Tall Ship At Glasgow Harbour

I visited today with my little goddaughter and it did not disappoint! It has quite a magical air to it, and this review is purely from a «day out with an almost 4 year old» perspective. As you understand I did not take part in any tours or even have the chance read the plaques or information boards! I did gather the name of the Tall Ship is the «Glenlee» when the little one was ‘sailing the ship’ at the wheel, which is a small win I guess. We went up and around the upper deck, climbed the steep stairs up to wheel, and then up again to the other end where we rung the bell. We scrubbed the deck, toured the captains quarters which looked very fancy and of course counted all the mice that were hiding in the nooks and crannies. I have to admit, I’ve been to the Tall Ship like 5 times already and until today I didn’t even know there was a whole other world way below deck in the «cargo hold» it was amazing, so many cool activities for the little one. She made a lot of friend ferrying the «sacks» of grain up and down a conveyor belt type device, and there was even a soft play area. It just had a lovely atmosphere, and we lost track of time on this historical gem. It’s amazing to think this voyager that traipsed around the world is now somewhere the future the generation can have fun and learn their about there seafaring heritage!

I visited the Tall Ship aka the Glenlee as part of my Open Doors Weekend tour. This was my first visit to the ship and its sister attraction the Riverside Museum. It certainly is an impressive sight on a sunny day, with its 125 tall central mast poking into the riverside skyline.
I was part of a tour given by a volunteer, which at a duration of 1 hour, felt a bit long given the amount of information provided. I was interested in the ship’s history in Spain, especially as it had spent time in Seville. Unfortunately the tour didn’t really touch on that.
The ship is definitely setup as an attraction for kids as well as adults, so expect to hear the foghorn going off every few minutes as kids giggle at its noise. The bell being run frequently is something to expect too. There’s a café & gift shop in the middle deck should you wish to grab a quick bite to eat or a drink.
The damage sustained by the ship while in Spain means that a lot of the original parts have been replaced. What has been replaced has been faithfully reproduced & some of the more modern modifications by the Spanish navy kept in place.
All in all the ship is worth a visit if you’re down at the museum. It has enough general information to keep adults informed, while kids can play with some parts or even play in the on board crèche. The reason why I didn’t give a higher rating is that it just feels a bit insipid. I understand that the trust has to run the ship as an attraction, but it just felt like it was trying to appeal to everyone, without having a huge amount to offer. What I’d like to see is a bit more detail in the information on board the ship. The offer of a more detailed tour would also be of interest.

Looked nice, but boarding has ended before we arrived — the web page had said we’d be able to get on no problem. Boo!
If we re-​visit the ship and manage to get on board then I’ll re-​visit the review!

Since 1896, the Tall Ship has been in the hands of Italians and Spaniards and made countless working jaunts to the USA and Australia. Yup, it’s fair to say the old dame has been around the block a bit.
Now back in her rightful place in Glasgow, she is one of the city’s more obvious tourist attractions and has developed a strong reputation for her excellent on-​board museum. Furthermore, you will also find a range of educational programmes and exhibitions on offer here and don’t be surprised to see special events around the time of the West End festival.
For me, the Tall Ship has been a huge part of the regeneration of this area of the city. Long may it continue.

My family and me had a wonderful day out at The Tall Ship. The staff were extremely friendly, even advising us where else to visit in the city. Once on board the ship was a really fasinating, lovely trip to gift shop and cuppa before leaving. I cannot recommend highly enough including this attraction on a visit to Glasgow.

Quite an interesting way to spend a few hours — if you are interested in ships. Good for small boys to run around pretending to be pirates, and the gift shop capitalises on that with eye patches and skull and crossbones a plenty! It hires out for weddings and other privatre functions. My son went to a pirate birthday party (believe it or not!) and loved it.