By Amy E. Goodman
When planning a trip to visit my daughter in Ireland where she is attending her frosh or freshman year at Trinity College Dublin, I decided to extend my journey to Scotland. I recently learned via Ancestry.com that I’m nearly 30 percent Scottish (I hail from the McDonahs), so I’ve been brimming with curiosity about the country. I knew that a trip to Edinburgh, Glasgow and northern townships would cross off a bucket-list destination and make for many wonderful adventures. Plus, traveling in mid-September meant avoiding the crowds of European vacationers in August, while still enjoying touches of sunshine and fewer rainy days than the winter season.
Here I share highlights of my artsy and energetic visit to Glasgow.
Style Mile
I arrived at Glasgow’s Central Station after a quick 50-minute train ride from Edinburgh’s Waverley Station and decided to walk the eight minutes to my hotel to get a sense of the neighborhood. Immediately, my senses awakened, immersed in a lively scene of bustling shoppers and street performers as I’d landed unknowingly on Buchanan Street in the heart of the Style Mile: Glasgow’s pre-eminent shopping area. It was a good thing my hands were full of luggage so I could only window shop the high-end boutiques and shops. I spotted their beloved Scottish department store House of Fraser founded in 1849, and luxury jewelry retailer Laings since 1840, the latter of which I snapped a picture of as it stands in “Rowan House”–a building the same name as my son! The entirety of the Style Mile encompasses several surrounding streets including Merchant City, Princess Square, and Argyll Arcade. Buchanan was a street I returned to a couple of times to shop, visit nearby sites, and absorb the youthful energy.
People watching: priceless.
Glasgow Cathedral
The city is largely accessible by public transportation and tourist-convenient hop-on-hop-off buses, but since the weather was pleasant, I decided to walk to my destination through the sprawling University of Strathclyde to Glasgow Cathedral. The Cathedral, first consecrated in 1136 and reconsecrated in 1197, is a medieval edifice with pointed arches and a long, narrow nave housed under a spectacularly high ceiling. With an uplit sanctuary of bright indigo and fuschia during my visit, I found the architecture, though gothic, had a contemporary vibe. I was fortunate to experience signs of early fall on the grounds, with golden leaves fluttering on trees that flank the entrance and stacked pots of blooms like petunias and geraniums in bold purple, red, and pink contrasting the cathedral’s dark exterior.
Admission is free, donations are welcome.
Glasgow Necropolis
A short walk over a bridge and up the hill behind the cathedral lies Glasgow’s Necropolis, a sea of burial monuments from the city’s Victorian era, where approximately 50,000 people are buried. The tombstones, each unique–some with names, others without–made for an interesting walk weaving in and out of the uneven rows as the sunlight did the same, dodging amidst the clouds. I passed a tour group on my way up, and the same tour group on my way down, so engrossed in sharing a detailed history was the guide! As it’s a mild hike up the hill, it offers a panoramic view of the backside of the Cathedral and surrounding city. There is a limited paved sidewalk and vast areas of grass (which can be quite wet) and pebbles underfoot, so I recommend wearing sneakers for greater stability when exploring.
Admission is free.
Free guided walking tours are offered several times a month by volunteers.
Tea Time on High Street
Did you know that “supper” refers to tea time? (I always equated it with dinner!) After all of the daily walking, I got in the habit of tucking into a local cafe for a tea and cake come mid-afternoon, I mean, Scotland is part of the UK. I barely got seated in Kozi Cafe (49 High Street) when the staff alerted me that soon food service would close, so I quickly ordered a pot of tea (which had a standard, reddish color) and a generous slice of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and juicy raisins within: the last one on the cake stand. My tea came piping hot in a teapot and was served with a creamer glass meant to resemble an old-fashioned milk can. I sat in the window seat and caught my breath as fellow customers hurriedly ordered sandwiches before heading back into the cold. This Italian cafe is known for a scrumptious brunch, mouth-wide, crusty-bread sandwiches and pancakes, all homemade.
Off of High Street in every direction are stunning building murals including “St Mungo” and “St Enoch and Child,” both by Smug. Glasgow is world-renowned for its street art, and you can even follow a mural trail designed by the city to make sure you see it all.
Kelvington Art Gallery and Museum
In the northwestern part of the city across the River Kelvin from the University of Glasgow lies Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum. It houses diverse art and cultural artifacts across 22 spacious galleries. I was particularly interested in areas that covered local life including exhibits on Scotland’s First People, Scottish Identity in Art, Glasgow Stories and Scotland’s Wildlife. It’s an engaging place to learn local history alongside works by the Dutch Masters, Ancient Egypt sarcophagi and Salvador Dali and Claude Monet, to name a few. I was startled upon arrival to learn, as I saw a large crowd sitting in the Centre Hall, that a complimentary organ recital was about to begin…that lasted an hour! With music wafting throughout the halls as I took in the art, and sculpture, my heart reverberated fully.
Not to miss is FCB Cadell’s “Interior-The Orange Blind” in the Scottish Colourists Gallery and Sir Henry Raeburn’s “The McNab in the Scottish Identity” in the Art Gallery.
Behind the museum is a food truck serving coffee and treats. Make sure you order a melt-in-your-mouth Scottish shortbread with chocolate chips that they serve to you wrapped in “newsprint” tissue.
Admission is free; free daily guided tours.
Free organ recitals daily: Monday – Saturday at 1 pm; 3 pm Sundays
A Historical Stay
It helps when where you stay is historic in and of itself! The iconic voco Grand Central Glasgow, conveniently located adjacent to Central Station, was built in 1883 and is the host to numerous luminaries such as Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Vivien Lee, and JFK Jr. Décor details like vintage luggage, sweeping staircases, and rich woodwork speak to historical glamour past and present. I found refuge in my contemporary loft room with hues of navy, cream, and yellow accents and every night in the tub of my decadent marble bathroom.
In the evenings, a hub of activity descends on their popular Champagne Central Bar, a hopping, dazzling space with an opulent crystal chandelier that overlooks Central Station and the scurrying commuters and travelers below. As the bubbles delicately rose in my champagne glass, I felt that I too was floating gently above the din and commotion of the city.
Watch this video to better absorb the hotel’s vibe.
Pot Still Pub
Just blocks away from my hotel on Hope Street, a packed and boisterous bar caught my eye one cold night, so I entered. It turns out that the Pot Still Pub is a famous one in Glasgow, known for purportedly the finest collection of malt whisky in Scotland. It took me a while to push through the throngs of revelers to get to the bar and ask the bartender for help in making my tasting selections. Whiskies are poured in drams, which is about 25-35 milliliters depending on the country, and if that doesn’t convert for ya? It’s roughly the equivalent of a shot. Served in a small, curved glass, it’s meant to be sipped, savored and enjoyed. Since I tend to like smoky alcohols like mezcal and pinot noirs, I at least knew to ask for a peated whisky, where they use peat during the malting process, resulting in a smoky flavor profile. Though not a whisky drinker, that night, perched in a corner with a lively lot of boisterous patrons who nodded at me like I always belonged there, I became one.
Tips to Save on Travel Expenses
Airfare
Our first trip to Ireland to tour colleges for my daughter was back in January of 2022, and at that time having scored affordable roundtrip fares ($536 per person from DC to Dublin) I remained on the email list for Aer Lingus, an Irish air carrier. Aer Lingus flies all over Europe and continually has sales that entice me to daydream about European travel on mundane days. Finding an airline you trust and becoming a member of their loyalty program or simply signing up for their sales marketing emails saved me hundreds when planning this trip to Scotland, which wasn’t a straightforward itinerary, and thus typically more expensive. For my outbound, I flew out of Washington, DC to Dublin, for the return I flew out of Edinburgh back to DC, and the flight was within a reasonable fare.
Discounted Connecting Flights
Many discount airlines in Europe offer insanely low prices for short jaunts around the continent. I took advantage of this and used Ryan Air for my flight from Dublin, Ireland to Edinburgh, Scotland. The base price was ~$25 (which only allows for one personal item onboard, like a backpack) and I upgraded to a cost of $58.68 for a standard-sized, carry-on roller bag plus personal item. The one thing to be wary of is add-on costs for nearly everything from luggage check-in and seat assignments to a basic cup of coffee. For example, if you don’t check in before arriving at the airport? To do so will cost you a $58 airport check-in fee. Also, I had heard that Ryan Air was notorious for checking carry-on luggage weight, slapping you with a fee if you are a few pounds over. I took these requirements a bit too seriously, weighing and re-weighing my tiny, silver-bullet-of-a bag to make sure it met the 22-pound limit, and yet no one checked the weight. At least I was compliant!
Tips to Save on Transportation & Activities
Hotel Location
Sometimes I can be lured to select a hotel for a bargain price, only to realize it’s far-flung and that I’ll spend loads of extra cash on transportation. Key to your hotel selection in a city like Glasgow, which has plenty to see within the city proper, is location. Scout in advance the major sites you wish to visit and map it out; then, see if there’s a hotel central to all that interests you. Ideally, you can combine an affordable accommodation with a central location. Since the voco Grand Central Glasgow was in the heart of it all–and I was within walking distance or a short bus ride to all major activities, bars, food, shopping, etc.–I saved a small fortune on daily transportation.
Another bonus? I walked three blocks from my hotel and was able to catch the Airport Bus that took me to Glasgow Airport.
Cab cost: ~ $25
Air Bus cost: ~$12.50
**Disclosure: the author was hosted by voco Grand Central Glasgow for editorial purposes; all opinions expressed are her own.
Free Museums & Street Art
Glasgow is known for its talented artistic community and world-class galleries, and I was blown away to discover how many museums were free! It turns out that Glasgow Museums are a part of Glasgow Life, which is a registered charity. So, donations are welcome to keep the admissions free. Also, all one has to do is walk around the city to observe its fabulous street art, which is like an outdoor medium for all to see, free of charge.
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*Prices listed reflect time of travel.
