TWO of Glasgow's top attractions have each been rated outstanding.

The Hydro and the SECC have been given five stars by Visit-Scotland after being assessed on everything from their decor and cleanliness to the attitude of their staff.

The SECC is one of Scotland's top conference venues, while the Hydro has attracted some of the biggest names in showbusiness.

The rating was revealed at a celebr-ation of the country's tourism industry, organised by the business tourism team at VisitScotland.

Tourism Minister Fergus Ewing claimed the newly graded SECC and Hydro will help make Scotland more competitive in the international conference market.

Paul Duthie, chief executive of the Scottish Exhibition Centre, which owns the two venues, said: "To be recognised by the industry with a five-star award is fantastic and further testament of our ability to deliver truly world class events - from conferences and exhibitions to concerts for 13,000."

Glasgow City Council leader Gordon Matheson said: "Glasgow has secured more than £1billion worth of conference business against incredibly fierce global competition, under-pinning why we are not just the UK's conference capital but one of the world's premier business tourism cities.

"The city's invest-ment in the award-winning SSE Hydro, which this month ranked in the top three most popular music venues in the world, will ensure major events and confer-ences remain at the heart of the city's economy."

vivienne.nicoll@ eveningtimes.co.uk