. Glasgow G1 1NQ
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: SMUG (Sam Bates)

5. Badminton

Installed for 2014 Commonwealth Games, this mural is part of a series depicting various sports. The Badminton mural includes action shots of Scotland player Kieran Merrilees and conveys the speed of the game, as well as the athleticism required to succeed in competitive sport.

• Location: Merchant Square surrounded by eateries
• Address: 22 Wilson Street. Glasgow G1 1SS
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: Guido Van Helten

6. Spaceman

It has been informed by Pop, graphic novels, graphic design, and Japanese culture, which you can see in the slick clean lines, colour choice and geometric patterned backgrounds. A great pop of colour to the urban landscape.

• Location: Corner of New Wynd
• Address: 117 Trongate, Glasgow G1 5HD
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: Recoat and Alie Wylie

7. Study of a Woman in Black 2

The first of three very detailed art works. A portrait of the artists anonymous subjects dressed in black. This companion piece to his work in Bridgegate Path seems to beckon to the viewer, invoking mystery and intrigue.

• Location: Near St Andrews Square, dating back to 1754
• Address:  1-21 Street. Andrews St, Glasgow
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: James Klinge

8. The Woman in Black 1

To the West is the Briggait; a Victorian fish-market now converted into an artists’ studio and event space. To the North is the Tolbooth Clock Tower; all that remains of the original City Chambers, which was destroyed by fire in 1926. To the North-West are the independent retailers of Kings Court and Parnie Street. To the east is St Andrews in the Square, dating back to 1754 and described as one of the top six classical churches in the UK.

• Location: Glasgow Green
• Address: 146 Saltmarket, Glasgow G1 5LB
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: James Klinge

Adjacent to the South-East is Glasgow Green, the oldest of the city’s parks and a great spot for a stroll if you have the time or a rest after all the walking.

9. The Clutha

This mural pays homage to the history of the area, as well as celebrating a variety of personalities who visited this iconic location, famous for its atmosphere and live music. This mural was also part of renovations to the bar, after a helicopter crash left it destroyed. It’s a great memory of what was there before and adds some quirky colour and brightness.

• Location: Close to River Clyde, near the Court of Justiciary
• Address: 33 Gorbals Street, Glasgow G1 4SP
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: Rogue-One, Art Pistol and Ejek

10. Billy Connolly

To commemorate of Billy Connolly’s 75th birthday BBC Scotland commissioned three portraits of the comedian by top Scottish artists. In conjunction with Glasgow City Council representations of these original works were then installed around the city centre. Three of his actual portraits are now on show at the Peoples Palace and the two murals (you’ll see the other soon) are adaptations of the portraits by John Byrne

• Location: Close to the St Enoch’s shopping centre.
• Address: 118 Osborne Street, Glasgow G1 5RP
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: Rogue-One.

11. The World’s Most Economical Taxi

Rogue one painted bricks onto the wall when creating this mural just because he wanted a brick wall! The detail in this mural is phenomenal. The taxi is shown to be economical as it is floating on balloons.

• Location: Near to Glasgow’s Style Mile and GOMA (Gallery of Modern Art) This mural is located in the very centre of Glasgow and a good place to stop if you want a shorter tour.
• Address: 33 Mitchell St, Glasgow G1 3LN
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: Rogue One

12 Honey…I Shrunk The Kids

A photo-realistic street art that spans the whole length of the wall covers the gable end of a building on Mitchell Street, off Argyle Street. The colossal image, The art work shows a girl with a magnifying glass who seems as if she’s picking up an object off the street.

• Location: Mitchell Street
• Address: 34 Mitchell Street, Glasgow
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: SMUG (Sam Bates)

13. Wind Power

This mural was originally made for a live installation as part of the Doors Open Day 2014 event and celebrates the diversity of sustainable energy production within Glasgow and Scotland nationally.

• Location: Mitchell Lane onto Mitchell Street
• Address: The Lighthouse, Glasgow G1 3LX
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: Rogue-One and Art Pistol

14 Glasgow Panda

This Giant Panda is located on Gordon Lane and is completely adorable.

Be sure to pop into the Lighthouse, when you pass by. The Lighthouse is a design centre, which has great views over the city from the top floor and also has Free entry.

• Location: Bamboo Gates of Gordon Lane.
• Address: 10 Mitchell Lane, Glasgow G1 3NU
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: Klingatron

15. Dr Connolly, I Presume?

This is the second of the two Billy Connolly murals installed by Rogue One. It is a reproduction of the Jack Vettriano painting from the comedian’s World Tour of Scotland series in 1994 titled “Dr Connolly I Presume” and features a windblown Billy on a storm-lashed coast near John O’Groats.

• Location: Beer garden of a bar in the city centre on Dixon Street near St Enochs.
• Address: 40 Howard St, Glasgow G1 4EE
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: Rogue One & Art Pistol

16 The Gallery

This boarded up store front has interpretations of famous paintings, such as Van Gogh’s Starry Night, Munch’s, The Scream, Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and many more. The Mona Lisa is said to be renamed ‘The Mona Lassie’ as it features a lady holding a can of Iron-Bru.

• Location: Old Storefront on the corner of Argyll Street
• Address: Argyll Street
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: SMUG (Sam Bates)

17 The Swimmer

The Swimmer celebrates the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

At the Kingston Bridge, a concrete wall is emblazoned with huge Commonwealth swimmers greeting drivers waiting at the traffic lights, created by Smug (Sam Bates).

• Location: Below the Kingston Bridge, can be seen at the lights.
• Address: Anderston Quay, Glasgow
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: SMUG (Sam Bates)

18 Glasgow Crocodile

The image is designed to work with the backdrop, using a gap in the bricks for the eye slit, and areas of old brickwork amongst the scales. It’s a giant croc hunting in the concretet jungle of Glasgow.

• Location: Charing Cross Bridge
• Address:  Charing Cross Bridge. Glasgow G3 7UL
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: Klingatron and Art Pistol Collaboration

19 Charing Cross Birds

Located right next to Glasgow Crocodile, the Charing Cross Birds and provides something a little different to the rest of the murals you see in the city. It represents, birds, foliage and fruit.

• Location: Charing Cross Bridge
• Address: Charing Cross Bridge. Glasgow G3 7UL
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: Klingatron and Art Pistol Collaboration

20 The Lost Giant

The artists “Lost Giant” series has installations in various major towns and cities all over the world. The Glasgow one has a specially decorated scarf made from the Glaswegian tartan. The Lost Giant series can be seen in Florence, and Perth.

• Location: Entrance to Sauchiehall Lane
• Address: 156 Elmbank Street, Glasgow G2 4NY
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: Stormie Mills

21. Shadow Hand Puppets

This dark and dingy tunnel is spruced up by some shadow graphy or Ombromanie. Spot hands emulating squirrels with big ears!

• Location: Tunnel leading to Cowcaddens subway
• Address: 1, 11 Dundasvale Court, Glasgow G4 0SN
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: Mr Rogue

22 The Musician

This mural reflects the city’s huge music scene between the bars making this a perfect spot for the Musician  

• Location: Lanes around back of City Centre Bars.
• Address: Sauchiehall Lane, Glasgow
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: Rogue-One collaboration with Art Pistol

23 Portrait Gallery

These portrait style murals, are an emerging gallery and help give a splash of colour in an inductrial surrounding.

• Location: Below Central Station railway tracks
• Address: : 5 Midland Street, Glasgow
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: James Klinge

24 Today we’re in Love aren’t we?

This celebrates 30 year’s of Glasgow’s Doors Open Days Festival and also around 500 buildings which have murals on them. It shows the wide range of architecture in Glasgow whilst representing a line from The Bargain by Glaswegian poet, Liz Lochead

“Yes today we are in love, with the whole splintering city”.

• Location: Not far from the Broomielaw
• Address: Brown Street, Glasgow G1 4RU
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: The Cobalt Collective (all female collaborative)

25 Bubbles

Two facing walls featuring two little girls blowing bubbles on one side with a cute little pug on the other. It was inspired by the fact that bubbles can cast some beautiful shadows.

• Location: Renfield Lane
• Address:  Portland House, Glasgow
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: Rogue

26 Good as Gold

This mural takes the micky out of the chocolate bar. Freddo and how they used to cost just 10p. The price since rises every couple of years and this is a very fun representation of humour.

• Location: Springfield Court.
• Address: Buchannan Street
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: Conzo & Globel

27 Are Ye Dancing?

A representation of true Glaswegian humour, this mural captures the true essence of the city in humility as well as colour.

• Location: Lane next to Sloan’s Bar
• Address: Argyl Street.
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: Conzo & Globel

28 Study of a Woman in Black 3

This last mural in the series of 3, takes the Study of a Woman in a reclining pose in a intimate setting tucked away off a side street location.

Our final mural on this route is the third instalment of the Study of a Woman in Black series

• Location: Lane off Royal Exchange.
• Address: 32 Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: James Klinge

29 Crazy Cat Lady

More of a cartoon-like mural, filled with fun art work, this mural stretches quite a length, is colourful and cat-lovers this one is for you! It is at the spot of the demolition of Victoria’s nightclub which was destroyed by a fire.

• Location: Middle of Sauchiehall Street
• Address: 112 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow G2 3DE
• Find it Here: Map Location
• Artist: Art Pistol and Rogue Collaboration

That’s the end of the Glasgow City Mural, a self-guided tour of all 29 murals. Please use this article as a guide to plan your own mural walking itinerary in Glasgow in conjunction with The City Central Mural Trail, Glasgow. YOu can also see the neweer murals that have been added to the Glasgow Mural Trail on the dedicated website

Recommended Guided Tour Of The Trail

If you prefer to take a guided tour of the mural trail, then we think this is a great option:

Glasgow Mural Trail FAQS

Glasgow Mural Trail Walking Tour: Round-Up

On a par with many global murat trails such as those in Bushwick NYC, Philadelphia, Leicester to mention a few, The Glasgow Mural Trail truly is a wonderfully curated collection of artwork created by world-class artists and graffiti writers. If you’re short of time, a good way to see the murals is by taking a guided walking tour or maybe just seeing the ones you can manage in the area as you are heading to in the city. Many are close to the city’s major attractions and points of interest so you’re bound to walk by a couple naturally.

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À bientôt

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