Glasgow Holiday
Parisians are sophisticated, Berliners are the height of austere glamour and the Milanese are the trend-setters of Europe. And Glaswegians? All of the above actually if you're prepared to look past the Haggis-and-deep-fried-chocolate bar image that has blighted the city since the first Mars Bar hit the sizzling oil of a Glasgow chip shop's deep-fat fryer.
Glasgow has a bleak and haunting beauty that cannot, and should not, be ignored. From the damp, eerie banks of the River Clyde that courses through the city, to the cobbled closes of the atmospheric West End, a trip to Scotland's second city is not to be sniffed at. Wimps afraid of a spot of rain need not apply.
The city is compact and friendly and a weekend could easily turn into a week as you discover exciting new haunts. Glaswegians are friendly and trendy so expect to spend your days trawling the shops in the city centre and sampling the city's vibrant nightlife after the sun goes down.
Glaswegians are known to party until dawn and are a demanding bunch, changing their taste in clubs as frequently as they change their designer togs, so you can easily visit a different club every night. Some of the best are the Garage, a clubbing stalwart, the Cube, Bamboo, and the Arches, The last is a cavernous venue underneath the old Central Station railway arches, and holds world-renowned club nights where many famous DJs have spun a track or two on its decks.
Eating, like shopping, is the typical Glaswegian's favourite past-time, so once you've hit Argyll Street and Buchanan Street (the main shopping drags) head for some of the city's famous eateries. Rogano's, just off Royal Exchange Square, is the ideal place to rest weary feet and knock back champagne and oysters. Merchant City, a section of the city's 'old town' was recently regenerated and is home to Glasgow institution the City Merchant, where diners can eat world-renowned Aberdeen Angus beef, game and shellfish fresh from Scotland's rugged shores.
Glaswegians like to eat, drink and shop to the max and visitors are expected to do the same – and then kick back and relax at the city's finest hotels.
Trendy travellers will enjoy a spell at Malmaison, a converted Greek Church, close to the city's business district and club land.
Those who want to be at the heart of Glasgow's shopping district will enjoy laying down their heads at the Millennium Hotel in George Square whose impressive façade never fails to delight visitors.
Glasgow is more beautiful city than it is often given credit for. Famous for the Clyde shipbuilding yards, Glasgow cannot seem to shake off its image as a cold, grey industrial city. Former European City of Culture and UK City of Architecture, the some of the best sights in Glasgow can be seen by gazing skywards and drinking in the glorious facades of its stunning buildings.
Museum buffs who want to learn more about Scottish history, art and culture should head to the Burrell Collection, the Glasgow Art Gallery and Museum and the Hunterian Museum.
In a nutshell, Glasgow's history stretches back almost two thousand years. Shaped by battles, world-wide trade and heavy industry, Glasgow began life as a salmon-fishing village at a crossing point on the gushing river Clyde. Founded by the Christian missionary St Mungo, the city became a major religious centre and afterwards became famous for the production of its world class ships and existing as a major centre for trade.
Today remnants of the city's past can be seen in its diverse architecture and in the faces of those who watched the Clyde shipyards fall to their knees when demand for their great ships slumped.
In simple terms, Glasgow can be described as a fried Mars Bar – try it, you never know, you might just like it.
