Navigating History

It is something of a coincidence that the building our hotel is based around was constructed only a few years before Neptune was discovered. In the spirit of Science Fact and Science Fun, we have researched the travel details that a 19th Century Fan might need to attend a Convention celebrating the discovery of this second Ice Giant.

Travel to the Convention (in 1847)

Nota bene: Travellers should be aware that the sudden influx of Irish immigrants is causing severe congestion in the area of the Docks, where our Convention is located. Please plan your travel accordingly.

By Rail

Travellers from England should make their way to Carlisle, whence the newly-extended Caledonian Railway brings passengers north and into the city on the tracks laid by the Clydeside Junction Railway. Travellers will alight at the Southside terminus, at the junction of Cathcart Road and Pollokshaws Road.
Alternatively, Caledonian Railway passengers may use the older route (via the Wishaw and Coltness Railway and the Glasgow, Garnkirk and Coatbridge Railway) to reach the northern terminus at the junction of Cowcaddens Street and West Nile Street.
The Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway brings travellers from the capital to alight at their depot on North Queen Street, giving them an opportunity to view the beautiful landscaping of Georges' Square on their way to our Convention.
Both the Glasgow, Paisley, Greenock and Ayr Railway and the Pollock and Govan Railway bring the more local attendees from the South to their respective termini on Clyde Street, just over the river from our site.
Finally, the Airdrie and Monklands Junction Railway brings the more local attendees from the East to their station on High Street, next to the University of Glasgow.

Unfortunately, save for the Clyde Street stations, none of these termini are ideally located for our venue. Attendees are advised to engage the services of a "noddie" (as hackney carriages are informally known in the city) to convey them from the station to our Convention.

By Stagecoach

For those who prefer the nostalgic experience, the mail coach from London still runs, but one must expect to spend at least four days on the journey. The coach terminates at the Tontine Hotel in the Trongate, which is a moderate walk from our site.
Local coach companies serve all major towns in the Glasgow area. See your local newspapers for details of running times.
For those in the outskirts of the city itself, James Walker's excellent omnibus service has recently begun operating from Partick to the city centre, with connections in Finnieston, Anderston, Dowanhill, and other areas.

By Steamship

The SS Londonderry provides cheap and frequent passage from Ireland.
The SS Mazeppa serves the route from Liverpool, though only on a weekly basis. This service is being augmented by the new PS Orion and PS Marchioness of Breadalbane, though the frequency of their passage is yet to be established.
For more local fans to the West, several companies operate up the Clyde from Dumbarton to Glasgow, stopping at all major riverside towns on the way. The SS Lochfine is but one of the recent additions to this route.

All ships dock at the Broomielaw, within sight and easy walking distance of our Convention.

By whatever means

we wish you a safe journey, and on behalf of the Convention, we welcome you all to the Kingdom's fastest-growing city!

The History

1840: The Customs House opens, having cost £13,000 to construct, including the cost of the land. It was designed by Irish-born architect John Taylor.

1845: Urbain Le Verrier and John Couch Adams independently begin calculating the position of the body responsible for Uranus' anomalous orbit.

1846: Johann Gottfried Galle, assisted by Heinrich Louis d'Arrest, observes Neptune exactly where the calculations predicted, on the night of the September equinox.

1847: Messrs Allan & Ferguson construct their Map, just in time for our Imaginary Celebration. (Full version at https://maps.nls.uk/view/216443484; credit to the National Library of Scotland.)