A Tasty Suggestion
The award-winning 78 Vincent Street is one of Glasgow's restaurant treasures. The French restaurant, formally the Phoenix Building, has kept some of its old character and traditional deLcor whilst still having its own quirky style. The restaurant used local artists to complete the transformation to create a contemporary look which gives it a very relaxed feel, especially once youfre sitting in the comfortable leather chairs.
The menu offers imaginative dishes and is described by many Glaswegians as having eFrench cooking with a Scottish flavourf. Appealing to business lunches, couples, and those who just want to sit and relax with a drink you can pick from the a la carte menu for between £6.75 and £20.
The restaurant also offers a pre-theatre two-course meal (£12.40) which is ideal for those wanting to make an evening of Glasgowfs alluring Scottish culture.
For more information phone
+44 (0) 141 248 7878
www.78stvincent.com
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SEPTEMBER 6:The Great Scottish Run. The main run is a half marathon setting off (like the 10km) from George Square. Visit www.runglasgow.org
...and here are more great things to see and do in Glasgow...
SEPTEMBER 2008: The Royal Proms in the Park takes place on Glasgow Green and showcases the very best in classical music. High quality classical music is played by the BBC Scottish Orchestra and National Scottish Youth Choir. Visit www.bbc.co.uk/proms to find out more.
OCTOBER 2008: Kelvin Hall is host to one of the biggest music fairs in Scotland as collectors, exhibitors and music fans come to see if they can find a bargain. Visitors come from as far away as Japan to pick out CDs, vinyl and music memorabilia. To find out more see www.vip-24.com/
MARCH 2009: The Glasgow International Comedy festival has rapidly established itself as the best in the whole country. Some of the biggest names on the comedy circuit take part from James Byrne to Jimmy Carr. For more information go to www.glasgowcomedyfestival.com/
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Kylie - The Exhibition
Running from September 21 - January 13 this exhibition explores the changing image of Kylie Minogue and presents how she pushed new boundaries in image, fashion photo and video. The event is being held at Kelvingrove art gallery and museum and has 45 of the different outfits that Kylie has worn and over 200 photos of her throughout the last decade. The exhibition also reveals how major international music tours develop. Entry is free to all. www.glasglowmuseums.com
Food glorious food
The BBC's Good Food Show Scotland will be held in Glasgow's Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre this autumn between November 2 and 4. The event features the very best in local Scottish fayre, with lots of the UK's finest food producers as well as a huge selection of beers, wines and spirits. Celebrity chefs such as Gordon Ramsay and James Martin will also be attending. Food preparation equipment will also be on show and for sale. www.seeglasgow.com
www.bbcgoodfoodshow.com
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Maritime Connection - The spirit of Adventure starts here... Stop dreaming... start sailing. Join Ailsa Sailing in Troon for an evening, day or weekend sail aboard a modern yacht. No experience necessary. Professional skippers offer relaxed sailing fun and organise your outing from start to finish. Protective clothing included. Family away days and corporate events. Tel/Fax: 01292 315492, mobile 07885 497476
Email: mariconn@dial.pipex.com
www.maritimeconnection.co.uk
Artistic, brash, chic, dynamic, exuberant - it's difficult to define the city of Glasgow today.Think Manhattan with a rasping Scottish accent, brimming with great architecture, a lively cultural scene and the best shopping and restaurants outside London. Urban regeneration, with a little help from Lottery money, has restored Victorian buildings, and tobacco warehouses have been transformed into a modern-day Merchant City of designer shops, bars, and bistros. Where the shipyards used to line the majestic River Clyde, the sterns of ocean-going leviathans jutting out over the water, there are now space-age exhibition, conference, concert, and science centres. The people too, have more sense of style than most outside London, and it could be said that Glasgow does not simply follow fashion, it creates its own. Glasgow has certainly moved with the times, but has lost none of the grit and humour forged in the long years of industrialisation, where what you got was hard labour if you were lucky, and the dole if you werenft. The Glaswegian response has always been to smile and swagger, and the razor-sharp retort is still common currency here. The Glaswegianfs natural friendliness will ensure that it is seldom directed at the tourist (unless from England or, worse still, Edinburgh), as long as you donft criticise his city. Or forget to buy your round.
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Devote the morning to being inspired by a feast of art and culture. Begin with coffee at the Willow Tea Room, a recreation of Charles Rennie Mackintosh`s elegant art nouveau design.
Then browse around the Lighthouse, the Centre for Architecture and Design, featuring diverse international exhibitions.
Have a beer in the Horse Shoe Bar at 17 Drury Street, either because you're thirsty, or because it has the second longest pub bar in Britain. Nearby is the cutting-edge Gallery of Modern Art with a collection of leading Scottish artists and sculptors.
Relax over a classy lunch around the corner at Rogano before an afternoon of serious designer shopping around the Merchant City, the Italian Centre, and Cruise (fabulously unique fashion), and along Buchanan Street.
Alternatively head down to the Clyde to the Science Centre where technology is interactively brought to life. Back into the city centre for a couple of cocktails, before it's time to get back to your hotel to shower and dress up for dinner, drinks, and a stylish night out on the town.
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Glasgow offers a good range of accommodation from simple B&Bs to high-quality four-star hotels in the city centre with CD-players in every room.
In the three-star or budget category, there are lots of new hotels in and around the city centre. These often quote prices on a per-room basis, whereas the more traditional hotels usually quote on a per-person basis, so check before confirming your reservation.
The four-star Fraser Suites Hotel is an imposing Victorian building with a sophisticated 21st century interior located in the heart of the Merchant City.
Langs is a stylish and comfortable award-winning hotel in the heart of the city and voted Sexiest Scottish hotel 2005.
The three-star Normandy Hotel is located one mile from the airport and just 10 minutes from Glasgow city centre. Book with Flybe on +44 (0) 871 900 8297 or www.flybehotels.com
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By car: Explore the city and the countryside in comfort and style at great prices! Get the best deal by checking Flybe's partner Avis for the best available car hire rates at www.flybe.com/avis
By road: Glasgow International Airport is located 13 km (8 miles) west of the city at Junction 28 on the M8. Contact Flybe's partner Avis for the best available car hire rates. www.flybe.com/avis
By bus: Airport link bus every 10-15 minutes to Buchanan Street bus station from outside Arrivals. This is a 30-minute journey.
By taxi: Airport to city centre approximately £24.
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Glasgow has one of the most advanced, fully integrated public transport systems in Europe. Glaswegians are very reliant on buses, the underground, and the local railway network that cross the city and link it to the suburbs. The Travel Centre at St Enoch Square (+44 (0) 141 226 4826) is a good starting-point for general Glasgow-wide travel information.
Glasgow's local bus network is a great way of getting around the city. For more information contact Traveline Scotland, www.travelinescotland.com
The Glasgow Underground has twin tunnels providing a circular service linking 15 stations. Trains are frequent (approximately one every five minutes), and tickets are cheap, but must be bought in advance of the journey either from a machine or from the ticket office at the station.
An extensive network of regular and frequent local rail services operates in Glasgow, its suburbs and the West of Scotland. Most suburbs and towns within this area are accessible by train. If you are staying outside Glasgow and do not want to drive into the city, you can use the 'Park-and-Ride' system, which allows free parking at suburban rail stations, where you then continue your journey by train. CCTV protects most of the parking facilities - the Park-and-Ride also operates at four Glasgow Underground stations.
Glasgow Central station is the terminus for trains to the south, including London. Queen Street station is for trains to the northern Scottish towns, the Highlands, and Edinburgh.
For all your timetables and fares UK wide:
National Rail Enquiries +44 (0) 345 48 49 50
For all your rail travel requirements:
Traveline +44 (0) 870 608 2 608
Scottish Citylink runs a daily coach service between Buchanan Street Bus station and London's Victoria Coach station (+44 (0) 8705 505050) www.citylink.co.uk
Stagecoach runs a service between Buchanan Street and King's Cross station in London.
www.stagecoach-westernbuses.co.uk
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Try Tiger Tiger, a fun, multi-themed eight-bar extravaganza (+44 (0) 141 553 4888); Spy Bar, a pre-club venue, cool DJ music-mix; Babbity Bowster, a buzzing Merchant City pub; and Corinthian, an elegant 18th-century grandeur backdrop with cocktail bar, piano bar, and fine restaurant. Or try the best of the city's stand-up, plus international acts at Jongleurs Comedy Club (+44 (0) 141 332 2815) on Renfrew Street. If gambling's your thing, Gala Casinos operates four casinos in Glasgow.
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Leisure Centre: Bellahousten Park Leisure Centre lies just outside the immediate Glasgow city centre and houses some of the top sports facilities available at the moment. The centre is well equipped with 10 sports halls allowing a variety of sports. Visitors can enjoy a range of activities including tennis and squash or if your not feeling too energetic you can use the gym or pool facilities and relax.
The pool facilities includes a 25m indoor pool, outdoor pool for the summer, kids fun pool and for the brave a 100ft flume and lazy water rapids making it one of the top leisure centres in the country. For more information phone +44 (0) 141 641 0222
Golf: Just 6km from the city centre lies Balmore golf club. The very popular 18-hole golf course is surprisingly relaxing considering its distance from the city. The par 67 course caters for all levels of ability. For the less seasoned golfer the bar and restaurant facilities are also extremely good. Green fees are ’25 per person on weekdays. Tel: +44 (0) 1360 620 240. www.balmoregolfclub.co.uk
Ski and snowboard: One of the only dry slopes to be in a city centre the Glasgow Ski and Snowboard Centre is only a short distance away. With floodlit slopes for day and night skiing the centre is open to members and non-members, you can also hire all the equipment you need. The centre opens from 10.00 | 22.00. Tel: +44 (0) 141 427 4991. www.ski-glasgow.org
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Waverley: Glasgow's Gateway to the Lochs & Isles of Scotland.
Sail away on a day to remember - visit an Island or soak up the atmosphere of days gone by as you relax on deck and let the spectacular Scottish scenery slip by.
Sailings start June 23 at 10am Fri/Sat/Sun & Mon in July & August. (Call+ 44 141 243 2224). www.waverleyexcursions.co.uk
The Lighthouse: Scotland's Centre for Architecture, Design, and The City.
For those interested in architecture, particularly the works of the Glasgow architect, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, this is the first stop. Housed in the Glasgow Herald Building, to the design of which Mackintosh contributed in 1893-95, it has a permanent Mackintosh exhibition (+44 (0) 141 221 6362).
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Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park: Glasgow is surrounded by stunning countryside. Forty minutes north of the city travellers can experience the tranquil beauty that is Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. Take a cruise on Loch Lomond or a guided walking tour off the beaten track.
www.lochlomond-trossachs.org
New Lanark World Heritage Site: Head south and visit the 18th-century cotton mill at New Lanark World Heritage Site (+44 (0) 1555 661 345). The picturesque village overlooks the Falls of Clyde and welcomes 400,000 visitors per year. Attractions include a magical dark ride, 3D theatre show entitled eAnnie McLeod's Storyf, the restored Millworkers' House, and Robert Owen's School. www.newlanark.org
Burrell Collection: Art historians and enthusiasts will want to visit the Burrell Collection, now permanently sited on the outskirts of Glasgow in Pollok Country Park, 2060 Pollokshaws Road (+44 (0) 141 353 9108). This is a huge and important collection of medieval art, tapestries, alabasters, stained glass, and English oak furniture. There are also European paintings, including works by Degas and Ce'zanne, a collection of Islamic art, and modern sculpture with works by Epstein and Rodin.
Golf courses: Golfers will be encouraged by the statistics: there are 150 golf courses within 50km of Glasgowfs city centre. Many of these are private, however, and your best chance of a game is one of the eight municipal courses within the city limits. Littlehill and Linn Park are the pick of the bunch. Golf pilgrims will make their way south to the Ayrshire coast and Turnberry, which has hosted the Open Championship, and has two links (seaside) courses. Purists will tell you that links courses are what golf is all about, and you're spoilt for choice here. A little further north is Prestwick, where the first Open was played in 1860. Close by is Royal Troon, which has three municipal or public courses, including the Old Course, another venue for the Open.
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As one of the cities that drove the industrial engine that created the British Empire, Glasgow has seen some ups and downs. From a simple cotton-weaving town of 50,000 people in 1800, it had exploded to half a million by 1870. Cotton had been replaced by heavy industry and shipbuilding, and Glasgow was becoming the 'Second City of the Empire'.
With prosperity, however, came a heavy legacy of overcrowding, slum housing, and disease. The end of the First World War brought decline and unemployment, and a long struggle in the 20th century to replace the heavy industry with new ways of keeping the city's population working. North Sea oil helped in the 1970s, and the housing regeneration policy of that decade gave the East End a facelift that was to boost the city's morale. The tenements were refurbished rather than being demolished, and soot-stained buildings were cleaned. This paved the way for the renovation of the old Merchant City and docks areas. With the award in 1990 of the title of European City of Culture, many felt that the city had finally turned the corner.
Tourism has flourished since then, helped by high-profile events such as the 1996 Festival of Visual Arts and the 1999 award of UK City of Architecture and Design. The prosperous merchants who built the great houses and elegant squares have given way to a new breed of entrepreneurs, and the shipyard workers have been replaced by call-centre operators and salespeople. While there is still a question mark over the economic foundations of the city, itfs got the all-important reputation of being a cool place to visit, to shop, and to party.
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Glasgow has one of the lowest price differentials when buying bigger houses says the Clydebank quarterly house buyers' report which is a snapshot of buyer preferences within the Scottish market. The report found that when moving from a two-bed terrace house to a three-bedroom semi-villa the average price increase is £35,857. This is in stark contrast to a residence in Aberdeen where the difference is a staggering £174,585 and this while the current average price of a house in a major Scottish city is £157,976. Housing experts say that this is due to interest rates being so high.
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The city has changed so much over the past 10 years and is now, without doubt, one of Europe's most interesting and vibrant places. No matter how often you visit, there is always a new bar, restaurant, or club to try out. The city is buzzing, and as for the Glaswegians, nowhere in the world will you find such friendly people.
Glasgow is a great year-round city. Whether it's the celebrations, Christmas lights and shopping in the winter, or the parks, pubs, and festivals in the summer, you're bound to enjoy yourself. This city has personality and presence, and will leave you with lasting memories of great times.
After a hard week, try this antidote to stress and depression. Start your Friday night with a first-class meal at a very reasonable price from a menu that incorporates Scotland's finest ingredients at the CafeL Source (+44 (0) 141 548 6020 - under St Andrew's Church in St Andrew's Square). Then take a short stroll to the Clutha Vaults pub to ensure an unparalleled evening's entertainment. On Fridays, the energy and passion of the live music raises the rafters, while the eclectic mix of customers guarantees a rich blend of humour and culture that must be the envy of any city in the world.
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