Glasgow’s foreign trade had also begun in earnest, traceable back to the 1530s, and it was undoubtedly booming by the time that Oliver Cromwell, hammer of the Stuarts, visited the city in 1650 just after he had invaded Scotland and defeated the Scots army at Dunbar. Cromwell stayed at Silvercraigs House in the Saltmarket, and his agent Thomas Tucker recognised Glasgow’s great potential were it not “checqed and kept under by the shallowness of the water”.

By 1649 Glasgow had become the country’s fourth largest burgh, rising by 1670 to the position of second largest behind only Edinburgh. Glasgow’s position was ideal for access to Edinburgh, the Highlands and Ireland, and her wealth continued to grow through a ready supply of natural resources, especially coal and fish.

The first cargo of tobacco arrived in Glasgow in 1674, and by the later 1690s the city had risen from its medieval slumber en route to its later accolade of “Emporium of the World”.

The Trades Hall, which owes its origins to the Trades House and the Fourteen Incorporated Crafts of Glasgow, is open to visitors from 10am-4pm daily (subject to availability).  Entry is free. An audio tour handset can be purchased at £1.50. Enquiries to 0141 552 2418 or visit www.tradeshallglasgow.co.uk