About This Tour
Experience the magic of GPS on this self-guided walking tour through Glasgow. Three hundred years ago the wider Glasgow area was mostly countryside, with the Cathedral at its centre. The city began to change in the 1500s when Scotland became a Protestant country. Lucrative pilgrimages to Glasgow that had long been made by Roman Catholics ended, replaced by tobacco from America. You’ll hear how Glasgow went from surviving to thriving, transitioning from the tobacco trade to cotton and, later, heavy engineering to eventually become the burgeoning ‘Second City’ of the Empire. How did these merchants become wealthy beyond our imaginings? Slavery. We’ll explore Glasgow’s roles in slavery and its abolition while we walk the streets of the Merchant City district, discovering how the city developed from the 1600s until today. Everywhere you turn, from George Square to the Royal Exchange Square, you’ll encounter the wealth of Glasgow’s merchants written in stone.
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The Merchant City: A Self Guided Audio Tour of Glasgow
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What's Included
Additional Information
Meeting Point
The statue of Walter Scott is in the centre of George Square; the tour starts at the statue. George Square is in the centre of the city, beside Queen Street Station. It is easily reached on foot, by bus, or by train.
Special Instructions
VOICEMAP CODE ─── Please check your email at the address you provided when you made this booking. You've been sent an eight character code you'll need to redeem your tour. This code can be used by every member of your party. If you've booked for three people, for example, three people can download this tour using the same code. DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS ─── 1. Once you've received your code, please follow these steps: 2. Install the VoiceMap Audio Tours mobile app 3. Create an account 4. Select Tour Codes from the menu, then select Enter Codes 5. Enter your code then select Download Now PLEASE NOTE ─── You can download the tour at any time, before or after your booking date. It’s best to download the tour before you set off for the starting point. This tour follows a set route and includes turn-by-turn directions. It works best if you start it in the right place and follow the directions from one location to the next. When the download completes, you’ll see a screen with a photo of the starting point and directions to it. The red start button will become active when you are at the starting point. Remember to bring your own headphones, unless you have booked a driving tour. SUPPORT ─── For technical support and other queries, please email support@voicemap.me
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Tour Operator
VoiceMap Audio Tours
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