Preston Glasgow Train

The city of Preston was granted city status in 2002 and is located in the north west of England in the county of Lancashire. Preston was transformed during the 19th century from a small market town to a much larger industrial town. Innovations which occurred during the second half of the 19th century, such as Richard Arkwright's water frame (which was invented in Preston) attracted cotton mills to many northern towns in England, including Preston. The prosperity of the town led to it becoming the first town in England after London to be lit by gas.

The River Ribble forms Preston's southern border and the Forest of Bowland lies beyond the city and the Fylde coastal plain lies to the west. There are a number of museums worth visiting in the city. These include the Harris Museum and Art Gallery, the Broughton Cottage Museum, the Queen's Lancashire Regiment Museum and the Ribble Steam Railway. The city, and its surrounding area, is also home to a number of nature reserves: Grange Valley, Holls and Hollows, Pope Lane Field and Boilton Wood and the Fishwick Nature Reserve.

Located at the western end of Scotland's Central Belt, the city of Glasgow is the third largest city in the United Kingdom, and Scotland's largest. The city has transformed itself from being the once mighty powerhouse of industrial Britain to a centre for commerce, tourism, and culture. Glasgow was the host city for the Commonwealth Games in 2014. Glasgow has become one of the most visited cities in the British Isles, and visitors will find a revitalised city centre, one of the best shopping destinations outside London, excellent parks and museums (most of which are free), and easy access to the Highlands and Islands.

For the visitor, central Glasgow can be divided into two main areas, the City Centre, which contains the majority of tourist sights and much of the city's shopping and entertainment, as well as its commercial heart, and the West End, the bohemian area of cafés, restaurants and bars surrounding the University of Glasgow and Kelvingrove Museum. The best way to get good views of the city is to climb the many "drumlins" (hills) upon which the central area is built.

Glasgow has two main line railway stations. Trains from the south of Scotland, the city's southern suburbs and all long distance trains from England arrive at Glasgow Central Station, while shuttle trains from Edinburgh and anywhere north of Glasgow arrive at Glasgow Queen Street Station.