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Savour the Burrell Collection
and its world-famous
treasures
Learn why the Burrell Collection
is the single greatest gift
ever given to Glasgow
The Lowdown | History | Don't miss... | Getting there | Gallery
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 Yet another museum - is it all worth it?!!
Well in my opinion the answer to that is yes, although I'm pretty sure you'll have worked out already that if I didn't think it was worth spending a few hours there, right now you'd be reading about something else!
As I suggested elsewhere on the site, when it comes to museums and art galleries, Glasgow has always seemed to get it right. I mean, walking around a quiet museum glaring at random objects may not be your cup of tea, but all I'll say is that the Burrell Collection captivates the curious attention of hundreds of thousands of visitors every year (surely they can't all be wrong!), helping Glasgow strengthen its worthy position as by far the most visited and loved destination in Scotland.
One of the reasons this City is so magnetic for tourists is that places like the Burrell museum continue each & every day to inspire and delight, so even if visiting a place like this isn't something you'd plan to do usually, I reckon that just a short detour here may well end up spreading some indulgently-rich icing on the already gratifying cake of your time spent in Glasgow.
Wow, there's a surprise Docherty - thinking about food for a change!
So anyway, before I hurtle ravenously towards that obvious mirage of profiteroles on the horizon there, I think I'd better get back to the plot.
It's as simple as this - head to the Burrell Collection if you've got some time to spare. Take the kids, watch their eyes dazzle in the astonishment that adults so tragically grow out of. Take the ol' parents. Make a day of it in Pollok and the experience as a whole might just cram full of wonder the memory card in your camera and your mind for years to come. The Burrell Collection really is that enjoyable, even if delving into world history normally isn't your thing.
Take a look below to learn more...
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 A lasting gift to the City
He may not have had pockets as deep as Getty or Hearst, but Sir William Burrell (1861-1958) definitely knew his stuff when it came to collectors' items.
Burrell's been referred to before as the Indiana Jones of his day, although to be more accurate (yeah, spoil the fun why don't you) he was more interested in buying off traders than being chased by wild fanatical tribes baying for his heart!
That said, he's still universally considered as having been years ahead of his time, having belied his shy, conservative demeanour and pioneered almost single-handedly the innovative trend of heavily researching & recovering extremely indiscrete Kangxi wares, Han and Tang burial figures, magical artefacts from the Song and Ming dynasties, remnants from the Bronze Age and much, much more.
Now, to our eyes this might not seem particularly significant at all, but that's because we live in an age where everything is presented to us on a plate, or more to the point behind a glass case with a horribly brief description beside it that usually insults its historical context & importance. What has to be remembered here is that by the time Burrell simply gifted his entire collection to the City of Glasgow in 1944, what was included here were items & artefacts that had never before been witnessed in the western world, America included, never mind only in Glasgow.
For example, in an era where competition between curators was fierce and where museums relied on many collectors to fill their halls, one little lad fae Glesca with no specialist knowledge managed to bring under the one roof one of the most comprehensive and respected gatherings of Chinese ceramics & artefacts ever collected.
An astounding achievement by any standard, methinks.
So Burrell had an eye on the preservation of what he'd amassed when he commanded that if the City wanted to show it all off, it'd have to be done in a building well away from the pollution of the City Centre (which at that time was completely smog-ridden from the shipyards). It took some time therefore, but we finally managed to find a pocket of finely-aired excellence in what is now known as (and has won awards for being) the best park in Europe, Pollok Country Park.
The Burrell Collection opened in 1983 and houses around 9,000 items of magnificence. It was designed to be an L of a building (eh? eh?...) which appears pretty unremarkable when you walk up to it but opens up its beauty once you're within its walls, with the ancient stonework of the doorways built respectfully into the contemporary halls, and the intensive rays of light emanating from the vast array of windows and zapping away any thought that this is just another dusty & out-dated museum.
Take some time to breathe in some of that history when you visit therefore, and try to imagine what it would have been like not only during the times of the works on display, but also when Sir William Burrell put his hand in his pocket and purchased for us all a new world of amazement.
Cheersanawrat Billy eh?
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 What not to miss...
You enter the Burrell Collection through a shop, but don't let that put you off, because you can just ignore it and visit it again on your way out. The first delight you come to is the courtyard, which introduces Emperor Hadrian's famous Warwick Vase from the 2nd Century, and you'll also see some bronze Rodin sculptures.
Once you're through the magnificent doorway out of the courtyard, it's over to you to explore as I don't want to ruin the experience for you. The Burrell Glasgow has art and artefacts from Ancient Egypt stemming back to 332 BC; stunning remnants from Ancient Greece & Rome; gothic reconstructions from Sir Billy's Hutton Castle; paintings by Degas, Cézanne and Boudin; Chinese art including fantastic Neolithic burial urns & furniture you'd never see in a department store (!); medieval & religious art; Islamic art including an important collection of early carpets & rugs from the Muslim world and artefacts from age-old Turkey to India; high quality arms & armour from the 13th to the 17th century; tapestry galleries which represent one of the masterpieces of the entire Burrell Collection; and much, much more.
As I say, you should really try to find it all out for yourself, and spend some time with the items that interest you the most. My personal favourite is the Montron Arch, a late 12th century stone portal from a ruined church in Montron, France, which leads you to the floor above the restaurant (which is an attraction itself to be honest, as it's surrounded in exquisite stained glass windows and has a pretty sought-after menu - it's usually crammed with hungry patrons so I'd get a table first before you join the queue!).
So let me know your own favourites and if you've any queries that aren't answered here. I hope you enjoy your time at the Burrell Collection and become one of the significant number of people like me who return every year to witness it all over again!
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Getting there
Here's a
wee map
for starters.
The Burrell Collection is in Pollokshaws in the southside of the City, and more accurately slap bang in the midst of Pollok Country Park. If you're going by rail, jump the train at Central Station to Pollokshaws West rail station, where you'll see signposts for the short walk to the park.
By bus you can get the First Bus services 45, 47, 48 and 57 to Pollokshaws Road, opposite the main entrance to the park, and if you'll be driving your best bet is to head to the M77, exit at Junction 2 and follow the signs to the Burrell and the park.
If this and the map aren't too clear just let me know, but given that the Burrell and Pollok Park are two of the most visited attractions in Glasgow, you'll not go far to find someone who can't point you in the right direction!
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Burrell Collection Gallery
Please feel free to use any of these images yourself as per the usual copyright notice on my Photo Box page, and if you have any more of your own, just add them to my Photo Box or contact me to include it in this page.
Either way, I hope that these few images will give you a taste of what the Burrell Collection is like, although I didn't want to take too many in case you felt it'd be pointless to go there as there'd be nothing new to see (and I'm not just saying that because my camera battery was running out the last time I went there!).
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