Birmingham vs Glasgow
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Glasgow leads 3–1 (2 within the tie margin). Character is a different question: Birmingham is the city of a thousand trades; Glasgow is the city of mackintosh and saints.
Change the matchup
Places with a story
spots where a route tells you what happened there
Birmingham
20
Glasgow
52
Glasgow leads
How often you pass a story
metres from one story to the next; fewer is better
Birmingham
231
Glasgow
410
Birmingham leads
Historical figures
real people you meet in its stories
Birmingham
1
Glasgow
12
Glasgow leads
Instagrammability
score /100, on the index’s fixed scale
Birmingham
12
Glasgow
24
Glasgow leads
Group outings
of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+
Birmingham
23
Glasgow
23
Tie
International visitors
% of player reviews written in a foreign language
Birmingham
2
Glasgow
2
Tie
| What we measure | Birmingham | Glasgow | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 20 | 52 | Glasgow |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 231 | 410 | Birmingham |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 1 | 12 | Glasgow |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 12 | 24 | Glasgow |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 23 | 23 | tie |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 2 | 2 | tie |
Differences under 5% count as ties. Sample sizes and definitions on the methodology page.
What their stories are about
How many places with a story each city has per theme: Birmingham in orange, Glasgow in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
Birmingham scorecard →
The city of a thousand trades
Glasgow scorecard →
The city of Mackintosh and saints