The Lighthouse

I spent almost 1 hour there with other friends. It presents a great deal of the Scottish arts, however I don't really like the organisation there. It should be reorganized. The open view from the top of the stair way is great for spotting attractions in Glasgow

The building was very nice, the best part of the exposition was the lighthouse itself. The stairwell went up to the very top and made it incredibly worth climbing all those flights of stairs. However, it is not accessible to everyone, if you need to use the lift you can only access a different part of the building that shows you part of the view to the city but you cannot go where the stairwell takes you. Toilets at the lighthouse weren’t great. They had some funny signs but the woman’s toilet seats felt like they were about to fall off the wall if you sat down.

Mackintosh’s former office tower now offers rooftop views over his city. The spiral staircase’s 134 steps are worth it – each landing has quirky design exhibits. The museum shop sells Rennie Mackintosh postcards printed since the 1960s.

Great place, hidden in the lanes of Buchanan street but worth visiting. Has several museums. To see this staircase you need to go through the Mackintosh hall on the 3rd floor. It would've been great if they had a map of glasgow on the top, so you could easily guess what building is what. Otherwise, fine 👍🏻

After 4 years living in Glasgow and I hadn't been here, this is such a discovery. Nice place with great views from the tower, really arty and we'll located. Apparently is more famous for tourists, but has a great and avant-garde atmosphere.

A building designed by Glasgow favourite son Mr Charles Rennie McIntosh although you don't really get the flavour of it from the outside due to the tightness of Mitchell lane and the close proximity of the adjacent buildings. The tower itself is not by McIntosh but a later addition but has great panoramic views of the city below, so worth the visit but beware I counted 220 steps to the top!

Unique building in the centre of Glasgow with an interesting history. Great viewing from the top where you can go outside on a gantry with a 360°view. A lot of steps to climb from the 3rd floor if you want to get the great view.

A very good exhibition a d a long walk up a spiral staircase to the top of the lighthouse for great views over Glasgow. There's also a lift to another, slightly lower viewing platform for the less able. We did both. And all for free.

I just like this place. They got gallery and great place to observe the city and visitor even can go up the tower to enjoy the amazing view of the city! Plus it is free to enter, there is nothing not to like. I was a curious at first why a friend of my will take us to this little alley. And the we took the lift from there. When we got out of the lift. Bann! A brilliant city view wss right in front of my face. And then we went to check the current exhibition inside the house, it was just fun. Then we saw this cool stairs way and followed it up. It wasnt as long as it seems Wow. Great place for a panorama view of city. I would recommend this place for every visitors to the city, or people who just want to enjoy the view on top.

The Lighthouse is one of Glasgow's wonder free museums/galleries. It was one of the first galleries I visited when I moved to Glasgow and I've been back a few times since, either for a specific exhibit, a general wander, or to head up the Mackintosh tower for the amazing views over the city. Much of the museum is free to access, including the permanent Charles Rennie Mackintosh exhibits and the tower. Architecture is usually the theme of most of what they're showing off, although design in general is also showcased here, especially when it's by local and Scottish artists. On the ground floor there's a fantastic gift shop with lots of Mackintosh themed gifts. Usually they have items related to other exhibits as well. There's a cafe on level 5 too and although I've not visited it in a while I remember it being light and spacious and selling pretty darn good carrot cake. It's a really cool gallery to learn a little about the history of design and architecture in Glasgow, as well as learning about some more modern themes. It's also a great place for those views from the tower to get your bearings (although it's an awfully long way up a spiral staircase, so if you don't like heights it may not be for you). For me, on a sunny day, it's one of the highlights of the city centre. If you're visiting Glasgow or you have guests in Glasgow and you find yourself in the city centre then I'd say a stop at The Lighthouse is well worth the time. It would be a shame to miss out on such a cool place.

Had a bit of a mooch inside Scotland's Centre for Design and Architecture and it's multiple floors, exhibiting things such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh's furniture designs and scale models of buildings past and present. The main draw for me though was scaling the spiral staircase up the Mackintosh Tower which opened out to a narrow balcony wrapping round its summit, giving you impressive views over Glasgow's cityscape. We found that the 'guide panels' which were supposed to highlight key landmarks in the distance were far too vague to help, which was a shame. They've a nice-looking gift shop by the ground floor entrance. The Lighthouse is worth a quick visit if you're nearby, but it's probably not a destination you'd spend much time in.

It took me an embarrassingly long time to actually visit The Lighthouse, and I'm even more embarrassed to admit that I *still* haven't been up the top to look at the view over Glasgow! Next time, I promise! The Lighthouse is tucked down Mitchell Lane and has a wonderful gift shop on the ground floor. I am a certified museum-gift-shop addict and this one is nearly as good as the one at GOMA. At the moment, they're selling some great stuff to accompany the "Hello My Name is Paul Smith" exhibition and I couldn't resist getting a couple of the pencils, an eraser as well as a nice card from the range. There's a lot of nice Scottish stuff if you're looking for a gift so it's worth a browse even if you're not planning on going to an exhibition. We were there to see the Paul Smith exhibition which is on the first floor and ticketed at £6 per adult. While I think the price is a little steep, it's a fab exhibition which was really interesting, stimulating and thought-provoking - I think we were only there for half an hour or so, but really enjoyed it. I'll definitely be back sooner rather than later for a visit to the viewing platform so I'll update accordingly! But for now, I'm already a massive fan so I can't expect the rating to change for this lovely gallery.

After living in the City Centre for a few months I thought it was high time to pay a quick visit to The Lighthouse - and the views didn't disappoint! After a quick browse through the Mackintosh gallery and the local offering ('Sample', a collection of Scottish textiles), it was off to the third floor to climb the spiral staircase to the viewing tower. The staircase is not mobility friendly, so prams and the like are stuck waiting at the base. Be forewarned, the viewing ledge is quite narrow and it can be a bit of a jostle when busy. The only drawback of the visit (hence the 4* rating) was the 6th floor closure for a private event, as this is the only space with a mobility-friendly viewing platform (including a lift). You might come just for the views, but the galleries are also well worth a peek!

Went to The Lighthouse yesterday (I'm ashamed to say I've never been!) but I was meeting someone to discuss Dogs That Dine and blog related things and she recommended here. I'll definitely be returning soon! I made my way inside and headed straight for the cafe (time was of the essence!) on the 5th floor. I didn't have time to look at any of the exhibitions on the other floors sadly. There is a lift but I chose to you the esculators which were really narrow (more narrow than the norm). Making it to the 5th floor, I headed straight into the cafe. I really like this cafe. It's quiet, bright and spacious. There were a few other people there and we found some comfy seats in the corner. We stayed there for about 4 hours and never once felt like we were in the way. We ordered a range of cold drinks, tea and cake. Oh the cake.. There was a small range of cakes on display and I opted for the Victoria Sponge. It was so yummy! Everything in the cafe is really well priced too. Oh and they have free wifi. What more do you need? There are toilets located on the second, third and fifth floors. When we left, we headed to the toilets and they were clean, tidy and I loved the sinks! The toilet seats were really low down (think back to primary school days) which I found pretty funny/a bit odd. Oh and there were Bayliss & Harding hand washes which I really like. We took the lift down which takes you straight into the gift shop. There were a lot of Charles Rennie Mackintosh items (jewellery, cards, prints) which really caught my eye. It's a nice little gift shop and the staff are really friendly. I'm definitely going to go back soon! I had such a nice afternoon and I really want to explore the Lighthouse more!

The Lighthouse is a lovely museum that you'd probably never find, and I genuinely didn't even know about until about 6 months ago! It's a lovely hidden museum, with free entry, and has all your museum-y needs, from general Glasgow goodness to a lovely Mackintosh exhibition. There's a 6th floor viewing platform, but you can also go to the 3rd floor and climb to the top of the viewing tower - which gives you phenomenal views of all of Glasgow. It really is something you must see! There's a cafe, a bar and a gift shop all included, and I genuinely can't believe I hadn't discovered this sooner! Go see it if you haven't already!

Me and my partner both love exploring new places (especially if they were free) so the Lighthouse was a must. The main thing that made me want to visit was because they had a top floor which had a view over Glasgow. The building interior looked cool when we entered, basic and simple designs so it wasn't overwhelming. We were told by the lady at the reception that there were exhibitions on certain floors so we were looking forward to see them. We went to the top floor first as I really wanted to see what sort of view it gave over Glasgow, the actually floor is quite small with some chairs but the view was definitely nice. The rest of the journey was somewhat..underwhelming to be honest. There weren't many exhibitions as a couple of floors were closed, and the floors that did have exhibitions weren't very interesting. I'd probably come back if there was something interesting going on next time.

Tucked away off Buchanan Street, the Lighthouse is a bit of a Glasgow gem. Part of the fun of it is the walk to get to it down Mitchell Lane - the neon lights that show you the way make it feel like a bit of an adventure, and it does make it feel like you're on your way to somewhere cool and interesting. Like all galleries, the ground floor has a pretty good shop. It's got a lot of the usual gallery nick nacks (lots of Rennie Mackintosh, naturally for a site that he designed), but has a lot of cool stuff, including a small Irn Bru section if you like Scotland's other national drink. There is a hell of a lot of gallery space here, and there is usually a main paid for exhibition in place. This was a Paul Smith retrospective when I was there, but i have also seen School of Art stuff here as well. It's a nice space to look at stuff - it lets in good amount of light, and doesn't overpower the art that's there. Another main draw is the view from the top floor. You get a great view of the Glasgow skyline there, and if you're a local or a tourist, it's a great way to get an overview of the city centre. I haven't been in the cafe in ages, so I can't comment on how good it is, and it's probably the reason I'm leaving off the final star. I probably don't go here enough, either to enjoy the art or to just sit and enjoy the view on a nice day. I think I'll be back soon.

Visited here for the first time in many years on Saturday for the Disappearing Glasgow exhibition. This was mainly very well made compelling film footage of the destruction of the Red Road and Plean Street flats and an excellent 10 minute film of the Jaconelli family being the last remaining resident in their Dalmarnock area. Took a trip to the top of the Mackintosh Tower where despite the rainy weather was well worth the jelly legs later!

I was introduced to The Lighthouse by a good friend of mine who works there. Every week or so he would inform me of the current and upcoming exhibitions and the history and details behind them. His enthusiasm was infectious. Nestled in Mitchell Lane, just off Buchanan Street, it is definitely worth a visit especially on a Saturday when entry is free. Be sure to endure the climb up the small, winding staircase to the tower where you will see a different, almost unrecognisable, Glasgow. Spectacular. It has recently gone into administration and I urge people to turn it into a thriving museum once again.

Hidden up Mitchell Lane just off bustling Buchanan Street is this beautiful adapted Charles Rennie Mackintosh building. Originally built to house the Glasgow Herald offices, this hidden gem is now a centre promoting design. A changing programme of design and architecture-themed exhibitions is displayed in the several floors of gallery space ( look out for the bijoux exhibition by Glasgow jewellery designers the Garnet Collective until the end of September '16). One floor is dedicated to Mackintosh with an excellent overview of his life and work. A highlight of any visit should be the rooftop view of the city you get from the viewing platform at the topmost stop on the lift, but for the more adventurous and fitter visitor climb the staircase that winds up the inside of the former water tower to come out at the very very top of the building. You exit onto a stone terrace that encircles the tower in the open air from where you get a close-up view of the finer points of Mackintosh's eye for detail, and a 360 degree look at Glasgow's skyline. There is a cafe on the top floor and a gift shop on the ground floor, which is awash with 'Mockintosh' souvenirs (hence only 4 stars), although if you look carefully you will find a nice selection of contemporary design items. I bought a beautiful little bowl by Kevin Andrew Morris for a very reasonable £15 recently. Entrance is free but some exhibitions such as the recent Paul Smith show have a charge.

"To the lighthouse!" we declared on our last day in Glasgow. Like Virginia Woolf's novel, this tall, tucked-away gallery celebrates the value of art and design in a well-curated, modern setting. We were both so enchanted by the sci-fi exhibit on the first floor, we didn't have any time left to get around the rest of the museum. More's the pity. The cafe was average. Decent toasties but uneven service - I had to fetch my own tea! The outrage! Poor Mars bar crispy. Would love to return someday to explore the rest of the floors and the spiral staircase. Darn that sci-fi exhibition for being so ruddy engrossing.

Great view of Glasgow at the top. If you like architecture and design come here!

Love this place! Highly recommend a trip here on a sunny clear Glasgow day (y'know, that one a year that we get) and trek up the beautiful spiral staircase to the top of the lighthouse... That view - wow! Also worth keeping an eye out for are the regular craft markets (normally run by the amazing Tea Green ladies) and the occasional Lighthouse Late events! Lighthouse Late are amazing as for your amazing value ticket price you get live music, a couple of free drinks (generally from Scottish companies - the caorunn gin at the last one was amaaaazing), tea green market and a tea green upcycling station. So much fun, and introducing a whole new crowd to The Lighthouse!

I've been here a few times for meetings, coffee & to see exhibitions but today's it was solely for Doors Open Day. Going through the shop on the ground floor, which has been revamped and more of a gallery shop with a mix of Macintosh, cards & scarves, I took the lift up to the 6th floor viewing room. It was busy but the views over Glasgow was good & we were encouraged to draw on the windows. Here's a wee video I made of it http://ktch.tv/2lMf. On the other floors they had opened up the Macintosh exhibition (there's normally a charge) which I can recommend. Being an architecture & design museum the exhibition may seem small but it's crammed with info, models of his work and some furniture. There was also a designer market run by Green Tea. All the goods are made in Scotland & I think they are there on regular basis. Not cheap but very good quality so worth it. Def worth a visit & look out for Lighthouse Lates where they put on music, events & markets in the evening.

I really love dropping by The Lighthouse, and always recommend it to visitors to the city. Where to start... The galleries of ever-changing exhibitions? gift shop? café?, viewing pod? open-air turret? Mackintosh exhibition? It's all good :) The funky gallery and Scottish centre for architecture is a calm oasis just off bustling Buchanan Street. Housed in the former Glasgow Herald offices the glass-fronted atrium features asymmetric escalators whisking visitors to the galleries. But take a moment to browse the ground floor gift shop, a great place for unusual cards, housewares and gifts. The exhibitions are mostly all free and tend to focus on architecture and the built environment, but not exclusively. The permanent Mackintosh gallery is popular with visitors, and from here you can ascent the 100+ step spiral staircase to the awesome open-air 360-degree viewing turret. There's another viewing space on the 6th floor; accessible by lift, perfect if you're less mobile, or the weather isn't playing nice! An extensive library of sustainable building materials is another permanent feature at the Lighthouse. An outstanding resource for self-builders or renovators wanting to use environmentally sound and effective products in their building projects. Even if you're not building your own home, it's still a fascinating resource worth checking out. Lastly, make sure and visit the café. Light and airy, it's the perfect place for a relaxing coffee away from the city centre crowds. Free wifi too!

The Lighthouse is a gallery and event space dedicated to architecture and design and I think it's a must see if you're interested in those subjects. It's tucked away off Buchanan Street (look out for the neon signs!) in the old Herald newspaper building. The building itself is quite wonderful with a viewing platform on the top floor and a huge spiral staircase in one of the towers. There are several galleries and there's always an exhibition or two that you can visit. There's also a permanent gallery dedicated to Charles Rennie MacKintosh. The Doocot Cafe on the top floor used to do excellent food but the catering is now run by Encore who do the food for most Glasgow Life museums. It's pretty basic but you can still get a soup, sandwich or baked potato and it's a nice space to take a break after wandering round the galleries. However I'd probably recommend having lunch elsewhere as there are lots of better options nearby. The gift shop has changed too but is still really good. It used to be run by Tojo but now seems to be dedicated to Scottish design products like Gillian Kyle and of course there are lots of Mackintosh souvenirs. I sometimes pop in just for a look around the shop, especially if I'm searching for a gift.

Do not miss this! Doesn't matter how big a city or town is, there is always something there that you shouldn't miss. In Glasgow, this is it. Like most good things in Glasgow, The Lighthouse is hidden down Mitchell Lane. Find it. Plan to spend at least an hour exploring this free museum. Wear your walking shoes and scale the spiral staircase to the top as the views are spectacular! Don't miss the Rennie Mackintosh exhibit! So inspiring and informative! AND if you're visiting from the US, don't miss the information signs next to the lift, especially the bathroom/toilet signs.

Ahem, excuse me Yelp, I think you'll find that I've already reviewed this place *clicks through reviews...* Oh, i've not. Oh, my bad. Swiftly on and on and on and on and on and on... sorry, caught in a loop there. This place then. Hidden. Aye, that's a good word to start this review off with. Pure hidden if you want to dive right in with some local language thrown into the mix. Pure hidden culture and stuff. Papped right off the 'mighty ooft, bust much' insanity of Buchanan Street, this is a mix of cafe, arty/chic gift shop (bring yer credit car, sell the weans, steal... don't steal!), exhibition space, exhibitions, excellent interior architecture/design and kick ass views. Not bad for something that quite a few folks know nothing about. Lacks the final fifth star until I've actually properly checked out the cafe and it's quality of coffee. If my fears are correct, it'll follow the format of most council funded building and be, for want of a better word, shite.

The Lighthouse is a fantastic addition to Glasgow's museums; a little gem that I wish I'd discovered earlier. This museum nurtures, champions and promotes Scotland's architecture and design by holding a range of projects, exhibitions, events, networks, festivals, awards and publications. This building, tucked down a close off Buchannan street has sleek modern interiors, a cafe and excellent gift shop. If you're particularly interested in Rennie Mackintosh, this place is a must. The highlight for me however is the viewing deck at the top of the building which provides a truly spectacular panoramic view of Glasgow's skyline, allowing you to fully recognise and appreciate the remarkable, diverse architecture in this city.

A Rennie Mc. inspired museum this I would have to say could easly be described as on of glasgows hidden secrets despite its smallish size it makes up for in content with what it has on show about what the building was previously used for, Rennie Macintosh, wee café near the top & a viewing gallery right at the top of the building. Though despite being tucked away in a little side street with a couple of pubs a maybe a resraunt weither it be just me but it would proberly be wise either to avoid this wee side street at a certain time on weekends or me just being slightly paranoid about enclosed darkened wee side streets (too many horror movies I guess).

The Glasgow museum of all things design and architecture. Also a gift shop for beautiful things I can't afford, and a viewing platform for one of the best views of this fine city there is. The design of the interior is tiled and cool and I like it. You tend to find conferences and pecha kucha type events and all sorts in here. Used to be independent, then there were some money issues, and now it's run by / with Glasgow CC. Which is a funny arrangement, but it seems to work. Oh! Cafe's decent too. I love that it's hidden away, that you can go to Bar 10 for a pint before / after an event, that there are cool things to buy for presents here, that the escalators switch direction depending on the time of day. Worth a look.

The Lighthouse is an absolutely incredible piece of Glasgow architecture, and probably my favourite museum. Tucked away on Mitchell Lane beside Bar Soba and across from Bar 10, it's a very chic, modern wee venture that holds the most amazing museum gift shop in history. The first level is indoors with a full glass window. It looks out over Buchanan Street, and on a clear day you can see farther out across the city than you can imagine. It made me oddly nostalgic for our industrial city. Upstairs there are televisions screening a documentary about Glasgow and its transformation from the Victorian era to present day, which is amazing to watch and is not overly long. The highlight is, indubitably, the Mackintosh tower, which boasts incredible panoramic views of the city. It's worth braving the spiral staircase for a good look! You'll see Glasgow in a whole new light. The Lighthouse is Scotland's centre for Architecture and Design, but due to financial difficulties it was recently sold to the council for £1. Here's hoping it is kept running as it is now - it's more than worth a visit!

Really neat space for events. Attended BlytheConUK here and thought it was really well set-up by the Lighthouse people for the event organizers to finish up with the little details. I hosted a workshop in one of the gallery/conference rooms on the 4th floor and the lighting was atrocious, however. Trying to teach about sewing when there were no lights that illuminated the central part of the room over the tables was tricky. Overall, a great space. There's a cafe, funky gift shop, and a beautiful viewing gallery with stunning vistas of central Glasgow.

We had our company Christmas night out here, a very nice venue but I'd be wary of rushing back. The venue is good, a big room on the fifth floor with a warehouse feel, and a separate bar area was more than enough room for us, especially as a lot of people couldn't make it due to the atrocious weather. The bar itself wasn't the best, no draft beer and a limited choice of spirits, and obviously the bar staff wasn't fully trained as we had to tell them what was in some of the drinks. The food wasn't great, a rather bland tomato soup was followed by the usual Christmas fare, bacon wrapped turkey, overcooked brussels and undercooked potatoes. Dessert was a buffet style selection of (obviously) bought in party treats. The staff were friendly enough if a bit haphazard, a sure sign of seasonal staff hiring if ever I saw it (not begrudging students earning a bit of spare cash of course). All in all, it was ok. Low expectations were met which is a shame because the event had lived up to the impression the venue makes it could've been something special. Oh well, roll on Christmas 2014!

Interesting history and great city views. You can go up in the tower, it is a spiral staircase to the top from the 3rd floor, and have a 360 degree view of the city. Each floor has art displays - I enjoyed the history on the 3rd floor, with Mackintosh design models, chairs, etc.

Oh yes, the view from the top is spectacular. The gift shop has all sorts of expensive and cool design products. It has a series of escalators. There is even an exhibition of MacIntosh photographs. But... For what it is- a series of short exhibitions, often about design classics- think furniture- or modern trends, The Lighthouse is not that vital. It was part of one of Glasgow's various attempts to become a classy city, but is tucked away down a lane, and so doesn't really get the sort of walk past attention it would need to become beloved. The atmosphere is sterile, the staff friendly enough, but it strikes me as a triumph of style over substance- which might have been the point, perhaps.

This is free on Saturdays, and on a clear day you can see many of Glasgow's fine attractions, including Celtic Park. However, last time I visited they only had two floors of exhitibitons open, and of those, the exhibitions were very small. There is a relatively large spiral staircase which is accessible from the Mackintosh (permenant exhibition) floor which takes you up to the outside viewing platform... which is not for people without a good head for heights!

Part of Glasgow's architectural heritage, The Lighthouse is a down-the-rabbit-hole world within a world. Tucked away off a major shopping drag, the original bits of this multi-storeyed building were part of the Glasgow Herald newspaper, as well as being a creation of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The more modern parts are from the 1990s (I believe) and bring light and space to the older brick structure. The journey up is via a stack of escalators that deposit you on successive landings, some of which lead to gallery spaces, some to workshops and studios. Getting back down is a bit more tricky - the stairs are relatively well hidden by comparison. I was mainly here to see MAKLab, which occupies a large space on the first floor. MAKLab exists to offer space, expertise and kit to folk who want to creative stuff. From 3D printers to vinyl cutters and lathes all they lack is your creativity - so get along and get stuck in. It's a very collaborative environment, with different people helping each other and getting trained on the different equipment. Because of the type of kit on hand they welcome projects that have small print runs: use the 3D printers to produce a prototype, or some work for an event. It's an innovative mix of technology, social network and sustainable project (which they hope to take to the rest of Scotland). That, then, is one example of the work going on in this building. You can also learn about the building itself in a permanent exhibition, learn about Glasgow in some of the other spaces and if you've got a mind to it you could probably put on your own exhibitions and happenings. Oh, and there's a cafe way up high and a viewing platform even higher.

There can be few visitors to Glasgow who haven't heard of one of it's famous sons, the architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, or glimpsed his trademark geometric designs and stylised flowers which can be seen in places such as the famous Willow Tea Rooms; the Glasgow School of Art and Scotland Street School, to name but three. On a recent visit to Glasgow, I discovered another Mackintosh 'gem', quite by chance. Staying overnight in a Glasgow hotel, and flicking through some of the tourist literature in the foyer, I found a brochure about 'The Lighthouse', describing it as Scotland's Centre for Architecture, Design and the City and, on reading further, I discovered that if I took along the leaflet, it would entitle me to purchase two tickets for entry into The Lighthouse for the price of one. Normally £3 per adult, I decided to take up the offer. Located in the heart of Glasgow, but tucked away in a back lane off Buchanan Street, The Lighthouse is a skilful reincarnation of the former Glasgow Herald building which had been commissioned by Mackintosh in 1895. When the Glasgow Herald newspaper moved to Albion Street in 1980, the old building in Mitchell Street lay empty and derelict for a decade. Glasgow was awarded the title 'UK City of Architecture' in 1999. With the aid of £13 million, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the rescued building evolved into 'The Lighthouse', a spacious six-storey arts and exhibition centre high of ceiling and brightly welcoming. Regularly showcasing and promoting contemporary Scottish and international designers and architecture, there is something for everyone child and adult, arts buff or vaguely curious. There is a constantly changing programme of events and exhibitions so, if you are planning a visit to Glasgow and fancy taking a trip to The Lighthouse, visit their website at http://www.thelighthouse.co.uk for an up-to-date programme. The highlight of the visit, for me, was the old Mackintosh water tower, now transformed with a 137-stepped helical staircase. It's a steep climb and not for those afraid of heights, but I beg you to make the effort because once you get to the top and step out onto the platform you will be rewarded with the most breathtaking views of Glasgow's stunning cityscape. After the unexpected exercise of the climb and descent of the spiral staircase, refreshment is most definitely in order and fortunately, the centre also has it's own restaurant/bar, the Doocot, on Level 5. The food was something of a pleasant surprise, ranging from typically Scottish to dishes of a more cosmopolitan flavour. From a traditional Scottish soup of Cullen Skink, to a most un-tartan offering of tasty Thai Salad, there is definitely something for everyone's taste, including vegetarians. All freshly made on the premises, you can choose from soups, sandwiches, pastas, salads, the delicious 'house special', the Dootcot Salcicia burgers or scones and tea. Prices vary, depending on your choice. Again, if you visit the website, you can find the Doocot menu and get an idea of the prices. A highly recommended visit. Entrance fee varies - but it's free on Saturdays! Access: All levels of the building are fully accessible via lift except the Mackintosh Tower which can only be accessed by climbing stairs. There is an induction loop at reception. Call or speak to a staff member about access enquiries. Tickets and information: 0141 221 6362 enquiries@thelighthouse.co.uk http://www.thelighthouse.co.uk The Lighthouse 11 Mitchell Lane Glasgow G1 3NU Summary: A education but fun introduction to contemporary Scottish & International arts & design

Nice eclectic collection of free exhibitions + view.

The photographer in me led me to the The Lighthouse to see the Britain form Above (aerial photography) exhibition. First of all, the wow factor you get wandering about the spaces in the building is one you really must witness. The exhibits on show are images from the past that ranged from The Queen Mary afloat just after launch, to local power stations in Lanarkshire, to Jute Mills in Dundee, not to forgetting all points in between. It was a pleasant event that encouraged conversation between strangers 'young' enough to remember some of the places on view. All the walking and talking built and appetite, so I popped up to The Doocot cafe on level 5 for some sustenance which was tasty and easy on the pocket.

well this was interesting, once we found it, hidden up a small lane as it is. We went for a snacl and the view but also discovered and enjoyed the Mackintosh exhibition.

the lighthouse glasgow is a fantastic gallery/exhibition on 4 floors promoting art & design from all over europe and is available for private/small event hire - which I can personally recommend - used it for a distinctly different graduate milk-run - bar/catering provided it is centrally located just off argyle street/buchanan street in a building which originally used to house the glasgow herald newspaper there is a lovely cafe on the top floor where you can climb up into a little turret for a great view on a nice day there is also a shop with an eclectic choice of gifts, books, furniture, CRM artefacts

I'm not really interested in design and architecture but i like this place. I liked the atmosphere and the building itself. I was a bit disappointed most of the exhibitions were closed and there was just the Mackintosh but open to visitors. However, the £2 student fare is well worth it, be it only for the view from the top floor and from the little tower. I think I'll go back someday with more time, just to have a rest in the nice modern chairs installed in the top floor

Popped in to see the High Street exhibition having not been in for far too long. It's a shame the design shop upstairs closed though the ground floor store still offers some cool alternative gift ideas.I stand drooling at the Eames chair with footstool for £6k. One day maybe.

I used to rave about the Doocot Cafe on the 5th floor of the Lighthouse Museum but alas and alack it is either under new management nowadays or has cutback on the menu and quality of the food. O me miserum one of the best coffee stop in the city centre has lost its way...

The Lighthouse is a multi-storey exhibition centre for architecture and design. If you visit during the weekends you'll be able to visit for free. And if you want a view of the city go to their top floor and have a good gaze at the city. There's a bar/restaurant and a rather nice gift shop. A nice place to visit.

i love the lighthouse! the exhibitions are always fantastic and change often enough to encourage repeat visits, and now that it is free on a saturday there really is no excuse not to go (£4 the rest of the time is still fantastic value - i would pay that just for the views from the top and the chance to walk about the building). the doocot cafe is great even though it doesnt seem to do the crispy gnocci starter it used to and the shop is great for gettting gifts (for others or yourself). the mackintosh section is good for tourists or people who are interested in his work. it is down the same lane of buchanan st as bar 10 and soba.