ARCHITECT Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson is one of Glasgow’s most famous sons, well known for, in particular, the Caledonia Road Church in the Gorbals and the Egyptian Halls on Union Street.

But he is also responsible for one magnificent civic structure in the city, the B-listed Sixty Steps in the west end.

Built on the site of the original Queen Margaret Bridge, known locally as Walker’s Bridge in honour of the man who built it, John Ewing Walker, in 1870, this sweeping staircase and its fine retaining wall was originally lit by ornate cast-iron lamps from the Saracen Foundry in Possilpark.

Glasgow Times:

At the top of the wall is a pretty park and a repaired pillared outlook point, known as the Belle Vue, which provides lovely views down to the River Kelvin valley.

The original plan for the site was to transform it into an elegant area for new homes, which Greek Thomson accomplished in style.

Today, the Sixty Steps charitable trust hopes to fully restore the staircase, the park and the viewpoint to their former glory.