The subtle drops of rain are gently hitting the cobble-stoned alleyway as you head into a quaint, but lively pub in Glasgow’s West End. Walking inside you’re greeted by rustic decor and stained-glass windows followed by gatherings of all sorts: the group of instrumentalists in the corner creating the evening’s music with their fiddles and flutes, the various groups of Scottish men drinking Tennants while exchanging banter, and the couples of friends and lovers having chats over drinks. The common theme? Everyone is laughing.
When visiting Glasgow you can’t help but laugh, not at anything in particular, simply it’s just that the people you meet will keep you giggling until your stomach is sore. While it may typically be a rainy and gloomy city, the people will ensure you feel warm and welcomed, so hop on a bus, train, plane, bicycle or whatever your preferred mode of transportation is and head to this wonderful city. Best part? There’s more to it than just its people. Take a stroll through this ultimate guide to Scotland’s largest city of Glasgow to find out more.
A few packing essentials:
A raincoat (optional: umbrella — but prepare it to just flip inside out if it’s cheap)
Strong shoes to fight off puddles and rain
UK electrical adaptor
A good sense of humor
Bars
Nice ‘n’ Sleazy
With colorfully abstract art and quirky low-hanging lampshades, Nice ‘n’ Sleazy is a favorite among many Glasgwegians. Aside from its aesthetic, the bar plays good tunes in a chilled-out environment, with live music daily in their downstairs venue. Let’s not forget to mention their delicious £3 White Russians with soy milk and flavor options available for no additional cost.
Time for me to brag a bit. Once upon a time in Nice ‘n’ Sleazy I encountered the lovely Scottish musician Paolo Nutini. I was with a friend who apparently knew him from high school. We walk up to him and I remembering saying something to sound of . . . ”Wait, you’re Paolo? Like, Paolo Nutini!? I was listening to your music while I was getting ready today! I love you.” No shame. Then I hugged him tightly, which he kindly accepted. Then, I gave him a sip of my gingerbread White Russian as he confessed he’s never indulged in the deliciousness of flavored White Russians. Then, we all shared a round of shots. NEVER FORGET. Though I was clearly such a fan girl, I managed to contain myself to not take a picture. Regretting that now.
Central Glasgow – Sauchiehall St
The Ben Nevis
Looking for a traditional pub? Look no further than The Ben Nevis. Walk into The Ben Nevis and be greeted by the smell of whisky as its one of Glasgow’s most popular whisky bars. With its small and intimate design, its the perfect place to settle in with a drink and listen to live Scottish folk music surrounded by a knowledgeable staff and friendly guests.
Bonus: If you’re lucky, you might stumble upon a sweet doggy or two.
West End – Finnieston
Hillhead Book Club
Head to Hillhead Bookclub and immerse yourself in its charm and young environment. With cheap specials on mojitos and shots plus ping-pong and retro video games on its mezzanine, it calls for a great night out in the west end.
West End – Hillhead
Brewdog
With two locations in Finnieston and Merchant City, this is a Scottish pub chain offering craft beers from an endlessly rotating menu. Their classic brews are available daily, but their guest drafts are rotating continuously. This is a wonderful place to come if you’re into artisan craft beer and want to play some board games as they have a decent selection of both quirky and classic board games in both venues.
Merchant City & Finnieston
Lebowskis
Themed after the Coen’ Brothers The Big Lebowski, Lebowskis is the White Russian lovers paradise. Offering 28 different White Russian recipes such as The Gutter Ball, which incorporates the Scots’ love: Buckfast. One of my personal favorites? The Toe is known as their mint chocolate chip White Russian, as it elegantly mixes creme de menthe, Kahula, chocolate sauce, and 50/50 milk and cream.
West End – Finnieston
Waxy O’Connors
One of Glasgow’s more uniquely designed bars, Waxy O’ Connors has three floors and six different bars with a very tree house like vibe as its made almost entirely out of wood. I would recommend coming here for just one drink as I find it to be a bit pricey, but it’s still worth the visit for its aesthetic alone.
Central Glasgow – W George St
Museums
GoMA
Situated in the city centre, Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art features an enticing display of exhibitions from both local and international contemporary artists. Of course, it’s free, so it’s a great stop during a rainy Glasgow day. Plus, the building itself is intriguing enough as well.
City Centre – Merchant City
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Musuem
My personal favorite, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum should be at the top of your list of places to visit. Made from Glasgow’s red sandstone, the building is an attraction on its own. However, once inside this free museum, be greeted by works from Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Salvador Dali’s masterpiece ‘Christ of St John of the Cross’. With 22 galleries on display, you’ll see everything from animals to designs from Scotland’s architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
One of the most notable displays is the Floating Heads Installation by Sophie Cave with over 50 white floating heads each expressing a different emotion.
West End – Between Finnieston and Hillhead
Parks
Glasgow Botanical Gardens
Coming here on a rare sunny day is such a treat as you watch the park come to life, completely full of picnic-goers, ice-cream enjoyers, and dedicated joggers. Located in the beautiful West End by the River Kelvin, this is a great park to enjoy a peaceful stroll while scoping out a variety of plant collections. Plus, there’s the Kibble Palace, a glasshouse full of tree ferns, tropical plants, and intriguing sculptures.
West End – Hillhead
Pollok Country Park
Pollok Country Park is a gigantic park located on the Southside. It’s a very inviting park and was named Britain’s Best Park in 2006 and Best Park in Europe in 2008.
It’s home to horses, highland cows, gardens, and tons of green space. There’s also the Burrell Collection museum and a mansion called Pollok House that you can visit. The mansion features an exquisite garden with a small labyrinth.
Take a stroll or cycle around, getting lost in this stunning park. You’ll soon forget you’re in the city.
Southside – Shawlands
Sites
Glasgow Cathedral
Glasgow Cathedral is a beautiful medieval church situated just east of the city centre. Get the best views of it by wandering up Necropolis, Glasgow’s Victorian cemetery.
East End
Duke of Wellington statue
A Glaswegian symbol, the Duke of Wellington statue sits just in front of the GoMA. What makes this statue so special? Well, the Duke can be seen sporting a bright orange traffic cone on top of his head. You may be asking yourself, “Why on Earth would anyone do that?” Then, you think about Scottish people and Glaswegian humor and it makes absolute sense as to why locals would consistently plop a cone on the Duke’s head. The city council planned to double the height of the statue in order to prevent future ‘coning’ of the Duke, but the locals petitioned with 100,000 signatures in support of keeping the cone. Alas, the cone remains!
This is by far one of my favorite bits in the city because it perfectly expresses Glasgow and its quirky personality.
City Centre – Merchant City
George Square
Where the people gather, George Square sits just across from Buchanan St in Merchant City. It’s a great place to stop and soak in the rain, and if you’re lucky, you might catch a sunny day and join the locals in catching some afternoon rays.
George Square is also surrounded by the City Chambers and other governmental buildings.
City Centre – Merchant City
University of Glasgow
The Neo-Gothic university stands as the second oldest university in the Scotland, dating back to 1451. It’s also rumored to be the inspiration for Hogwarts. Explore the campus, have a drink at the university’s pub, and visit its museum and art gallery.
West End – Hillhead
Buchanan St
Outside of London, Glasgow is the UK’s largest retail centre, so head to the Buchanan St shop for hours by the likes of Urban Outfitters, ZARA, Lush, Gucci and more.
Buchanan St is also home to the stunning shopping centre that is Princes Square, which is full of both high-end stores and lovely restaurants.
City Centre
Ashton Lane
It’s almost a bit cliché amongst locals but still deserves a place on this list as it’s simply adorable and makes for nice photographs both by day and night. It’s a cobble-stoned lane on the West End featuring pubs and restaurants, in a hip black and white set-up, with fairy lighting keeping the lane lit all day and night.
West End – Hillhead
Coffee
There are tons of fantastic coffee shops in Glasgow, but I’ve narrowed down several favorites in various neighborhoods, so you can find the perfect cup of joe anywhere throughout your stay in Glasgow. You can also check out my complete guide to coffee in Glasgow here.
The Glad Cafe
Located on Southside, The Glad Cafe makes a beautiful cup of coffee as well as a variety of brunch items and cakes. They are also known as a live music venue, so you can oftentimes get the best of both worlds: Awesome music, delicious coffee.
Southside – Shawlands
Riverhill Coffee Bar
Located just outside of Central Station, Riverhill Coffee Bar is a tiny cafe serving up delicious coffee roasted by Glasgow’s Dear Green Coffee. It’s bustling with business workers, locals, and tourists alike. Beyond coffee, they prepare a variety of sandwiches, pastries, bagels, quiches, and more. The service is quick and friendly and the food and coffee are exceptional.
City Centre
Meadow Rd Coffee
Partick’s best cup of coffee certainly comes from Meadow Rd Coffee. It’s a small and quaint spot serving up delicious espresso beverages and a nice lunch menu.
West End – Partick
Artisan Roast
My all time favorite has always been the West End’s Artisan Roast. Quaint and cozy, you’ll find mixed-matched furniture, small upstairs seating, and wooden decor. They take their time making the perfect cup of coffee and offer plenty of vegetarian or vegan sandwich and soup options.
Artisan Roast – Hillhead
Wilson St Pantry
Merchant City’s catch is Wilson St Pantry. It features a bright interior, friendly staff, and a fabulous brunch menu full of Eggs Benedict, french toast, and more.
City Centre – Merchant City
Food
Paesano Pizza
Absolute deliciousness it what you’ll find here. With two locations in Merchant City and the West End, Paesano Pizza serves up authentic, Napoletana pizza for lovely afforable price.
Merchant City & West End by Kelvinbridge Station
The Flying Duck
The Flying Duck is a bit dungeon-esque as it’s in underground level of a building, but it does it well with its grunge style as it serves up delicious and American-styled vegan dishes such as hot dogs, burgers, and fries. It’s also a really good bar serving up cocktails, white Russians, and an assortment of craft beers both on draft and bottles.
City Centre
Sloans
Sloans is a popular city centre choice on Argyll St. They’ve got a real thing for mac-n-cheese so you’ll find quite a variety of it on their menu and it’s absolutely delicious. They also have sandwiches, main dishes, and several vegan and vegetarian options. Sloans is especially a nice choice when the weather is decent out as they have a cozy beer garden with heat lamps.
City Centre
Mother India
I believe you can’t go to the UK in general without having curry. Mother India will sort you out. They have a nice selection of curries and other traditional food in an inviting set up. Mother India’s Cafe is more tapas-styled whereas Mother India itself is more dinner-style.
Two locations in the West End
Looking for more things to do around Scotland? Read here!
