Featured Image Credit: The Climbing Academy / Chris Houston
With facilities like the Glasgow Climbing Centre, set up in a converted church, it’s fair to say that Scotland’s biggest city is something of a mecca for indoor climbers in the UK.
Scotland’s got it’s fair share of iconic outdoor climbing spots of course. From the treacherous ice climbs of Ben Nevis to the sea cliffs of the Shetland Islands, the country really has got some of the most extraordinary climbs anywhere in the British Isles.
Climbing’s seen a global spike in popularity recently, largely thanks to the epic National Geographic film ‘Free Solo’. This is as true in Glasgow as it elsewhere in the UK. And while becoming the British Alex Honnold / one upping Dave Macleod by free soloing Nevis’s notorious Echo Wall might be a bit of a way off for you at the moment, it’s practice that makes perfect with climbing and Glasgow has plenty of places to practice.
The Climbing Academy has opened two separate climbing centres in the city in the past eight years, with one of them being in an old BBC props cupboard. If that doesn’t sound interesting enough, there’s also a climbing gym in an old church and another where you can jump directly from a fifteen metre platform (strapped in of course) all the way to the ground.
When the long nights come, and the weather turns cold, there’s no need to hide your climbing shoes and chalk bags for the winter as Glasgow really does have a lot to offer in the way of indoor climbing. So, In no particular order, here’s a rundown of the places you can climb indoors in Scotland’s biggest city:
