Better known as The Tall Ship, The Glenlee is a symbol of the city’s shipbuilding heritage. Built in a Clyde shipyard in the late 1800s, The Glenlee once transported cargo all over the world. A Naval Architect found her abandoned in Seville Harbour and in 1992, The Clyde Martime Trust had her towed back home to serve as a museum showing the maritime history of Glasgow.
If you have any aspiring young pirates in the family, this is the place to take them. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve visited with my son and it’s never easy getting him to leave.
Be sure to let the children take the ship’s wheel and pretend they’re Captain Jack Sparrow aboard the Black Pearl. Ask the crew nicely, and they might even let you hoist the Jolly Roger.
Don’t be put off if it’s raining as there is a children’s play area below the main deck and loads of room for children to run about freely.
And don’t let cold weather put you off either – The Glenlee now has a revolutionary new heating system that uses water from the River Clyde in its radiators. In fact, it’s the first floating museum ship in the world to use renewable energy sources. No more shivering in the timbers!
