Going to Glasgow wasn’t a real decision.
I was planning my first trip to Scotland, and I wanted to hit up a few different places, so it felt like an obvious stop.
It was only when I started talking to people about Glasgow that I realized it’s a bit like the working-class cousin who gets outshone at every family dinner.
Everyone I told about my trip was effusive about Edinburgh and the Highlands, and then just kinda like... “Oh, Glasgow, cool.”
Or, worse, eager to tell me that it was a little trashy, a little rough around the edges. Even somewhere I needed to be careful. (Actual lol.)
All this to say, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I got to Glasgow.
As soon as you get off the train, you’re inundated with the city’s tourism slogan: “People make Glasgow,” imposed on a bright pink background that draws your eye on every street.
I was a little like, “Alright, guys, calm down,” when I first saw it.... but six days later, I get it.
The best part about Glasgow is its people. And if you’re not going to book the counter seat at dinner, or find ways to strike up conversations in the shops... well, Glasgow’s probably not worth visiting.
There are good things to eat and drink, sure, but no “sights” that rise to the level of must-do for most of us. And maybe that’s why I liked it.
After London, Glasgow felt compact and walkable. More like a neighborhood than a city of 600k.
On my first night alone, I sat at a pub and learned:
- All about Buckfast—a fortified and caffeinated (??) wine that I definitely won’t like, but will try at least once because it’s the Malort of Glasgow.
- An overview of Gaelic, with a voice note of how to pronounce all the distilleries I’m going to. (Bruichladdich, as it turns out, sounds like “Brooke-laddie.”)
- Tips for buying a great motorcycle helmet. (I didn’t see myself using this info, but then I took a bike tour and the driver was impressed that I recognized the brand, so never say never.)
- And a history lesson on why the rivalry between Scotland’s two biggest football teams is about more than football, and the reason the local Subway sandwich shop couldn’t use its iconic green and yellow logo.
I learned more about Glasgow over those three drinks than I did from a walking tour and four museums.
So, Glasgow may not be cobblestones-and-castles pretty like Edinburgh, or rolling-green-hills pretty like the highlands. And it might not be worth a few precious vacation days if you’re coming from the US.
But, for me, it was a hell of an introduction to Scotland.
No trip is complete without a Where to Drink round-up. And Glasgow has some pretty good bars! All full of people eager to give me more recs.
By the end of the week, every rec I got was already pinned. And that’s how I know I did the damn thing. 😎
Things I keep thinking about:
Restaurant reviews and stars and guides, and all the ways they’re only a somewhat helpful indicator for us and a nightmare for owners.
I was chatting with two guys this week who turned out to be chefs at the restaurant I was headed to for dinner. They just got a Michelin mention, and were a little proud but mostly unhappy because it changes everything, and that rang true.
Related reads:
- The Curse of the Man in the Arena — A (very honest) take on what’s wrong, from a chef who’s just trying to make it work.
- A Statistically Flawed, Spiritually Accurate Way to Eat Well — One traveler’s attempt at making a better system that takes into account cost/effort.
- The Essential Guide to Pub Ettiquette from Pellicle — Just for funsies because I lol-ed at a few of these “rules.”
Next up: Islay, the little island with wind that knocked my glasses off my face.