The Glaswegians

I thought that my biggest problem in Glasgow would be the weather. What I soon realized, though, was that, even if it rained every day, nothing could compare to my difficulty in understanding the Glaswegian accent. On top of all that, the Glaswegians also talk really fast. Most of the time, I had to ask them to repeat what they said -and then I really had to concentrate. To sum things up, the so-called Glasgow patter at times sounded like a totally different language to me.

I walked around Glasgow for several days, and I found the city to be fascinating. Glasgow is such a diverse city, and the moody weather creates an even more distinct atmosphere. Already from my second day in Glasgow, I felt attracted by the faces of the Glaswegians. It was as if the rough language they were talking was affecting their expressions, their mouths, their eyes. Even though I visited Glasgow in order to catch the Brexit vibe, the truth is that I soon got more attracted by the Glaswegians themselves. Soon, I forgot my Brexit interest, and I turned to the locals.

Browse the Internet, and you’ll soon come across accusations about the Glaswegians: they are supposedly rude, unfriendly, and distant. I don’t know where all these accusations come from. I talked to lots of people, and while there was some roughness in their manners, everyone was polite to me. Most of the people always seemed up to sharing a joke and making a hilarious statement. Honestly, the Glaswegians are among the friendliest people I met in my journeys.

I felt comfortable in the city from day one. Every morning, I’d take my camera in hand, and I’d walk the streets of Glasgow endlessly. Yes, the weather was far from being optimal, but this is something I can’t change. All I wanted to do, though, was to photograph the locals candidly. The idea of creating a short photo-report about the Glaswegians was not planned: it was actually born in Glasgow, after seeing how interesting the local faces were.

The photos you will see here are from my journey to Glasgow in late October 2019. As I already said, I thought I’d cover the Brexit procedure. But as it turned out, Brexit was not everywhere in Glasgow; instead, I photographed the locals, and I tried to understand them a little bit better.

I took all the photos with the Ricoh GR ii camera, as always. Photos edited with my Ricoh GR ii Lightroom Presets.

The Glaswegians

From the Kelvingrove Museum to the Necropolis and from George Square all the way to Govan, I only spotted interesting figures. As it’s always with the case, doing street photography in Glasgow meant that I had to move closer to the faces. However, sometimes I thought of keeping some distance: I wanted to include Glasgow’s industrial landscape. In one of my first walks in the city, I ended up at Buchanan Street. A few people were checking the PoppyScotland Merchandise -that’s a charity supporting ex-Servicemen and women and their families in Scotland.

Later on, I visited the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Apart from the brilliant collection, the visitors received a big part of my attention. It was a cloudy (and rainy) day, and the light was subtle in the interior. Soon, I spotted a group of students touring the museum with their teachers.

Through street photography, you can always explore the boundaries of ethics. I find kids to be always interesting subjects: some of them have fascinating personalities and their faces are full of expressions. So, here is one of them, hiding from his schoolmates.

And then, another one looked really compatible with the Kelvingrove Museum. Dressed in a red pullover, the kid was making an excellent contrast with the museum.

Then, I decided to take the subway. Glasgow has only one line, but it’s one of the oldest subway lines in the world. Imagine it circling around the city center. It has a distinct orange color, and some locals call it “The Clockwork Orange.” I took a step back, and I took a photo.

No visit to Glasgow is complete without a stop to a pub, of course. The pubs are usually full of men, some of them being lonely and lost in thoughts. Having a beer and a plate of “haggis neeps and tatties” seems, of course, to be recommended here.

Meanwhile, downtown Glasgow is often a big theater. Outside the Apple Store, a man was doing some sort of aggressive marketing.

There’s a big shopping center in St Enoch. I’m never a fan of malls, but I often take a stroll inside them: I like observing how local life unfolds. On my way out of the mall, a little girl was mocking the visitors. Her jacket said: “Girls run the world.”

Not far away from St Enoch, I spotted a man outside of the Hootenany pub. He was talking passionately on the phone, but he couldn’t hear very well.

Around the Royal Bank Place is the spot where I always tried to shoot photos in Glasgow. The area is full of people during the day, and it’s a good spot for making candid portraits. A street musician was performing; therefore, I tried to find interesting figures in the crowd like that lady in red.

Glasgow’s bars often have playful names. I thought of taking at least one photo with the name of a bar combined with a passerby. A young woman walked in front of me. She was on her smartphone, and I could only wonder if…

Further on down the road, an elderly couple was standing in front of a store. They were taking good care of each other.

Glasgow has some really nice bars, and the Glaswegians seem to spend an adequate amount of time there. It’s a real pleasure to shoot photos that have nice reflections.

In the next corner, I saw a man engaged in a hot conversation. Was it about Brexit? I can’t tell. His face was full of expressions and seemed passionate.

And then, I saw a woman dressed in a yellow pullover, enjoying the moment. She was having lunch at Friday’s and seemed happy.

I must admit it: I have a thing for train stations. Even if I didn’t travel that day, I thought of visiting the Central Train Station of Glasgow to see if I could get a decent photo.

The light was actually good. A guy was waiting for somebody, and he kept walking up and down.

Later on, I walked down Argyle Street. This an old commercial street, and I loved its flair. The attitude seemed more easy-going there. A man has just bought a new pair of shoes.

Walking down the streets, I also came across interesting street signs. I thought of them as subliminal messages affecting Glasgow’s psyche. Here’s one.

Ashton Lane is one of the very lively tiny streets of Glasgow. The Glaswegians hang out there, and the fact that the University of Glasgow is located nearby gives the area a vibrant touch.

Some places in Glasgow seemed like the meeting points of strong winds. In one of them, I saw a lady struggling with her orange bag, trying probably to find something inside.

It didn’t get that often sunny in Glasgow. Actually, it happened only once. And when it did, I knew that I had to take a photo. A woman enjoyed the sudden sun spells and smoked a cigarette.

Last but not least, I tried to walk down -as I often do- the less busy streets. Even though I was still in downtown Glasgow, there were lanes that no one walked. On a side-street, just off Buchanan Street, I saw a man walking towards me. And this was the last photo I took in Glasgow.

A few links about the Glaswegian accent

I thought of adding some links and a video dealing with the Glaswegian accent. I believe that you could get a better impression of the photos if you could also “listen” to those people talking.

First of all, a video. As some of the commentators suggest, the video is probably edited at some point, so it makes even less sense. However, it’s funny to watch and definitely interesting to listen to the language.

There is also a Wikipedia entry dealing briefly with the accent of the Glaswegians. You can read the Wikipedia entry here.

Equally interesting and definitely more comprehensive is also an article from the Scotsman. It actually explores and explains the Glaswegian accent. You can read the article from Scotsman here.

So, let me know in the comments if you’ve been to Glasgow and what do you think about the Glaswegians.

More about Scotland: A travelogue from Glasgow, Glasgow City Guide

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Last Updated on March 6, 2021 by George Pavlopoulos