Glasgow Travel Guide

Unlike Edinburgh, Glasgow is the industrial centre of Scotland.  Here you will see the latest trends and the movers and shakers of Scotland.  This is a great place to use as a jumping off point for adventures up into the highlands and lake district of Scotland.  Crime is a little higher here so keep an eye out.  For the most part, though, the people here are always willing to be helpful when you need it.  I suggest visiting Glasgow during the World Pipe Band Championships at the Glasgow Green, but that's just my personal taste.  As a side note, there are fish and chip shops here that will let you bring in whatever food you want and for a fee they'll deep fry it for you.  What an idea!

I had heard many things about the city of Glasgow over the years, and most of them not rave reviews.  Friends of mine from Kitty's, the Irish bar where I worked, talked about the Glasgow of their youths; dirty, dangerous and bleak.  So I was happily surprised to arrive there, on Burn's Night 2004, to a vibrant, clean, overall friendly place.  I stayed in Airdrie, out in the suburbs past Coatbridge (great bars there, by the way!!), but came into town a few times, to check out the shops, the river and the Science Centre.  The Science Centre was fantastic, very interactive.  Glasgow is pure dead brilliant!!

Glasgow is a battle-scarred yet delightful and compact city that is easy to explore.  The city is basically on a grid and a good map will get one around quite fine.  Take a 2 hour guided bus tour of the city; it was only 9 Scottish pounds sterling.  Transportation is very cheap.... so cheap that I only used taxis while there.  Their public transportation system is nice and clean.  British and Scottish pounds can be used interchangeably; the Royal Bank of Scotland and HSBC are major banks there.  Everything is cheaper in Scotland than in England (especially London).  Stay at any hotel EXCEPT the Alexander Thomson hotel.  It is the most disgusting hotel I've ever stayed at in my entire life.  The Holiday Inn Glasgow, where I switched to after leaving that horrible hotel, is pricey but worth the money. For good comedy, go to The Stand.  In addition, mid-October to mid-November is Glasgay, the month for lesbians and gays.  The Scottish in general are a feisty yet delightful and funny bunch.  And boy can they drink.  Women, be careful going outside alone at night.  A drunk man tried to accost me in front of a restaurant right next to the disgusting hotel.  (I wound up having to dodge inside the restaurant and ate, much to my chagrin.  Didn't want to spend extra money.  But the food was good - Thai Orchid restaurant.) I'd love to return to Glasgow and hopefully get to Edinburgh while there.