Buchanan Street facts for kids
Buchanan Street at night looking southwards, with the Donald Dewar statue overlooking.
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| Type | Commercial |
|---|---|
| Maintained by | Glasgow City Council |
| Length | 0.5 mi (0.8 km) |
| Location | Glasgow |
| Postal code | G1 |
| Nearest Glasgow Subway station | Buchanan Street Station |
| Other | |
| Known for | Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Buchanan Galleries, Princes Square, House of Fraser and Argyll Arcade. |
Buchanan Street is a very famous shopping street in Glasgow, which is the biggest city in Scotland. It's known for its many shops, especially more fancy ones. It's part of Glasgow's main shopping area. It's close to other busy streets like Argyle Street and Sauchiehall Street.
Contents
History of Buchanan Street
Buchanan Street was first planned and sold in parts in 1777. It was named after a rich merchant called Andrew Buchanan. He was a "Tobacco Lord" who owned large tobacco farms. He had also been the leader of Glasgow, called the Lord Provost.
Andrew Buchanan died in 1759. His son, James Buchanan of Drumpellier, took over the family business. After the American Revolution in 1776, the family lost a lot of money. They then started making textiles and expanding industries. Selling the land for Buchanan Street helped them recover some losses.
From the 1790s, beautiful houses were built along the street. Soon, shops, hotels, banks, and clubs also opened. One famous club was the Western Club. Another was the Athenaeum, which later became the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama.
Railways and Transport
The area north of Buchanan Street became home to Buchanan Street railway station. This was the first train station in Glasgow. It connected the city to northern Scotland. The station closed in 1966. Now, Glasgow Caledonian University is on that site.
Glasgow Queen Street station is just east of Buchanan Street. It serves trains going to the east and north of Scotland. The Buchanan Street subway station is right under the street. It also connects to Queen Street Station. Another subway station, St. Enoch, is at the south end of Buchanan Street.
Modern Changes
In 1978, the Buchanan Bus Station opened. At the same time, the middle part of Buchanan Street became a pedestrian-only area. This means only people walking can go there.
In the 1980s, the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall was built. It opened in 1990. The Buchanan Galleries shopping mall opened next to it in 1999. Also in 1999, the whole street was repaved with nice granite stones. It also got cool blue neon lights.
These changes made Buchanan Street very special. In 2008, it won the 'Great Street Award'. It beat famous streets in Dublin and London! The area near Argyle Street is popular with buskers, who are street performers.
In 2002, the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, unveiled a statue of Donald Dewar. Donald Dewar was the first leader of Scotland. This statue is the only one on Buchanan Street. More shops and homes opened on the west side of the street in 2013.
What You'll Find on Buchanan Street
At the start of Buchanan Street, near Argyle Street, you'll find some historic places. The Argyll Arcade opened in 1827. It has sixty-three shops and is Britain's oldest Victorian shopping centre. Nearby is Princes Square, a popular indoor mall. Across the street is the famous House of Fraser department store.
Buchanan Street is now completely pedestrian-only. But the streets that cross it, like St. Vincent Street and Bath Street, are still open to cars.
Royal Exchange Square
In the middle of Buchanan Street, you'll find Royal Exchange Square. This square leads to Queen Street. It's also where you'll see Nelson Mandela Place. This street was renamed to honor Nelson Mandela. Glasgow was the first city in the UK to give him the 'Freedom of the City' award.
In this area, you'll also find the St George's Tron Church and the old Glasgow Stock Exchange building. Royal Exchange Square is now home to the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA).
North End
At the north end of Buchanan Street, where it meets Sauchiehall Street, are the Buchanan Galleries. This is a large shopping mall. You'll also find the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall here. This is where the Royal Scottish National Orchestra performs.
Shopping on Buchanan Street
Buchanan Street is famous for its many different shops. You can find big flagship stores here. It's one of the most expensive streets in the United Kingdom for shop rents. Only five streets in London are more expensive!
Buchanan Street is also the second busiest shopping street in the UK. Only Oxford Street in London has more shoppers. Since 2008, Glasgow has been known as the second best shopping city in the United Kingdom, after London.
Culture on Buchanan Street
Buchanan Street and the areas around it have many cultural places to visit:
- Glasgow Royal Concert Hall - A major music venue.
- Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) - Located in Royal Exchange Square.
- The Lighthouse - A centre for architecture and design, just off Buchanan Street.
