Glasgow is home to a labyrinth of old tunnels that criss-cross and intersect across the city - most of which now lie abandoned and forgotten.
In this article we wanted to remember the labyrinth of tunnels that lay derelict beneath our feet - from cold-war era mining tunnels underneath the city centre to the ‘catacombs’ beneath Glasgow Central.
Look below for our list detailing some of the hidden tunnels you can find below Glasgow!
5. The Shieldhall Tunnel (and its Saint)
This tunnel runs for more than three miles from Craigton to Queen’s Park, under Bellahouston and Pollok parks, and was constructed to help improve river water quality and tackle flooding in parts of the city. It was Scottish Water’s £100m project and was part of the biggest upgrade in the Greater Glasgow area’s waste water infrastructure since Victorian times. This tunnel runs for more than three miles from Craigton to Queen’s Park, under Bellahouston and Pollok parks, and was constructed to help improve river water quality and tackle flooding in parts of the city. It was Scottish Water’s £100m project and was part of the biggest upgrade in the Greater Glasgow area’s waste water infrastructure since Victorian times. | Robert Perry
6. General Post Office tunnel network
At the junction of Cathedral Street and North Hanover Street a curious standalone building once served as a lift shaft which connects street level to a series of tunnels. The expansive network runs from the Royal Infirmary to the telephone exchange, or ‘Dial House’, on Bothwell Street and runs beneath the city’s subway lines. The telephone exchange is at the heart of the network and was commissioned by the General Post Office (GPO) to host the general processor for the west of Scotland. Built in the 1950s with the Cold War in mind, the exchange was built to withstand a nuclear bomb attack on Glasgow. Rumours surround the web of tunnels with some claiming that they served as an escape route for GPO staff to a bomb shelter under George Square - although the rumour of a nuclear bunker or emergency room underneath George Square or the City Chambers is unsubstantiated. | Contributed
7. University of Glasgow Tunnels
The University of Glasgow has a tunnel that runs from University of Avenue to the flagpole - mainly used for service works for the University. More interesting is the supposed network of old mine tunnels that run underneath the University of Glasgow - as Hillhead was once littered with coal mines in the mid eighteenth century prior to the move by Glasgow Uni from High Street. Rumour has it that the University of Glasgow still has access to these tunnels, and some folk will even tell you that they use the old tunnels for storage - this is of course unsubstantiated. | Contributed