Do you remember these Glasgow locations in Taggart?

Viewers followed Taggart and Livingstone hunting a killer targeting blonde women, and locals would have enjoyed spotting some familiar sights as the series was mostly filmed in Glasgow.  

The Botanic Gardens features in a suspect chase scene, and the setting for a funeral is Sighthill Cemetery. Over 27 seasons and more than 100 episodes, dozens of famous spots in the city have made guest appearances in the legendary crime drama.

Some may be long gone, while many are still standing today.

Partick Police Station 

Partick police station (Image: Newsquest)

‘Thousands’ of Glaswegians have spent the night here, but not exactly for a holiday. Partick Police Station was a ‘real old-fashioned’ cop shop that played a central role in the investigations into the Bible John murders of the 1960s.

It was an active police station for over 130 years until it locked up its last prisoner in 1993 and officers relocated to a purpose-built station on Dumbarton Road.

Viewers of Taggart will know the station as the backdrop for DCI Taggart and his team of detectives at Maryhill CID.

Firhill

An episode of Taggart was filmed at Partick Thistle’s home ground in 2000. Titled Football Crazy, the storyline followed the team as they investigated the deaths of a match referee and club director of the fictitious Strathclyde FC.

Both were found holding a red card, so when the manager is dealt one, they are worried what may be coming next.

Viewers, particularly Jags, can spot recognisable features of the stadium throughout the episode, from the dugout to the stands.

Glasgow Science Centre

When a renowned but controversial scientist Professor Lloyd is blown up in his car, the team’s investigation takes an interesting turn when they realise that there are many in the industry who had something to gain from his murder.

A significant part of New Life, which aired in 2003, was filmed in the appropriate setting of the Glasgow Science Centre, where Professor Lloyd was on his way to speak at a conference before his dramatic death.

Celtic Park

Parkhead played a starring role in the episode Double Exposure when the team investigated a murder committed during a match against city rivals Rangers.

STV used real footage from a match on March 24, 1991, and shot multiple scenes in the stadium. DCI Taggart scours the crowd looking for his prime suspect, whose alibi is that he was at the match all day.

Footage from the match used in Taggart (Image: STV)

Footage of Celtic Park appeared in Taggart (Image: Newsquest)

Scotia Bar

Billy Connolly and Gerry Rafferty at the Scotia Bar (Image: Newsquest)

Many of Glasgow’s pubs have had a cameo appearance across the 27 seasons of Taggart, but how many would you recognise? One of the most famous is the city’s oldest: the Scotia Bar.

It has been used multiple times as the backdrop when various characters have headed for a drink at the pub at the end of the day – or at lunchtime if the case was taking its toll.

Originally known as the Scotia Inn, the pub dates to 1792 and went from serving Glasgow’s sailors and shipyard workers to famous faces such as Billy Connolly and Gerry Rafferty.

Over its 200-plus years, ghostly tales of hauntings and spirit sightings have also plagued the pub.

La Pasionara

This famous city statue depicts the Communist leader Dolores Ibárruri and is a tribute to the 65 Glaswegians from the International Brigades who fought the fascists in the Spanish Civil War of the late 1930s.

Viewers may remember it from a 2005 episode of Taggart entitled Cause to Kill. DCI Burke (Alex Norton) and his team are left baffled when they discover the body of a woman who has been tied to the statue in a crucifixion pose.

He enlists the help of a criminal psychologist but it’s not long before the investigation takes a dangerous turn as the killer’s next victim could be one of their own.