40 Drygate

This partnership between Tennent’s and Williams Bros impressively converted an old box factory into a drinking, dining and decidedly cool edifice to craft beer with good food courtesy of Vintage. Festivals, markets, comedy and other happenings add to the heady mix of Drygate in the rejuvenated East End. (Jay Thundercliffe)

39 Scottish Ensemble

credit: Tommy Ga Ken Wan They’ve been pushing classical boundaries for years with visceral performances of inspirational music, both new and old, but Scotland’s crack string group brought fresh insights into music, art and architecture in 20th-Century Perspectives, an ambitious collaboration with Glasgow artist Toby Paterson in one of the city’s disused office blocks. (David Kettle)

38 DC Jackson

DC Jackson was not content to rest on his TV laurels for Fresh Meat, serving up a populist and comic tale of gangster morality with Kill Johnny Glendenning for the Lyceum that showcased his clever use of plotting and dark humour. (Gareth K Vile)

37 Kirsty Logan

credit: Chris Scott Logan’s first short story collection The Rental Heart was shortlisted for the Green Carnation Prize and the Saltire Society First Book Prize. It also won the Saboteur Award for Best Short Story Collection, so we thought we’d join in and shower her with praise too. (Rebecca Monks)

36 The Twilight Sad

credit: Nicola Collins Revealing that they very nearly jacked it in after 2012’s No One Can Ever Know, Kilsyth’s finest thankfully kept it together and recorded Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave, arguably their finest album yet. The Twilight Sad will also be at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay. (David Pollock)

35 Natasha Gilmore

Artistic director of Barrowland Ballet, Natasha Gilmore was the driving force behind one of the most impressive shows in the Glasgow 2014 Cultural Programme. Featuring 150 singers and dancers, drawn mostly from the local community, The River was both moving and uplifting. (Kelly Apter)

34 The Empire Café

Auhor Louise Welsh and architect Jude Barber were behind one of Festival 2014’s most interesting and important events, The Empire Café, which dissected the oft-forgotten links between Glasgow and the North Atlantic slave trade through poetry, art and food. (Yasmin Sulaiman)

33 Cry Parrot

Cry Parrot’s Fielding Hope may be leaving for London, but he’s been instrumental in nurturing Glasgow’s grassroots music scene, while also promoting numerous international acts. 2014 highlights have included Trembling Bells and techno maverick Hieroglyphic Being. (Stewart Smith)

32 Laurie Sansom

Laurie Sansom is still settling in as artistic director at National Theatre of Scotland, but his direction of The James Plays suggests he’s willing to grapple with big issues. While the company is still running on the energy of Vicky Featherstone’s heady reign, his vision may unfold in the next year.
(Gareth K Vile)

31 Optimo

Twitch and Wilkes’ Optimo was quiet this year, but the former’s labels have been going from strength to strength, releasing a couple of Scotland’s very finest bands in Golden Teacher and Whilst, as well as clubbier tracks from artists including the Sub Club’s Jasper James, Boot & Tax and Crooked Man. (David Pollock)