Exploring Glasgow!

After driving the majestic A82 from Glencoe, a bit for lunch and a cruise along Loch Lomond, we finally arrived in our final destination of Glasgow.

 

Glasgow City Tour

Arriving in Glasgow before our hotel’s check-in time, our group took a tour of the city.

We truly had zero expectations for Glasgow. We had heard mixed reviews about it being dark and dreary, and lacking in culture; however, that could not have been farther from the truth.

Beyond Glaswegians (Yes, that’s what they’re called)  being a little hard to understand, we really enjoyed our time in the city.

 

The Glasgow Coat of Arms

We saw representations of the Glasgow Coat of Arms across the city. In the historic district, we spied one on a vintage-inspired street lamp.

The Coat of Arms features four key objects, each with a specific meaning: a bird, a bell, a fish, and a tree.

 

 

The motto of Glasgow usually accompanies them, “Let Glasgow Flourish.” It is said that Saint Mungo, the patron saint of the city, used this phrase in a sermon. 

As a matter of fact, all of the items in the coat of arms have legendary links to Saint Mungo.

 

Glasgow’s Murals

Glasgow City Centre has a fantastic Mural Trail. The first work of art was produced in 2008. 

They claim to have something to suit all tastes, from conservative to bizarre, and help to beautify the city, making it more inviting and supporting local businesses.

While we only captured photos of a few along our drive, there are currently 30 across the City Centre.

 

 

 

Glasgow’s Waterfront

Centered on the River Clyde, Glasgow was once a thriving hub for shipbuilding and commercial shipping. After World War II, due to a failure to modernize and Japanese competition, the port of Glasgow entered decline.

In recent years, redevelopment transformed the former dock area into a thriving, modern district that features the Riverside Museum, a distillery, and an entertainment center. Additionally, residential buildings, walking and bicycle paths, restaurants, and hotels have aided in its growth. 

 

 

Random Weird Stuff

After returning from our trip, we both did some further research into our respective family histories. It turns out that Mark’s maternal great-grandmother left Scotland for America in September 1891, sailing from Glasgow to Philadelphia (Mark’s hometown) on a ship called the Manitoban. Based on what we know, she likely sailed from docks just a few blocks from where we were staying.

 

High Street

We took a drive along Glasgow’s High Street. It’s the remains of what was a thriving main street filled with tenement houses leftover from the Victorian era. The Industrial Revolution brought thousands of workers to the nearby docks of Glasgow. Unfortunately, most of these architectural beauties became dilapidated and were torn down in the 1960s and 70s.

 

 

 

Glasgow Cathedral

Our last stop before checking into our hotel was the Glasgow Cathedral.

The building dedicated to St. Kentigern, also known as St. Mungo, was built in the 11th century. It is said to have been built on the spot where Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, began. It’s thought that Kentigern was buried on the cathedral site around 612 A.D. in a crypt below the main altar.

Having survived the Protestant Reformation, it is the most intact medieval cathedral on the Scottish mainland. 

It is truly a spectacular church, and it is well worth the visit.

 

 

For Our Outlander Fans

The crypt was used for filming parts of Season 2 of Outlander. The interior of L’Hopital des Agnes (Mother Hildegarde’s Hospital) in Paris, where Claire volunteers and later loses her baby, was shot there.

 

 

The Hilton Glasgow

1 William St, Glasgow G3 8HT, United Kingdom

 

The Hilton Glasgow, situated right on the waterfront, was the final hotel of our trip and possibly the best. It was just a short walk into the downtown area, and the hotel was modern and very comfortable.

 

Our room was HUGE with two beds, and an enormous bathroom with a walk-in shower and plenty of hot water.

 

 

Their breakfast buffet blew us away with multiple food stations offering a wide variety of foods, eggs made to order, and a really cool machine that cranked out freshly made pancakes. And, Mark was in love with the French Press Coffee!

 

 

In addition to excellent facilities, the hotel had a small gift shop where we found some beautiful jewelry made of compressed heather. We purchased this cross to add to our collection of religious pieces from around the world.

 

 

Random Wierd Stuff

After settling into our hotel, Mark went to the pool to relax in the hot tub. He was joined by two much older, retired Glaswegian businessmen. They were nearly impossible to understand, but Mark smiled and nodded as he tried to follow along. The one thing they made clear was that if we ever came back, we were NOT to rent a car and drive the Isle of Skye ourselves. Apparently, there are a large number of car accidents with some fatalities involving tourists who are unable to navigate the narrow, winding roads and forget to keep to the left.

 

The Shenaz Indian Restaurant

17 Granville St, Glasgow G3 7EE, United Kingdom

 

In recent years, Glasgow has become known for incredible Indian food, something we don’t get much of in the Yucatan. One of the original stories of Chicken Tikka Masala (often confused with Butter Chicken) has it originating in Glasgow.

We found The Shenaz online with very nice reviews, and it was just a few blocks from the hotel. So, we ventured out early with our friends Scott and Evie and somehow scored “Pre-Theater” dinner combinations – although we still have no idea where the theater was.

For £19.00 (approximately $25.00 US at the time), we each received an appetizer, an entrée, either rice or naan, and dessert.

Chuck opted for Vegetable Pakora, Chicken Tikka Masala, Naan, and Chocolate Ice Cream.

 

 

Mark ordered Tandoori Wings, Lamb Korma, Naan, and Vanilla Ice Cream.

 

We also added on Saag Paneer (Chuck’s go-to dish), some Saffron Rice, and a few pints of Tennents!

 

The list of options was of a really good size, the portion sizes were decent, and the naan was much bigger than expected. 

 

 

Great food, excellent, friendly service, and a decent price for everything we got – we would absolutely go back!

 

On Day More!

We called it a night fairly early, as we had one more very full day left in our UK / Scotland adventure before flying home after almost three weeks on the road.