UK City of Architecture and Design, Glasgow buzzes with past and present life and culture. Wander easily between the striking art deco of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the coolest, funkiest shops, bars and clubs. At the hub of Scotland's outlandish art scene, you'll be spoilt for galleries, too, both traditional and modern. What Edinburgh boasts in elegance and stature, Glasgow makes up for with its humour, warmth and vibey art scene.

How to get there
British Airways offer good value full service flights, plus Britain's three main budget airlines all offer cheap flights to Glasgow. It's worth being aware that the city has two different airports: Easyjet and bmibaby both offer flights to Glasgow International (only 20 minutes by train from the city centre, with around 8 trains every hour) whilst Ryanair flies to Prestwick (a 45 minute train journey, with a train every half hour). A flight to Glasgow typically takes just over an hour from London.

When to go
A cheap flight to Glasgow can be obtained throughout the year: a destination chosen more for its cultural offerings than for endless sunshine, you might be best to go outside July and August, when the prices are higher but the weather not necessarily any better. Winter starts around November and is colder and darker for longer than in southern Britain. On the last Monday in May, the city celebrates Victoria Day, which may be best avoided if you're looking for a really cheap flight to Glasgow or a cheap hotel deal. And beware its many sporting events, around which prices for Glasgow flights may go up. Hogmanay (New Year's Eve to those of us south of border) is an extremely popular event in Scotland, often taking priority over Christmas. Edinburgh is famous for hosting an exuberant night, but consequently flights there can be expensive. It might be worth checking flight prices to Glasgow and then hiring a car to drive to Edinburgh or go by train which only takes one hour.

What to do
The Centre for Contemporary Art houses modern multimedia exhibits, whilst the Gallery of Modern art, in its eighteenth century building on Buchanan Street, not only has great works but also lectures, a bookshop and cafe. Cool and edgey, this is the city that spawned Franz Ferdinand, and is full of all kinds of bars. Or if you fancy shopping, there are designer, vintage and high street shops aplenty: Glasgow's shopping district is the second largest in the whole of Britain and dotted with great architecture and coffee-stops. Nearby, in the city's East End is the flea market, known as the Barras, which comes to life every weekend. And of course, there's the sport. With three football teams, a rugby team and Scotland's largest stadia, Glasgow often hosts large scale matches. If this is what you're going for, book your flight to Glasgow early as demand is high around such events. In only a short time, you can really make the most of your flight to Glasgow.