The Lighthouse Viewing Platform

Inside The Lighthouse—Scotland's Centre for Design and Architecture—a narrow spiral staircase leads to one of Glasgow's best-kept viewpoint secrets. Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed this building in 1893 as offices for the Glasgow Herald, and his distinctive water tower still rises above Mitchell Lane. Climb the helical stair (143 steps) to reach the viewing platform encircling the tower top. The 360-degree views are spectacular: the Campsie Fells to the north, the River Clyde snaking west, Glasgow Cathedral's Gothic spires, and the grid-pattern streets of the city center spreading below. Unlike many viewing platforms, this one is rarely crowded—most visitors to The Lighthouse never discover it. The platform itself is narrow, intimate, and vertiginous, with only a modest railing between you and the drop. Information boards identify landmarks, and the Mackintosh Tower's distinctive architectural details reward close examination. The staircase experience is remarkable too—Mackintosh's design creates a mesmerizing upward spiral. Best visited on clear days when visibility extends to distant hills.