Growing up in a Glasgow tower: 20 pictures showing what it was like to grow up in a Glasgow high flat

For many Glaswegians their first memories will be of the high flats - these are 20 old pictures showing what life was like for those living in Glasgow towers

If you grow up in a Glasgow high flat - you'll know know just how much of a unique experience that was - today we wanted to catalogue the social history of tower living here in Glasgow.

The 60s were a transient time for Glasgow - as the city entered the dog days of its long-standing industrial heritage, accomodation saw a major upheaval as the Glasgow Corporation (now city council) sought to replace run-down tenements with more modern high-rise towers - a move that changed the face of the city.

60 years ago, housing in places like the Gorbals were classified as one of the worst slums in Europe. Overcrowding was standard in the tenements with many of the homes not having access to toilets or running water.

Tenements in the industrial areas of Glasgow were built quickly and cheaply in the 1840s - to provide housing for the booming population of lower-class heavy industry workers. The tenements housed about 40,000 people with up to eight family members sharing a single room, 30 residents sharing a toilet and 40 sharing a tap.

Take a look below as we explore the social history of the early days of living in Glasgow tower blocks in 20 pictures.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.