I've lived in Scotland my entire life but never toured Glasgow's mural trail until now. It's the most charming yet underrated part of the city.

Mikhaila Friel pictured at Glasgow's mural trail.Mikhaila Friel/Insider

• I toured the mural trail in my home city of Glasgow, Scotland, for the first time.
• I found a world of vibrant street art adding light to some of the more unglamorous parts of the city.

I've lived in Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland, for my entire life. But until recently, I had never toured the city's mural trail.

The street-art initiative was launched in the city center in 2008 to "brighten up dark and drab areas" and graffiti hot spots, a city council representative said in a promotional video.

The trail consists of 29 murals from various artists, and the city council is currently taking applications from artists who would like to add a mural.

Of course, this wasn't my first time seeing some of the murals. I attended university in Glasgow and currently live close to the city center, and it's impossible to miss some of them. But there were also plenty I had never noticed before.

I found the art added a subtle charm to the city that could be easy to overlook if you aren't paying attention. Here were some of my favorites.