Tag Archives: Scotland tours

Start Scotland Tours With ‘Glasge’ Attractions

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800px-Glasgow_westend_(31)Luckily for Glasgow most of the main attractions are located around the subway circuit. There is always something to see within easy reach of the city centre. Because the city has many hidden secrets around every corner, not all of them are as obvious on the top of a tour bus and are best seen on foot.

The best place to start is in the heart of the city, Georges Square. This place is always a hive of activity and has different event going on through the year. During the summer it is a great place to lounge around and admire the architecture of city chambers. At Christmas time the square is completely lit up with Christmas lights and is home to it’s own miniature fairground with a small Ferris wheel and merry go round.

Throughout the year Glasgow hosts many festivals that celebrate all things arty after it was titled city of culture in the 1990’s. Every month there is something going on and is best know for it’s Glasgow comedy festival, Celtic Connections, the Merchant City festival and of course, Hogmanay. There are many other smaller festivals going on, such as an event celebrating Glasgow Subway. The city never stops!

All around the subway circuit there is something to see at almost every stop. Some of my favourites are Glasgow Cathedral and Necropolis, Tenement house at Cowcaddens station, Scotland Street School Museum at Shields Road, Kelvingrove galleries at Kelvinhall subway, the Gallery of Modern Art in Merchant Square and the People’s Palace near St. Enoch are at the top of the list of places to see if you don’t go anywhere else.

Outside of the city centre circuit there are many more attractions that can be reached by bus. I find the best places tend to be in the Southside of the city but there are many more on the outskirts of the city. Some include The Burrell Collection in Shawlands, Pollok House and Country park in Pollok, The Glasgow Science Museum and Tramway gallery and gardens in Pollokshields.

There are also many parks around Glasgow most of which have Victorian glasshouses, housing aquariums and collections of exotic plants. The best parks to go are Glasgow Green, Kelvingrove Park in the west end and Queens Park in the south side.

Nights out

The city centre is mostly filled with clubs and swanky bars. Merchant city is the place if you’re looking for an expensive cocktail, where the more reasonable bars are along Bath Street and Sauchiehall Street. If you’re into your dancing the city centre has plenty of nightclubs to choose from. Most of them are along Sauchiehall Street some being Campus, Garage, The Classrooms, and the Savoy aka ‘Suave Sav’.

Personally I feel the best place to experience Glasgow is in its West End. I feel this is where the real Glasgow is, it is another world compared to anywhere else in the city. My favourite place to go is Ashton Lane. Close by to Hillhead subway lies a little cul-de-sac filled with award winning restaurants and bars. Favourites include Brel (where Billy Connolly often frequents), The Chip, The Loft, Vodka Wodka and a few others. During the summer this is home to Ashton Lane and the West End festivals and is the busiest, but best time to go.

If you’re looking for an evening of entertainment, Glasgow has many venues that offer a range of shows, gigs and concerts. There is the SECC, Braehead Arena, Carling Academy, The Arches and the Barrowlands where all types of artist perform, including many big names. If you’re looking for a show there is the Royal Concert Hall, the King’s Theatre and the Tron theatre with something different showing all the time. Glasgow also has two comedy clubs, one in the city centre called Joungleurs near Buchanan bus station and the other one in the West End called The Stand.

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Weather Glasgow, Meet Scotlands People And Enjoy Your Stay In The City Of Glasgow

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800px-Glasgow_westend_(31)Glasgow weather can be unpredictable but whether the sun shines or not on the city of Glasgow it’s an amazing place to visit or live in. Like most of Scotlands people Glaswegians are friendly and as full of character as the city itself.

Everyone I know outside of Glasgow asks me if I eat deep fried Mars bars for breakfast. To be honest, it’s not a part of my staple diet let alone that of most Glaswegians. I think this more of a myth, but I’m sure a few partake in one or two when watching Glasgow’s very own soap opera, River City.

I will never forget the first time that I met Glasgow. Walking through its city centre I felt like a borrower with the magnificent Victorian buildings looming over me. All around Glasgow there are many surviving buildings from the Victorian and Georgian era, surrounded by its modern age.

Once a ship building hub in the early twentieth century, Glasgow has taken a number of leaps and bounds to become what it is today. Titled ‘The second city of the empire’ during Queen Victoria’s reign, walking around you will quickly see why. There is plenty to see and experience in Glasgow, but this is what I want people to see. This is how I see Glasgow.

Getting Around

Glasgow is lucky enough to have its own underground subway system known as the ‘Clockwork Orange’ (appropriately named for its bright colours), which allows you to get around the city with great ease. You might feel as if you’re in a toy carriage and may get a face full of armpit but its quick and reliable, as they tend to run every few minutes until 11:30pm on weekdays and on Saturdays. I personally don’t mind the subway, but there are many that do. My advice is to hold your nose and hang on tight!

Our bus services are pretty reliable and fairly easy to figure out and especially good for those attractions outside the city centre. However make sure you get on at the right stop. I didn’t do this and ended up going on a two hour tour of the city, not knowing where I was and two hours late for work!

One thing I have found is that the bus drivers are among the friendliest I have ever encountered in the world. A few years ago walking from Queen Street Train Station to Buchanan Street Bus Station a kind bus driver carried my bags all the way up the hill, not taking no for an answer. Don’t be scared to ask them for directions, they don’t bite.

There is also a great network of train stations throughout the city, the main ones being Queen Street and Central Station. A great pointer; If you want to get anywhere quickly such as Edinburgh and the surrounding areas, Queen Street train station is your best bet.

The taxis in Glasgow are not badly either compared to most cities. The private cab companies are the cheapest but even the black cabs are reasonable. To get from Glasgow airport to the city center it will cost around fifteen pounds and even less than that for a private cab.
Glasgow Shopping

Glasgow’s main shopping district covers most of the heart of the city centre along Buchanan Street, Argyle Street and Sauchiehall Street. It’s quite hard to get lost around there and pretty self explanatory – it only took me a day or so to get my bearings.

Here you will find anything from your everyday high street stores to the more posh and up market designer shops around Princes Square and Merchant City. All around the city centre are hidden gems that are often missed such as the Gallery of Modern Art in Merchant city and the Lighthouse hidden away on Mitchell Lane.

Entertainment

There is a lot of entertainment on offer in Glasgow but highlight of the Glasgow entertainment calendar is the annual Glasgow Comedy festival. In March 2008 there were over 350 shows to choose from! Glasgow is a must when planning your Scotland tours there is a massive amount on offer.

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Meet Scotlands People, Move to the Scottish Highlands and Islands

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There are many reasons why people relocate anywhere, so why the Scottish highlands and Islands? I myself am not a native Scot, but like many others have fallen in love with the place. I may moan about the rainy, windy days but I can’t imagine living anywhere else!

I have experienced both sides of Scotland from one of the remotest islands to Scotland’s largest city. Both are equally beautiful in their own way and have character like nowhere else I’ve lived.

Living in the Outer Hebrides completely changed my life. I had no idea such places hidden away in the UK existed (although it was marked on the BBC weather map all along!) It’s a shame not many people get to experience Scotland in its raw form and only get to touch the tip of the iceberg on what there is to see. When you finally move to Scotland, you loose that ‘touristy’ feeling and you become connected to the place in a completely different way.

Scotland is littered with places where you might consider moving and it can only take that one visit before you have your heart set on a place. Whether you’re looking for the good life on a croft or wanting the fast pace of a city there is something for everyone. I’ve experience both and have loved every minute of it. If only I could take what I have in the city to the Islands, then it would be perfect!

Schools

If you have children it is important to bare in mind the difference in the school system. The primary schools can work in two ways depending on where you are. Children start primary school at the age of 5 until the age of 11 (P1 to P6) to which they then move up to Secondary school. However in some highland and island communities they might combine the primary school with the first 3 years of secondary school (to S3) and pupils then move up to secondary school at the age of 14 instead (S1 to S5).

It’s a much simpler system I feel and saves a lot of moving around. From seeing my brothers experience of moving from England to Scotland, it was a much smoother transition between the schools as in the highlands and islands in particular they tend to be more prepared for pupils moving from a different curriculums. Personally, I had more problems moving schools within the same county in England. One thing to keep in mind; Scotland doesn’t have GCSE’s or A-Levels. Instead they’ve got Standard Grades and Highers!

Housing

In some parts of Scotland buying a house is quite different compared to the rest of the U.K. For the different laws that surround buying a house it is best to get in touch with an estate agent within the area that you are interested in buying.

In the highlands and Islands it is very common to croft your own land. My family does this to rear their own animals on a two acre plot of land right next to a loch overlooking the sea. It is also popular for to rent their land out to local farmers for keeping animals or growing certain crops. It doesn’t make you a great deal of money, but it is great for the local economy in the long run and it’s so nice seeing baby animals prancing around in the spring!

In Scotland it is very popular to buy and build your own ‘kit house’. Overall this is a cheaper way of getting yourself on the housing market. I have seen 2 bedroom one storey houses going from 30,000 (excluding the price of land) which is great because you can design it the way you want!

In the cities however, in recent years I have seen the price of houses creep to level with the rest of the U.K. Though cost of living seems to be less than I’ve experienced in England, everything else is pretty much the same. Glasgow and Edinburgh are the most expensive, but there are a lot of online forums which you can join to find the best areas of the cities to rent or buy and the council tax hot spots.

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