The Geography of Glasgow
On a world map, the coordinates of Glasgow are approximately 55.8 degrees north latitude and 4.3 degrees west longitude. The city is in the central lowlands of western Scotland and straddles the River Clyde; it is a unitary authority in its own right and has the largest population in Scotland. The city’s population of nearly 580,000 lives in an area of 17,459 hectares, giving a population density of around 33 people per hectare, making it the most densely populated area in the country.
The River Clyde is the city’s most significant geographical feature. The river is the third longest in Scotland and the eighth longest in Great Britain. Beginning in the Lowther Hills in south Lanarkshire, it flows for 106 miles (176 km) and becomes the Firth of Clyde about 6 miles (10 km) east of Glasgow. As the river flows through the city, it is wide and deep enough that a major port has developed, later also becoming famous for shipbuilding. The river was known to be fordable around the High Street – Saltmarket area in medieval times.
Developed from the conglomerate of farms and fishing farms along the banks of the River Clyde, at its height in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the population of the city of Glasgow exceeded one million people. Geologically, Glasgow is quite complex. The surface geology of the city is mainly stony silty clay about 10 m thick. However, to the north and east in particular there are also pockets of sand and gravel, all of which were deposited when the ice sheets retreated at the end of the Quaternary period. The dominant bedrock in Glasgow is Carboniferous limestone, with measures of Carboniferous coal, mainly to the north of the city. Being in the Central Lowlands, the city lies in a rift valley of Paleozoic deposits. In Victoria Park, workers exposed fossilized tree stumps of Carboniferous age in 1887. These sandstone casts are now encased to preserve them from the weather and can be viewed in the park from April to September. The highest elevation in the city is below 100m around the Stepps area northeast of the city limit. In the immediate vicinity of the city centre, the height above sea level averages about 20m, while along the banks of the River Clyde it averages about 6m. Although it only has an elevation of about 30m, some of the best views of the city can be seen from Queens Park, south of the city center at Pollokshields.
Some Glaswegians try to claim that Glasgow is drier than any other city in the UK. Unfortunately, this is simply not the case. In fact, when it comes to rain, Glasgow is a clear winner in terms of being the wettest city in Britain. While other coastal cities in Britain can expect up to 900mm of rain a year, on average over a twenty year period, Glasgow receives 1400mm a year. This precipitation is also distributed over more days than in any other city in the country: 180 days a year. This high level of rainfall is due to Glasgow’s proximity to the west coast of Scotland and the fact that most of the weather in the British Isles, and therefore Scotland, arrives with the prevailing winds from the North Atlantic. Of importance to Glasgow in this matter is that, given its northern latitude, it does not receive any protection from the Irish landmass in terms of rainfall. However, the North Atlantic Ocean has a beneficial effect on the climate in Glasgow, as the North Atlantic Drift maintains its blanket effect throughout the year, helping to keep the temperature well above what would be expected without its warming effects. Average January temperatures of 4oC and July temperatures of up to 20oC are not uncommon and are considerably higher than in many other parts of the British Isles and Scotland. However, in the winter, Glasgow is susceptible to extremely cold and snowy weather that blows from the arctic region to the northwest.
At an average price of £141,000, homes in Glasgow are slightly below the national Scottish average of around £150,000. As with most UK cities, the prevailing wind is from the west. Therefore, any pollution generated by the city is washed from west to east. Subsequently, in most UK cities, the ‘cleanest’ air will be found in the western suburbs, while in general the industrial heartland of UK cities will be to the east and north of the city . That said, the most expensive individual home in Glasgow is in the south-east suburb of Carmunnock. However, this is a relatively new phenomenon and has more to do with easy access to the motorway system and the proximity, and relative ease of travel for business travellers, to the west of Edinburgh and the south of England. However, the area to the west of the city is traditionally the most expensive overall. This is the area where you can’t buy a house for less than £100,000 and the average for the area is £170,000, compared to £125,000 for the South East area.