A new audio guide at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is bringing a fresh, personal perspective to one of Glasgow’s most iconic cultural institutions, narrated by the city’s own Billy Connolly.
The red brick landmark, home to thousands of artefacts—from a full-sized elephant beneath a Spitfire to Christ of St John of the Cross—has welcomed millions of visitors over its 125-year history. Now, it is offering something new: a tour shaped not by facts and figures, but by memory, personality and lived experience.
Developed by Glasgow Life, the guide invites listeners to explore the museum through Connolly’s eyes. Drawing on his own visits as a child, he selected 12 objects from the collection to reflect on, including Fulton’s Grand Orrery—a mechanical model of the solar system which predates the museum itself.
Rather than a traditional guide, the aim was to create something more conversational. As Jane Rowlands, head of Glasgow Museums and Collections at Glasgow Life, explained, the focus was on capturing Connolly’s voice, memories and connection to the space—giving visitors the sense of walking through the galleries alongside him.
That connection is rooted in childhood. Connolly recalls visiting Kelvingrove with his family, sliding across the tiled floors with his sister and being guided by museum staff who made the space feel welcoming and alive. “It wasn’t like a museum… I thought ‘I belong here’,” he said.
The result is a distinctly Glasgow experience—blending world-class collections with local storytelling and humour. There are also hopes the concept could expand, with potential to include more objects and perspectives in the future.
For visitors, it offers something simple but powerful: the chance to experience Kelvingrove not just as a museum, but as a place of shared memory—now with one of Glasgow’s most recognisable voices as your guide.