Glasgow Gallivanting: June 2026

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Flushed with the success of our day trip to Edinburgh at the end of May, we decided to gallivant off to Perth at the beginning of June – and had an equally lovely time. Our first stop was at the Art Gallery to see the exhibition The Scottish Colourists Revealed. We have already seen several exhibitions featuring these artists, either as a group or individually, but this one was different in that many of the paintings belonged to private collections (the biggest contributor being the insurance company, Aviva) and had either never been on public view, or not for several decades. It was an opportunity we couldn’t miss.

Cassis from the West (1913) by JD Fergusson
Two still lifes by GL Hunter

After a delicious, and rather decadent, lunch in Café Tabou we headed for the museum to see Vennels: Perth’s Little Streets. That was another fascinating exhibition – from the website:

Vennels: Perth’s Little Streets explores the narrow streets known as vennels, closes, alleys, and lanes that have shaped Perth for centuries. Drawing on archaeological discoveries from the city centre, the exhibition reveals what daily life was like for the people of medieval Perth and the crafts and trades which thrived here.

Inside the exhibition
Hammerman heraldic plaque

As part of the exhibition five new public artworks have been commissioned. The stories and creative methods behind all five were explored in the museum, but so far only two have been installed. We visited them both. On the walls at Fleshers Vennel, historic home of butchers, Some hae meat comprises several large ceramic plaques by Eleanor Wheeler. They reference the tradition of using tiles in or outside butchers’ shops, both to advertise their wares and for ease of cleaning.

Some hae meat by Eleanor Wheeler

The river, the ferry and the compass comprises three transparent panels by Kate Robinson positioned high on the walls of North Boat Vennel which runs between the city centre and the River Tay. I did like these, but they were smaller than I imagined. I’ve included an image looking down the vennel to give a sense of scale.

Glasgow Jazz Festival celebrated its 40th edition in June and had invited back some of the legends from earlier years. We went to concerts by guitarist Martin Taylor (whom we first saw in 1988) and saxophonist Courtney Pine (first seen in 1991). We were too far back to get any photos of Martin, but here’s Courtney playing in St Luke’s, a former church in the East End, paired with a nearby mural we spotted on our way home.

Speaking of murals, I took a trip across the river to Govan where there is a new gable end mural dedicated to philanthropist Isabella Elder, one of my women’s history heroines. Commissioned by Elderpark Housing Association and executed by Rogue One, it overlooks Elder Park, one of the many amenities Isabella paid for. Another, Elder Park Library, is depicted in the mural’s background. Not happy with the person who parked their car in front of her though!

Across Govan Road I also photographed a mural dedicated to Mary Barbour, amongst many other things, a campaigner for fair rents during World War One. The mural was commissioned last year by the Linthouse Housing Association to commemorate their 50th anniversary and is by Jeks. I’m not so sure about this one – Isabella is realistic and the image is based on a portrait of her by John Everett Millais, whereas Mary Barbour is “reimagined” as a modern day activist. She looked nothing like this image.

More about Isabella’s mural.

More about Mary’s mural.

A new sculpture trail, Scotties in the City, has hit Glasgow’s streets raising awareness and funds for Maggie’s, a charity providing free cancer support and information in centres across the UK and online. Here are a few of my favourites so far.

Special Duglivery is special because it sits right outside the Maggie’s Centre HQ, and Arnie shows that it is inevitable that some of the sculptures will end up wearing a traffic cone. It is Glasgow after all.

Special Duglivery
Arnie

I like Kelvin, outside the art gallery, because he has the most realistic face I’ve seen.

Kelvin

And The Clockwork Orange is a brilliant representation of Glasgow’s very simple subway system.

The Clockwork Orange

Naturally, the cyclist has been out and about many times. These are some shots from a scenic ride on the Cowal peninsula, though it’s a pity that one of the bridges has washed away!

Cowal Peninsula 15th June 2026

We ended the month in London with a jam-packed week of visits to family and old friends. We had time for a little sightseeing but, as our trip coincided with the recent heatwave, movement was slow and steady and we didn’t go far. It was quite a shock to the system to get off the train in Glasgow on Wednesday to experience cold and rain!

Finally, I photographed this World Cup post box topper at the beginning of the month when hope was still alive. It references Scott McTominay’s famous bicycle-kick goal in qualifying when Scotland beat Denmark 4-2. Heady days! Now that Scotland has exited the competition at the earliest possible point it seems a bit superfluous, but you can still admire its artistry.

Do us proud

The team might not have covered itself in glory, but the fans certainly did with the Tartan Army winning friends and influencing people wherever it went. Remember – No Scotland, No Party!

Happy July!

Linked to Natalie’s Monthly Wrap-Up.

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39 Comments »

  1. What a wonderfully colorful June you had! The Scotties are crazy cute and the murals are stunning!
    I did a little research on Mary and see what you mean about the re-imagining of her likeness. I looked at photos of her and the likeness side by side, trying to see pieces of her in the new mural and it’s iffy. One can hope that the new depiction will bring her story to current and future generations of people who will learn about her work and be inspired (just as I am) to stand up for their communities. Thank you for the introduction!
    I hope your July is just as colorful 🙂

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  2. Shame about the Mary Barbour mural. I do love street art but you’d think the artist could have found her image and produced a likeness rather than the “model” woman depicted. I had the reverse of your weather experience when coming back from an unusually chilly Canada to a heatwave in Glasgow (back on 23 June)! Took me by surprise!

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  3. Do you ever stop moving Anabel? A really varied post, from which I particularly enjoyed the street art and those dogs! (neither yappie nor likely to bite. A winning combination)

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  5. Perth was one of our favourite cities in Scotland. You’re right in saying that the opportunity to see some stunning art was not to be missed. I love the “Cassis” one, the yarn bombing and what’s not to love about the cute Scotties. You were surprised about the Glasgow weather 😉 Couldn’t resist.

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  6. A lovely roundup of art scenes out and about. What exactly is meant by “The Colourists”? Is it just the name of a particular collective of artists or is it a particular medium they work in?

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    • It’s a specific group of four early 20th century Scottish artists known for their post-impressionist style and use of colour. I don’t think they were known as the “Scottish Colourists” at the time but they were all friends and worked and exhibited together in different combinations during their lifetimes.

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  7. You are always so busy! I enjoyed all of the street art you visited but I do agree with you about the “reimagining” of real people. It feels a bit ick in a way I cannot quite put my finger on. I love the Scottie dogs.

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  8. It ia amazing what you pack into a month! Enjoyed reading about all your visits and all the art you have seen and the music you have enjoyed. Lovely views from the intrepid cyclist!

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  11. What a fun-filled June you had! Beautiful artworks indoors and outdoors. I love the murals and the Scotties. They are all lovely; if I had to choose, it would be Special Duglivery. Thank you for linking up with #MonthlyWrapup.

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  12. The Scotties are great fun and I like the Govan murals and ‘Some hae meat’ too 🙂 I know you’ll have been very busy with family on your short London visit but if ever you’re here for a longer (and hopefully cooler) stay, do get in touch!

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  15. I really like the Eleanor Wheeler plaques and the murals and it’s nice to see some Scotties. I agree about Kelvin, he does have quite a realistic face.

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  16. A lot of new stuff in Perth I haven’t seen and in Glasgow. Like the dogs. The cycling trips look like outings I used to enjoy 10 to 20 years ago but not now I’m fast approaching 70. I’m happy to avoid all that extra effort now rather than galloping towards it on a bike with glee, electric or otherwise. Maybe I need new batteries inside me. Bob. BSS.

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