Glasgow and Scottish Passions

-Hi, I'm Rick Steves, back with more of the best of Europe.

This time, we're acquiring a taste for all things Scottish!

[ Bagpipes play ] This is "Glasgow and Scottish Passions."

Thanks for joining us.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Glasgow, one of Britain's most underrated stops, is bursting with history, pride, and a love of life.

Its people like to joke that they're "British by passport, Scottish by the grace of God."

And that's perfectly clear in this vibrant city.

We'll enjoy Glasgow, with its thriving commercial center.

We'll be charmed by Glaswegians.

-Buy us a drink.

-"Buy us a drink."

[ Laughter ] We'll see some amazing public art, and then admire the designs of Glasgow's most beloved artist, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and kick back with locals in a pub.

Then, we'll head out for the ultimate Scottish castle, and experience some true Scottish passions: We'll sample some whisky where it's made, get a lesson on the bagpipes, before enjoying the Highland Games.

The island called "Great Britain" includes England, Wales, and Scotland.

Just an hour west of Edinburgh is Glasgow.

From there, we'll visit Stirling Castle, Falkirk, Speyside for whisky, and Airth for the Highland Games.

In its 19th-century heyday, Glasgow -- on the River Clyde -- was the second city of the British Empire.

It was at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution.

A century ago, with over a million people -- that's about twice its current population -- it was a powerhouse.

They say it produced 25% of the world's oceangoing ships.

But after World War II, tough times hit Glasgow, giving it a rough edge and a run-down image.

In the last generation, Glasgow embarked on a creative city-wide rejuvenation scheme.

And today, the city has an energetic cultural scene and a unique flair for art and design.

These days, the River Clyde produces not ships, but good times.

♪♪ The grand train station, busy with commuters, is a reminder of both the city's industrial past and its current recovery.

George Square sprawls before the city hall.

The square is a Who's Who of statues, which are especially appreciated by the seagulls.

There's the great Scotsman, James Watt, who perfected the steam engine that helped power Europe into the Industrial Age.

Here are Scotland's two top literary figures: Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott.

Along with its industrial and working-class heritage, the city prides itself on its playful irreverence.

Here, in front of the Gallery of Modern Art, the honorable Duke of Wellington is graced with a Glaswegian crown.

One out of every five Scots lives in greater Glasgow, and Glaswegians are friendly, unpretentious, and happy to rave about their town.

[ Laughs ] -[ Speaking indecipherably ] -What's that?

-[ Speaking indecipherably ] -What's that mean?

The accent can be a little hard to understand.

Say it again, like, real slow and clear.

-[ Speaking indecipherably ] [ Laughter ] -I don't know what you said, but all right, see you later.

But eventually, I developed an ear for it.

And the people here are just, like, incredibly friendly?

[ Laughs ] They say you guys know how to have fun.

-Oh, yeah.

-Yeah.

I mean... -Definitely.

-Oh, you are?

Ah!

"They don't have money to be grumpy."

[ Bagpipes playing as ringtone ] You see?

-[ Laughs ] That's great.

Yeah.

That is... Actually, that's philosophical.

I love that.

[ Laughter ] This is a very Scottish thing, to walk around with your golf clubs.

[ Laughs ] Tell me a joke.

[ Laughs ] Don't?

[ Laughs ] To celebrate your city, what do you say?

Like...?

-"Buy us a drink."

[ Laughter ] Bye-bye.

Bye.

-Thanks, guys.

-East End rules!

[ Laughter ] Glasgow's busy Buchanan Street is the middle of a Z-shaped pedestrian boulevard nicknamed the "Golden Zed."

With the top shops in town, it's also called the "Style Mile."

The Argyll Arcade, the town's oldest shopping passage, from 1827, is known for jewelry.

♪♪ Princes Square is an old building dressed with a modern facade and a delightful Art Nouveau atrium.

♪♪ Buchanan Street has a lively vibe with a variety of street musicians.

Music is a big part of the city's personality.

-[ Woodwind playing ] -[ Singing indistinctly ] -[ Guitar playing ] ♪♪ -To be sure we understand all we're seeing, I'm joined by my friend and fellow tour guide, Colin Mairs.

Glasgow's rough urban-scape, with its many blank walls, provides an inviting canvas for city-approved street artists.

I love these huge murals!

-Yes, Glasgow's become famous for them.

It's really a thing the city has embraced, and the city council pay good street artists to put up big murals, and it avoids having just ugly tagging around the place.

-So, they're taking that counterculture energy, and they're turning it into something positive?

-Yes, there's even a city map.

You can follow a trail going around the city center and see all these big murals.

-So, this one's cool.

The guy's trying to flag down the taxi, and the balloons are lifting it out of his reach.

-Yeah, well, the artist actually has put himself in the painting.

He's the taxi driver.

That's his face there.

And his name is Rogue One, which you can also see on the registration plate on the taxi.

The other one up top there is the girl with a magnifying glass.

That's by an artist called Smug.

-And there's his name on the... -It's on her pendant, yeah.

She looks like she's maybe picking someone up.

-Is it just fanciful, or is there some political meaning to this?

-Well, perhaps what she's making a comment on there is actually the building that she's on the side of.

That is a lap-dancing club, so she's maybe picking up a small man who's going in there to the lap dancing.

-Oh, she's insulting the men that go to the strip joint.

-Potentially.

-That is huge and just photorealistic.

-It's a nice one, eh?

So, this one actually probably represents our patron saint.

See the halo around the back of his head?

-Yeah.

-And his name is Mungo.

We're near to the cathedral, and one of his miracles was bringing a bird back to life.

-It's an old story in a modern city.

-Yes.

-For more Scottish art, we're heading inside and visiting Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

The Kelvingrove's collection fills a grand, purpose-built, 100-year-old building.

This "Scottish Smithsonian" displays everything from the natural world to the avant-garde, from Salvador Dalí... to the city's best collection of work by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his artistic partners.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Mackintosh challenged the norms of this practical port city with architecture and design that had fun with playful details, creative use of glass, and a stimulating blend of organic swoops with vertical lines.

It was both stark and light at the same time.

The Kelvingrove Gallery shows how Mackintosh, his wife, Margaret, and their artistic friends drew inspiration from nature to create this Scottish take on Art Nouveau.

Along with architecture, it was interior design and the applied arts.

♪♪ Their works show a strong Japanese influence.

They also drew inspiration from the Arts and Crafts Movement, with an eye to simplicity, clean lines, respect for tradition, and an emphasis on individuality -- craftsmanship over mass production.

While not really appreciated in his time, today Mackintosh single-handedly boosts tourism in his hometown.

The Kelvingrove also has several rooms dedicated to Scottish Romanticism from the 19th century.

Here, you can tour the country's scenic wonders and its history on canvas.

The story of Scotland is a romantic blend of myth and history.

As far back as the 14th century, Robert the Bruce heroically rallied the clans.

Paintings evoke the wonder of the Highlands -- vast, sparsely populated, but integral to the soul of Scotland.

Proud warriors sport clan regalia, as if emboldened by kilts and plaid.

The tragedy of painful struggles with England resulted in clan massacres and downtrodden Scots, left behind as loved ones follow the promise of a new land.

But still, a resilient nation survives, spirit intact.

♪♪ The adjacent park has a finely manicured green dedicated to lawn bowling.

By providing this to the public for free, the city wants to keep people interested in this traditional sport.

Tourists are welcome to give it a try.

Lawn bowling is a lot like bocce or pétanque , but the balls are bigger and "biased" -- that means they're lopsided on purpose to let players throw curves.

The object: to get your ball as close as you can to the little ball and have fun at the same time.

This part of town, Glasgow's West End, is thriving with a new energy.

As better times are taking hold, there are plenty of trendy restaurants and bars.

[ Celtic music playing ] And we're capping our day at the Ben Nevis Pub -- because tonight there's a traditional session.

That means music -- not a formal concert, but a casual gathering of musical friends.

For the price of a beer, we've got an evening of good conversation and live music.

[ Celtic music continues ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Tonight, the group's a United Kingdom of musicians -- young men from England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and, of course, Scotland.

♪♪ ♪♪ Yeah!

Bravo!

[ Cheers and applause ] We're driving across the Lowlands to the castle of Stirling.

This historic castle is at the crossroads of Scotland: midway between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Rising above a plain where the Lowlands meet the Highlands, it's no surprise that this strategic castle has hosted many of the biggest names -- and biggest battles -- of Scottish history.

Stirling was the seat of the kings and queens of Scotland.

Imagine -- Mary, Queen of Scots passed through these imposing gates.

To the Scots, this patriotic heart of Scotland is like Bunker Hill, Gettysburg, and the Alamo, all rolled into one.

From these ramparts, you can see where the three pivotal battles of Scotland's 13th- and 14th-century Wars of Independence from English rule took place: the Battle of Stirling Bridge, where, against all odds, the courageous William Wallace defeated the English army; the Battle of Falkirk, where Wallace was then toppled by a vengeful English king; and the Battle of Bannockburn, where -- in the wake of Wallace's defeat -- Robert the Bruce rallied the Scots to kick out the English once and for all -- well, at least for a few generations.

It was said, "He who holds Stirling, holds Scotland."

This castle was the preferred home of Scottish kings and queens in the Middle Ages and Renaissance -- and their 500-year-old statues still decorate the walls.

In the 16th century, the Stuart monarchs turned this castle into a showpiece of Scotland -- and a symbol of one-upsmanship against England.

Much later, in the 18th century, Scotland was embroiled in a civil war: Scottish rebels, called the "Jacobites," wanted to put a Catholic Stuart on the throne in London.

They failed, and the British military took over Scotland's beloved Stirling Castle.

It became a garrison -- filled with Redcoats.

To this day, Stirling Castle provides a base for the British -- not the Scottish -- military.

In 1746, these very cannon fired on Scottish rebels.

And you'll notice the castle still flies the Union Jack of the United Kingdom.

Within a short drive of Stirling, near the town of Falkirk, is a hard-to-miss roadside attraction: the Kelpies.

Towering above the tourists, these giant steel horse heads have become a symbol of this region.

They're rooted in a mix of mythology and real history: Kelpies are magical, waterborne, shape-shifting spirits of Scottish lore, who often took the form of a horse.

And, historically, horses were used as beasts of burden to power Scotland's industrial output.

The Kelpies stand beside an actual historic canal where, two centuries ago, hardworking real horses towed heavily laden barges.

♪♪ Scotland was an important player in the Industrial Revolution, thanks partly to its network of shipping canals.

Using dozens of locks to lift barges up and across Scotland's hilly spine, these canals moved cargo efficiently, but were slow.

The Falkirk Wheel is a clever modern solution to the age-old problem of a slow series of locks.

♪♪ The innovative contraption slowly turns like a nautical Ferris wheel -- raising or lowering boats between two canals separated by 80 vertical feet.

What used to take hours now takes about five minutes.

The Falkirk Wheel is an important link in an ambitious project to restore the long-neglected canals connecting Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Today, this 70-mile-long aquatic connection between Scotland's leading cites -- while no longer industrial -- is much enjoyed by walkers and canal boaters.

♪♪ A four-hour drive takes us to the River Spey.

Speyside marks the heart of Scotland's whisky country.

It's practically a pilgrimage for aficionados of Scotch whisky.

Of the hundred or so whisky distilleries in Scotland, about half lie near the valley of the River Spey.

Its prized waters, along with a favorable climate and soil for barley, have attracted distillers here for centuries.

Along with natural resources, a critical element of the Scotch-making process is quality barrels.

The Speyside Cooperage welcomes visitors with guided tours.

From an observation deck, you'll watch master coopers making casks for distilleries throughout Scotland.

Perhaps the single biggest factor in defining whisky's unique flavor is the barrel it's aged in.

The process is essentially the same today as it was centuries ago.

In order to be watertight, the oak staves are lassoed tightly by metal hoops.

Tight-fitting lids are banged into place and sealed with a calking of fresh-water reeds.

Finally, the inside is artfully charred, creating a carbonized coating that helps give whisky its golden hue and flavor.

The United States actually contributes to the character of Scotch whisky because most of the barrels used in Scotland are made from the staves of hand-me-down bourbon casks from Kentucky.

It's impressive to watch the coopers -- who are paid by the piece -- work with such intensity and focus.

The distilleries that put Speyside on the map for whisky lovers are bigger and more corporate than others in Scotland, and they include some famous names -- including one of the world's best-selling brands, Glenfiddich.

The sprawling Glenfiddich Distillery offers tours that show the basic steps in making Scotland's beloved spirit.

They've been turning barley into whisky here since 1886.

After the grain has been germinated, or "malted," it's put in these tanks called "mash tuns."

Water -- distinctive to each region -- is added to this mash to extract the sugars.

The resulting liquid, or "wort," is transferred to tanks called "washbacks."

Yeast is added to ferment the sugars into alcohol.

The liquid at this stage is called the "wash." The wash is then heated in copper stills where it's concentrated, or "distilled," into spirits.

The shape of the stills and the combination of various strengths of the spirits are unique to each distillery.

It's like moonshine gone corporate.

The spirit is then put into wooden casks, where it matures for a minimum of three years before it can be called "whisky" in Scotland.

Each distillery keeps its secrets about making its whisky, but they're wide open about sharing the result.

As I'm not driving, I get to experience this Scottish treasure right where it's made.

A wee dram of whisky puts me in the mood for the stirring drone of Scottish bagpipes and a good-looking Scotsman in a kilt.

[ Bagpipes playing ] The Scottish are particularly passionate about their pipes.

♪♪ Beautiful.

I love that, and I love the way it's just solid and then soft.

Can you give me a tour of your bagpipe to explain how it works?

-So, on here, we have a bag which contains the air, which is traditionally made of sheep skin.

And to power it, this is a blowpipe.

You just blow in there, and you have a little one-way valve which stops the air coming out.

And you have your drones, which creates the background harmonics and a steady hum.

You have your chanter, which the music and melody comes from, similar to a clarinet or an oboe.

-So, basically you fill the bladder with air -- -You fill it with air.

-You power it by squeezing.

-Power it by squeezing, and then you play the melody on the chanter.

-Can you show me the whole thing working together?

-Let's see how it works, yeah.

[ Inhales deeply, blows ] [ Bagpipes playing ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Bagpipes playing ] -Anywhere in Scotland, pipers stir the soul and lead the parade.

And this parade is kicking off the Highland Games in the town of Airth.

The band is led by the local clan chieftain.

After a lap around the field, the competition begins.

And today, communities throughout Scotland still host a Highland Games, where kilted athletes from the surrounding countryside gather to show off their speed, strength, and grace.

♪♪ A Highland Games is an all-day celebration of local sport and culture, like a track meet and a county fair rolled into one.

It's a fine day out for the family.

[ Child shrieks ] In the heavy events -- billed as feats of Highland strength -- brawny, kilted athletes push their limits.

-[ Grunts ] -In the weight throw, competitors spin like bulky ballerinas before releasing a heavy ball on a chain.

The hammer throw involves a similar technique with an iron ball on a long stick.

And the "stone put" has been adopted in international sports as the shot put.

In this event, Highlanders swing a 56-pound weight over a horizontal bar that keeps getting higher and higher.

-[ Grunts ] -And, of course, there's the caber toss: Pick up a giant log, called a "caber," get a running start, and release it end over end with enough force to make the caber flip all the way over and land at the 12-o'clock position.

Meanwhile, the track events run circles around all that muscle.

The races offer fun for all those attending -- including events for the kids.

-Ready?

[ Starter pistol fires ] -And visitors from faraway lands are welcome to join in, as well.

Okay, I think I've found my sport.

Lifting what's called a "manhood stone" is a standard part of these games.

Brawny lads impress their girls with a show of strength.

♪♪ With a wee dram of courage, competitors lift and carry the 250-pound stone -- or at least give it a good try.

[ Laughter ] I taught this guy everything he knows.

♪♪ [ Cheers and applause ] ♪♪ There's always a show-off.

And it's not all brute strength.

Highland dancing shows off both athleticism and grace.

With years of practice, young girls dance with an impressive confidence and fluidity.

A lone piper accompanies serious wee dancers who toe their routines with intense concentration.

Within a few years, they'll likely be dancing with the same mastery as the older girls.

Thanks for sharing with us a few of the experiences that make Scotland a unique and rewarding land to visit.

I'm Rick Steves.

Until next time, keep on travelin'.

[ Bagpipes playing ] -This is "Glasgow and Scottish Passions."

Thanks for joining us.

[ Laughs ] -All right, one more.

♪♪ -The Battle of Bannockburn... Foul-kirk.

Falkirk!

And the Battle of Bannockburn, where in... [ Mouths "Wow" ] ♪♪