Subway Travel in Glasgow

Glasgow is the only city in Scotland that has a subway (or underground, as it's called here). The system was built at the end of the 19th century and takes the simple form of two circular routes, one going clockwise and the other counterclockwise. All trains eventually bring you back to where you started, and the complete circle takes 24 minutes. This extremely simple and efficient system operated relatively unchanged in ancient carriages (cars) until the 1970s, when it was modernized. The tunnels are small, and so are the trains. This, together with the affection in which the system is held and the bright orange paint and circular routes of the trains, gave it the nickname the "Clockwork Orange."

Flat fares (£1) and the Discovery Ticket one-day pass (£1.90, after 9:30) are available. Trains run regularly from Monday through Saturday from early morning to late evening, with a limited Sunday service, and connect the city center with the West End (for the university) and the city south of the River Clyde. Look for the orange u" signs marking the 15 stations. Further information is available from Strathclyde Passenger Transport Travel Centre.

Information

Strathclyde Passenger Transport Travel Centre (St. Enoch Sq., City Center. 0870/608-2608. www.spt.co.uk).