Hunterian Museum & Art Gallery

If you've ever ambled up the hill to the University of Glasgow's delightful concrete library, you'll have noticed the building next door, with a little white door half way up the wall. That's The Mackintosh House, part of the Hunterian Art Gallery.

There's an entry fee for The Mackintosh House, so unless you're willing to pay up, you'll never find out why that door is there. The art gallery itself is free of charge, and is well worth a visit. It houses internationally renowned Whistler paintings, as well as works by Charles Rennie Mackintosh himself, and a changing selection of Scottish painters.

The art gallery is part of the Hunterian Museum, the main bulk of which is just across the road in the main university building, and can be an exciting place to attend a launch or showcase in the evening. There’s a certain magic to being in this beautiful gothic structure after dark, heading up through the cloisters and sipping on prosecco or beer from one of the pop-up bars they set up for after-hours events.

The recent launch of the University’s English Literature Sci-Fi course was hosted in the Hunterian Museum, with interactive exhibits celebrating comic books, Harry Potter and Scotland’s sci-fi/fantasy authors. Keep your eyes on the University website for information on upcoming events, which include the full skeleton of Trix – Europe’s first T-Rex – coming to Kelvin Hall in March 2019.