Merchant City is located within Glasgow City Centre and is just a few minutes walk east of the city’s main shopping streets of Buchanan Street and Argyle Street as well as the city’s main line railway stations.
From Buchanan Street: about halfway down Buchanan Street face Borders bookshop and walk under the arches either to the north or south of the shop (and the hanging signs welcoming you) into Royal Exchange Square.
From Argyle Street: Carry on east along Argyle Street until you come to the end of the pedestrian precinct with Marks and Spencer on your left hand side and cross over Glassford Street into the Merchant City.
From the south the M74 motorway links to the M8 at junction 4 which takes you then into the heart of the city; alternatively you can take the more scenic Clyde Valley Tourist Route (via the A73, A72 and A702) that offers a relaxed and scenic alternative through the South Lanarkshire countryside.
From the north the M9 motorway takes you through North Lanarkshire to Glasgow and from the east the M8 from Edinburgh travels through Glasgow city centre.
For additional information about driving in the UK including maps, route planners, and travel insurance visit the Automobile Association (AA) or the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) and for up to date traffic and roadworks information see the Traffic Scotland website.
On foot
Merchant City is a fantastic place to explore on foot with very few hills, not too much traffic and lots of great places to take a break.
From Buchanan Street: about halfway down Buchanan Street face Borders bookshop and walk under the arches either to the north or south of the shop (and the hanging signs welcoming you) into Royal Exchange Square.
From Argyle Street: Carry on east along Argyle Street until you come to the end of the pedestrian precinct with Marks and Spencer on your left hand side and cross over Glassford Street into the Merchant City.
By Car
The Merchant City is easily accessed by car from the City’s inner ring road, the M8 and from the rest of the road network. There is a large number of car parks in the area including NCP Glasshouse (tel 0141 552 8669) on Glassford Street, Q Park on Candleriggs and Albion Street and two car parks on the east side of the High Street in addition to metered on-street parking throughout the area.
From the south the M74 motorway links to the M8 at junction 4 which takes you then into the heart of the city; alternatively you can take the more scenic Clyde Valley Tourist Route (via the A73, A72 and A702) that offers a relaxed and scenic alternative through the South Lanarkshire countryside.
From the north the M9 motorway takes you through North Lanarkshire to Glasgow and from the east the M8 from Edinburgh travels through Glasgow city centre.
For additional information about driving in the UK including maps, route planners, and travel insurance visit the Automobile Association (AA) or the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) and for up to date traffic and roadworks information see the Traffic Scotland website.
By Bus
A large number of operators have stops in the Merchant City with main stops on the Trongate and Glasgow Cross. These include First Bus and also City Sightseeing Tours which has two stops in the area (one outside Merchant Square and another at St Andrews Square).
By Train and Underground
Glasgow Central Station is a key hub in the national rail network and provides excellent onward travel within Greater Glasgow and the Clyde Valley and the rest of the UK from Virgin trains and National Express East Coast. To get to the Merchant City from the station take the north exit to Gordon Street and turn right and walk three blocks until you face Borders book shop on Buchanan Street and cross under the arches into Merchant City.
Glasgow Queen Street Station is the second main line station situated in the city centre. First Scotrail provides excellent links to areas in and around Greater Glasgow. An Express service to Edinburgh takes under 50 minutes and runs every 15 minutes. To get to the Merchant City from the station walk out the main entrance across George Square and either straight down Queen Street till you see Royal Exchange Square on your right and Ingram Street on your left or turn left across George Square till you face the City Chambers – you are now at the edge of the area.
There are also two local railway stations immediately adjacent to the area; High Street which serves trains on the North Clyde Line and Argyle Street that runs on the Argyle line.
For information on rail travel within the UK contact 24 hour National Rail Enquiries Line on 08457 48 49 50.
The city’s underground also has two stations close to the area; Buchanan Street (take the travelator to Queen Street Station and follow the directions above) and St Enoch which is at the junction of Buchanan Street and Argyle Street (walk out the north entrance and turn right along Argyle Street and walk east until you come to the end of the pedestrian precinct with Marks and Spencer on your left hand side and cross over Glassford Street into the Merchant City.)
By Air
Glasgow International Airport is located just eight miles (13 kilometres) south west of Glasgow City Centre and combined with Edinburgh airport (less than one hour away) services direct flights from many European cities, including the key hubs of Amsterdam, Brussels, Copenhagen, Frankfurt and Paris. You can take either a regular bus or taxis to Glasgow City Centre.
Glasgow Prestwick International Airport is located thirty miles (48 kilometres) south of Glasgow. A railway station is adjacent to the airport with regular direct trains to Glasgow Central Station in the city centre.
