The Glasgow Mural Trail: Your Complete Guide (With Interactive Map)

Glasgow is a city full of life, culture and diversity. There is no better way to see this than in the street art of the Glasgow Mural Trail, which brightens up boring walls and dingy lanes, breathing new life into the city. Many different local artists have been commissioned to create these wonderful pieces, often celebrating life in Glasgow, and they have formed a route around the centre of the city. This way, you can explore both the street art scene and everything else that Scotland’s second capital has to offer.

I’ve put together the complete guide to walking the route, with key information, an interactive map, and a breakdown of all of the mural’s you’ll see.

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How Long Does The Glasgow Mural Trail Take?

You should be able to complete the Glasgow Mural Trail in a day, but there is a lot of walking involved, so be prepared for a trek! It took me 2.5 hours, but I skipped the very central murals to do the next day (simply because they were on my route to work), so that would add around another 15 minutes to the time. If you’re unfamiliar with Glasgow and don’t know your way around, or would want to stop at other landmarks that you see, I would set aside 3-4 hours to complete the mural trail.

The murals on the west side of the city are more spaced out, so if you are pushed for time or less mobile, you could finish at the cluster of murals in the centre (see the map below) and you’d only miss 6 or 7 murals. This would cut the time down by 30-45 minutes.

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Glasgow Mural Trail Interactive Map

I’ve created this map to help you complete the Glasgow Mural Trail! It takes you round what I think is the best route, starting at the Strathclyde University ‘Megamural’ in the west of the city. Of course, you can start from whichever point is most convenient and go round from there.

You can also save this map if you use Google Maps, and download it for reference.

Is The Glasgow Mural Trail Accessible?

Yes, the Glasgow Mural Trail is very accessible. All of the murals are on the streets with plenty of space, so there should be no problems using a wheelchair or other mobility aids. Of course, as this is a walking route, you might have problems if you have mobility issues. I would consider using a chair or mobility aid if you have access, or complete part of the route so you can still see some murals.

Is The Glasgow Mural Trail Free?

Yes, the Glasgow Mural Trail is completely free to walk around. All of the murals are outdoors and in public spaces.

The Murals of The Glasgow Mural Trail

Strathclyde Wonderwall

Address: 50 George St, Glasgow G1 1QE

We’re starting off strong with the Strathclyde University Wonderwall. This piece stretches along the Graham Hills building at the university, and is composed of several murals, such as students, the Land-Ship, and a telescope.

St Enoch and Child

Address: 9-17 George St, Glasgow G4 0QR

Turn around from the Strathclyde Wonderwall and you’ll see St. Enoch and Child, a beautiful depiction of the patron saints of the city of Glasgow. It was created by artist Smug, who has painted many murals on this trail.

Saint Mungo

Address: 287 High St, Glasgow G4 0QS

Another Smug mural is just round the corner. This is one of the most recognised murals from the Glasgow Mural Trail, and features a man with a bird on his finger. Over time, he has come to be recognised as a depiction of Saint Mungo, the founder of Glasgow and another patron saint of the city.

Fellow Glasgow Residents

Address: Merchant City, Glasgow G1 1NQ

Stop four is a beautiful mural, covered in animals and plants. You’ll find it in a car park of all places, but it makes for a great spot for a huge piece of art.

Badminton

Address: 22 Wilson St, Glasgow G1 1SS

The Badminton mural was made to celebrate the Commonwealth Games coming to Glasgow back in 2014. It’s one of my favourite murals, mainly because it’s right in Merchant Square and so the surrounding area is just gorgeous to walk in.

Space Man

Address: 117 Trongate, Glasgow G1 5HD

Tucked away on the corner of New Wynd, you’ll find the Spaceman mural. Ali Wylie brings a lovely pop of colour to the street!

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Billy Connolly

Address: 118 Osborne St, Glasgow G1 5RP

Scottish icon Billy Connolly is the feature of this mural. He actually has two murals dedicated to him (you’ll see the other one a little later), and they are both adaptations of portraits created by John Byrne.

Study of a Woman in Black

Address: 24-6 Bridgegate, Glasgow

This is the first of three installations titled Study of a Woman in Black. They’re all created by James Klinge. These ones are some really detailed murals.

Study of a Woman in Black 2

Address: 1-21 St. Andrews St, Glasgow

Here’s the second installation of the one just before it!

On your way to the next mural, you’ll pass by the beautiful Glasgow Green. If you have ample time this would be a lovely spot for an extra stroll or a rest.

The Clutha

Address: 33 Gorbals St, Glasgow G1 4SP

This mural was designed by a compilation of artists and celebrates different famous faces who visited the Clutha Bar. It’s one of the most poignant murals as it was created as part of renovations, after a tragic helicopter crash left the bar destroyed. It acts as a wonderful way to bring colour back to the site and a beautiful memory of what it once was.

Dr Connolly, I Presume?

Address: 19 Dixon St, Glasgow G1 4AL

Here’s the second Billy Connolly mural! This one is also one of my favourites, because it’s the only mural that I was aware of before moving to Glasgow. I had passed it a couple of times before and loved it! It’s right in the beer garden of a bar in the centre.

Are Ye Dancin and As Good as Gold

Moving into the heart of Glasgow now, these two murals are both tucked away down side streets.

The Are Ye Dancin’ mural is down a lane next to Sloan’s bar on Argyle Street. It’s a really fun mural that encapsulates a lot of the things that make Glasgow great.

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As Good as Gold is just up Buchannan Street, on Springfield Court. This is another very humorous mural, which in fact pokes fun at the rising price of the beloved chocolate bar Freddo.

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Glasgow Panda

Address: 10 Mitchell Ln, Glasgow G1 3NU

Artist Klingatron made this adorable panda mural that sits in Mitchell Lane.

Pop into The Lighthouse as you pass this mural. It’s a design centre with free entry, and you can get some awesome views over Glasgow from the top!

Wind Power

Address: The Lighthouse, Glasgow G1 3LX

When you pop out of Mitchell Lane onto Mitchell Street , you’ll see the Wind Power mural almost immediately. As you can guess by the title of the mural, it serves to celebrate the developments in renewable energy in Scotland.

Honey… I Shrunk the Kids

Address: 34 Mitchell St, Glasgow

This mural is up there with my favourites. It’s another Smug creation, and features a girl looking into a magnifying glass. You can see in the picture that she’s picking something up off the ground – I’d love to be able to stand under a take a picture, as if she was picking me up!

The World’s Most Economical Taxi

Address: 33 Mitchell St, Glasgow G1 3LN

This mural is right next to the previous one, and as the name indicates, you can see a very economical taxi floating along, held up by balloons.

NOTE: Earlier in this post I mentioned a quicker route. This is where you should stop if you want to stay in the very centre of Glasgow.

Portrait Gallery

Address: 5 Midland St, Glasgow

Time to get your walking boots on! That’s definitely an exaggeration, but after murals that are only a few murals apart, you’ll definitely feel the distance between these.

I really love the colours in these James Klinge murals. When you go under this bridge you’re just bellow the railway tracks coming out of Central Station.

Today We’re in Love Aren’t We?

Address: Brown St, Glasgow G1 4RU

I have definitely claimed too many murals as my favourite by this point, but I really do love this one! It’s such a lovely representation of the city, and uses the words of Scottish poet Liz Lochead. My only wish is that I could get closer – as you can see in the photo there’s a gate in the way. I did this route on a Sunday, so there is a possibility that the gate would be open during the week so you can get a closer look.

BONUS: As you walk from Portrait Gallery to this mural, you’ll pass by what used to be “The Gallery” mural on Argyle/York Street. When I passed the building in March 2020, it was under construction and the mural appeared to be gone.

The Swimmer

Address: Anderston Quay, Glasgow

Rather appropriately, this mural is right down by the water. It’s another mural that was created to celebrate the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and sits on one of the legs of the Kingston Bridge on the M8.

Glasgow Crocodile (Charing Croc) and the Charing Cross Birds

Address: Glasgow G3 7UL

These are two separate murals but I’ve popped them together as they are right next to each other. They both lie on the pillars of a pedestrian bridge across the motorway.

First you have the Glasgow Crocodile, and then the Charing Cross Birds, two lovely animal additions to the mural collection.

The Lost Giant

Address: 156 Elmbank St, Glasgow G2 4NY

This lonely-looking mural sits alone on the corner of Sauchiehall lane. However, he is actually part of a collection of Lost Giants, created by Stormie Mills, who have been painted on walls in many major cities, including Florence, Italy and Perth, Australia.

Shadow Hand Puppets

Address: 1, 11 Dundasvale Ct, Glasgow G4 0SN

These murals are hidden away in the tunnel leading to Cowcaddens subway station. Cowcaddens was my nearest subway station so I used to pass these all the time.

Crazy Cat Lady

Address: 112-76 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow

Right in the middle of Sauchiehall street, one of Glasgow’s busiest, you’ll see the impressive Crazy Cat Lady mural. It stretches much further than you can see in the photo above, and it’s a really colourful addition to the street.

The Musician

Address: Sauchiehall Ln, Glasgow

Glasgow has a fantastic live music scene, and down the lanes, round the back of the bars in the heart of Glasgow is the perfect place for this Musician mural.

Bubbles

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Address: Portland House, Glasgow

Bubbles is one of the newest installations to the Glasgow Mural Trail. It features two adorable girls blowing bubbles on one side of the lane, and an equally adorable pug on the other.

Study of a Woman in Black 3

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Address: 32 Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow

Our final mural on this route is the third instalment of the Study of a Woman in Black series. It’s tucked away down a lane off Royal Exchange Square.

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Congratulations! You have made it to the end of the Glasgow Mural Trail. Whether you’re experiencing the trail virtually through this post, or plan to walk the route yourself, I hope that it’s useful for you! The Glasgow Mural Trail is a really great way to see some amazing street art, discover some talented local artists, and explore the wonderful city of Glasgow.

If you are interested in street art, you might be interested in my other posts about the Comic Book Route in Brussels, or street art in Digbeth, Birmingham.

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