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About Us
Today, The Merchant City is Glasgow’s Cultural Quarter and is a compact, walkable locale in the lower east side of Central Glasgow, a stone’s throw from George Square and Argyle Street. The area was purposely developed to house Glasgow’s wealthy merchants known as the Tobacco Lords from 1750 onwards and this resulted in the resurgence of splendid townhouses and warehouses being constructed in the neighbourhood to meet the requirements of Glasgow’s seafaring merchants.
The Merchant City also has a dark history with many sordid tales to unveil. Prior to the Tobacco Lord era, the Cathedral Precinct around Glasgow Cathedral staged public burning of witches for heresy and bodies were removed from graves in Ramshorn Churchyard to conduct anatomy research at Glasgow University. These ghastly stories could be why the Merchant City is a focal point for Glasgow’s ghost tours.
Besides the witches and ghouls of yesteryear, The Merchant City is a fun and exciting neighbourhood to spend time in with a cornucopia of beautifully restored architectural treasures to admire up close. From beautifully restored townhouses like our own Merchanty City Inn to converted lofts and contemporary, avant-garde apartments, Glasgow’s cultural quarter certainly packs a punch. It is a favourite haunt amongst the well-healed, young and old, and stages the Merchant City Festival every September. From popular drinking establishements like Maggie Mays and Babbity Bowsers to rustic watering holes where you can sample the finest malt whiskeys in town, The Merchant City certainly lives up to its name.