The Tall Ship Glenlee

The Tall Ship Glenlee is a restored sailing ship moored beside the Riverside Museum on the River Clyde in Glasgow. Built on the Clyde in 1896, it carried cargo around the world and later served as a Spanish Navy training ship. You can explore the cargo hold, engine room, captain’s cabin and crew quarters, with interactive activities that bring shipboard work to life. Allow 30 minutes to an hour, or pair the visit with the neighbouring Riverside Museum for a longer outing.

A Clyde-built ship with a long career

The Glenlee was built and launched on the River Clyde in 1896 as a cargo vessel. The three-masted sailing ship carried goods around the world, making four voyages around the globe. It later became a training ship for the Spanish Navy. After its working life, the vessel was restored and returned to Glasgow, where it is now moored beside the Riverside Museum as a museum ship.

The Glenlee connects Glasgow’s maritime history with a ship visitors can walk through. The city’s shipbuilding past can feel distant along the modern Clyde; on board, the ship’s working spaces and equipment give that history a physical scale.

From the cargo hold to the captain’s cabin

The visit takes you through the ship’s main areas, including the cargo hold, engine room and captain’s cabin. You can also see the crew’s quarters, which contrast with the captain’s more comfortable rooms. Information panels explain the purpose of different spaces and the work carried out on board.

Interactive exhibits focus on the practical tasks of a sailing vessel. Activities include handling cargo with a pulley, building a barrel and scrubbing the deck. They give children a way to engage with the ship’s history through doing, while adults can explore the layout and read about the Glenlee’s voyages.