Follow in the footsteps of Scotland's most celebrated architect and designer, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, whose work still influences people all around the world.
Lachlan Goudie will join you to give an exclusive talk and accompany you to one of Mackintosh's finest creations, Hill House. Your trip will also take in Mackintosh's unique House for an Art Lover, Kelvingrove Art Museum, Glenarn Gardens and the Museum of Modern Art.
Other highlights include a private dinner at the Glasgow Art Club and lunch at Mackintosh at the Willow.
Lachlan Goudie studied English at Christ's College, Cambridge before completing a Fine Art Degree at Camberwell College of Art. An award-winning painter, he regularly exhibits in his home town of Glasgow, as well as Edinburgh, London and NewYork. Lachlan works as a successful broadcaster and author, including acclaimed series for the BBC.
Depart this morning from on a flight to Glasgow. On arrival at Glasgow Airport we transfer by coach to the city centre and after making a further pick-up, we head for the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, which first opened its doors to the public on 2 May 1901 when it formed a major part of the Glasgow International Exhibition. Since then, has established itself as one of the finest civic collections in Europe. French, Italian and Dutch art feature alongside exhibits as diverse as Ancient Egypt, Dinosaurs and Scotland's Wildlife. There will be an opportunity for lunch on arrival here (not included). Later we continue to our comfortable hotel just outside Glasgow.
After breakfast this morning we are joined once again by Lachlan Goudie as we cross the Erskine Bridge for a visit to Hill House, Charles Rennie Mackintosh's finest domestic creation which sits high above the River Clyde commanding fine views of the estuary. Commissioned in 1902 by the Glasgow publisher Walter Blackie, the house still makes a striking statement today. Blackie wanted an individual feel to his home and he asked Mackintosh to design not only the house and gardens, but much of the furniture and interiors too. Mackintosh's wife, Margaret Macdonald, contributed fabric designs and a unique panel over the fireplace in the drawing room. The result is a daring design with an air of restrained elegance, which still appeals to modern-day tastes.
For the next few years Hill House is undergoing extensive work to make the building fully weather-proof. As part of this process a huge semi-transparent steel mesh cover has been erected over the house to allow it to completely dry out before the weather-proofing begins. The 'box' is now a feature of the visitor experience and those who wish can use the walkways within it to take a closer look at the exterior of the house.
Nearby are the gardens of Glenarn, reputedly one of the best woodland gardens in Scotland. Glenarn was originally planted by the Gibson brothers, and filled with rhododendrons and other plants collected by Kingdom-Ward, Ludlow and Sheriff on their expeditions to Tibet and China. The garden had been neglected for many years and when it was acquired in 1983 by the current owners they have spent the last ten years or so gradually restoring it. The mild, damp location supports old plants of Rhododendron tanastyllum, arboreum var. nigagiricum and Magnolia rostrata to mention but a few, and all should be at their best at this time of year.
This evening we have a special treat in store as we enjoy a private dinner with wine at the Glasgow Art Club, set in an A-Listed building sumptuously furnished with historically significant interior features including fireplaces, grills, fretworks and door fittings, partly designed by Mackintosh, who was a member here.
This morning after breakfast, we transfer to Glasgow's Bellahouston Park, where we are joined by art expert Lachlan Goudie for our visit to the House for an Art Lover. The origins of this unique building lie in drawings prepared by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1901 as his entry to a competition to design a 'Haus Eines Kunstfreundes' or 'Art Lovers House' set by German design magazine 'Zeitschrift Fur Innendekoration'. The entry, though highly commended, was unsuccessful and for more than 80 years Mackintosh's concept remained an unrealised design on paper, until Graham Roxburgh, the Consulting Engineer responsible for restoring Mackintosh interiors in nearby Craigie Hall, had the idea finally to build the House for an Art Lover. After much detective work and various setbacks Roxburgh's dream finally became a reality in 1996 when the house opened to the public and today it offers a remarkable insight into the work of an architect of extraordinary vision and imagination.
We then transfer to Sauchiehall Street where we enjoy lunch at Mackintosh at the Willow, the original Willow Tea Rooms designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1903 which re-opened in 2018 after extensive refurbishment. The famous Tea Rooms are of huge importance to Glasgow's architectural and cultural heritage and are the only surviving Tea Rooms designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for local entrepreneur and patron Miss Kate Cranston. Extensive restoration has brought it back to its former glory, using painstakingly crafted furniture and fittings which are exact replicas of the originals.
In the afternoon we visit the Museum of Modern Art. In the evening, after dinner, our celebrity guest Lachlan Goudie will give an illustrated talk on Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
This morning we check out of the hotel and head for the south side of Glasgow, In the afternoon we visit the recently renovated Burrell Collection. This ambitious refurbishment will allow visitors, for the first time, to explore all three floors in the building, set out as galleries, visible stores and special exhibition spaces. When Sir William Burrell and his wife, Lady Constance, gifted his collection of over 9000 works of art to Glasgow, the city acquired one of the greatest collections created by one person. William Burrell had been an art collector since his teens and the collection is made up of a vast array of works of all periods from all over the world. You can wander round important collections of medieval art, tapestries, alabasters, stained glass and English oak furniture, European paintings including works by Degas and Cézanne, an important collection of Islamic art and modern sculpture including works by Epstein and Rodin.
Following our visit we will return to the airport for our return flight, with a further drop-off in central Glasgow for those who require it.
Award-winning boutique hotel located in Stepps, Glasgow
The Best Western Garfield House Hotel is an award-winning boutique hotel located in Stepps, Glasgow. En-suite doubles feature all the modern amenities, including an LED TV with built-in Freeview, free high-speed WiFi, tea/coffee making facilities and a comfortable work space. The Bar & Grill offers a vegetarian menu, children's menu, gluten-free options and outdoor dining.
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