Kelvingrove Art Gallery

''The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum houses one of Europe's great civic art collections. Since its 2003-2006 refurbishment, the museum has been the most popular free-to-enter visitor attraction in Scotland,[ and the most visited museum in the United Kingdom outside London.

The construction of Kelvingrove was partly financed by the proceeds of the 1888 International Exhibition held in Kelvingrove Park. The gallery was designed by Sir John W. Simpson and E.J. Milner Allen and opened in 1901, as the Palace of Fine Arts for the Glasgow International Exhibition held in that year. It is built in a Spanish Baroque style, follows the Glaswegian tradition of using Dumfriesshire red sandstone, and includes architectural sculpture by George Frampton, Francis Derwent Wood and other sculptors.

There is a popular myth in Glasgow, that the building was accidentally built back-to-front, and the architect jumped from one of the towers in despair, when he realised his mistake. This is only an urban myth. The grand entrance was always intended to face into Kelvingrove Park.

The museum's collections came mainly from the McLellan Galleries and from the old Kelvingrove House Museum in Kelvingrove Park. It has one of the finest collections of arms and armour in the world and a vast natural history collection.

The art collection includes many outstanding European artworks, including works by the Old Masters, French Impressionists, Dutch Renaissance, Scottish Colourists and exponents of the Glasgow School. The museum houses Christ of Saint John of the Cross by Salvador Dalí. ''

Had a girls' lunch in Glasgow today, and ended up in the Galleries, having a look at the Glasgow Boys' paintings. The day started off sunny, but descended into the usual rain pattern in the afternoon.