Glasgow overnite--calling all Glaswegians for suggestions

[ForresterModern]

As part of a 9 day golfing trip with some friends this coming August I will be arriving a day earlier than the rest of my party into Glasgow on Friday August 6 midday and not meeting up with the rest of my party until sometime on the afternoon Saturday the 7th. As such I am seeking recommendations for a decent place to stay in Glasgow that is near either shopping (kilts shops in particular) or some historic sites that I can either walk to or take a short taxi ride to. A nice cozy hotel or B&B for just the one night, so I can spend a little time getting to know Glasgow, albeit briefly, and maybe find a deal or two on some kilt kit and take some photos.

While there it would be great to meet up with some of the local xmarks Glaswegians for a Friday night kilt night if anybody is interested in joining a kilted yank for some refreshment and company. I will be golfing kilted most of the trip so will be bringing several kilts. Lacking a formal gathering of Glaswegian xmarkers, some suggestions from the locals on an interesting place to dine for the evening, and maybe partake of some of the local atmosphere and scotch whisky as well, will help set me into the right mood for the remainder of the trip.

Any help that can be provided would be greatly appreciated. I am having trouble keeping my mind off the trip, even though it is still several months away.

When I know more details of the trip, as far as where we will be staying on specific nights, I will repost that schedule as well for possible meet ups with locals in those areas as well. I am sure my golfing companions would enjoy meeting up with some of the local color, and know d@mn well that I would.

Jeff

[Jock Scot]

I am not the chap to advise you on Glaswegian matters, Jeff and I am no golfer either. Out of interest though, what courses are you playing and why those in particular? Just to keep your mind focused on the future, so to speak.

[JSFMACLJR]

As part of a 9 day golfing trip with some friends this coming August I will be arriving a day earlier than the rest of my party into Glasgow on Friday August 6 midday and not meeting up with the rest of my party until sometime on the afternoon Saturday the 7th. As such I am seeking recommendations for a decent place to stay in Glasgow that is near either shopping (kilts shops in particular) or some historic sites that I can either walk to or take a short taxi ride to. A nice cozy hotel or B&B for just the one night, so I can spend a little time getting to know Glasgow, albeit briefly, and maybe find a deal or two on some kilt kit and take some photos.

While there it would be great to meet up with some of the local xmarks Glaswegians for a Friday night kilt night if anybody is interested in joining a kilted yank for some refreshment and company. I will be golfing kilted most of the trip so will be bringing several kilts. Lacking a formal gathering of Glaswegian xmarkers, some suggestions from the locals on an interesting place to dine for the evening, and maybe partake of some of the local atmosphere and scotch whisky as well, will help set me into the right mood for the remainder of the trip.

Any help that can be provided would be greatly appreciated. I am having trouble keeping my mind off the trip, even though it is still several months away.

When I know more details of the trip, as far as where we will be staying on specific nights, I will repost that schedule as well for possible meet ups with locals in those areas as well. I am sure my golfing companions would enjoy meeting up with some of the local color, and know d@mn well that I would.

Jeff

Jeff,
Sara and I stay at Hotel Du Vin One Devonshire Gardens while in Glasgow.

http://www.hotelduvin.com/hotels/gla...el-information

Cheers,
Sandy

[ForresterModern]

Thanks, Sandy.

Jock, we are slated to play 7 different courses in 7 days, Sunday through Saturday. I cannot access my itinerary from here at work, but to my recollection we are spending one night and playing Turnberry Ailsa, then moving up to Prestwick and playing Royal Troon, then off to Muirfield for a night and a round, then Carnoustie, then to St Andrews for several days where we will play the Old and New courses, as well as another nearby brand new course whose name escapes me but which has recieve high praise as the best new course in Scotland in the past few years. 5 of 7 rounds will be on courses that are in the rotation for the British Open. It will be tough for me to bring enough clothes, my golf clubs, and my camera gear for such beautiful locales. Trip of a lifetime (and it literally will be for one member of the group recently diagnosed with a slow growing but advanced stage of likely terminal cancer----one last hurrah so to speak). We will have to see if the crowds cheer as we come up the 18 fairway toward the green at the Old course in St Andrews, right in front of the home of the R&A.

jeff

[sfb]

I'm not a golfer either, but that sounds like a fantastic itinerary. Hectic, but fantastic!

So far as the Glasgow accommodation goes, I'm only about 15 miles outside the city so hardly ever need to stay there, for obvious reasons. You certainly won't go wrong with One Devonshire Gardens if it's the top class experience you're after.

On the other side of the city (Devonshire Gardens is the "West End") I've heard a couple of folk say that the rooms at Rab Ha's are good. It's certainly a brilliant pub, right in the heart of the Merchant City, which might be one of your better bets so far as shopping/kilt shopping goes. It's only 5 minutes walk from the city centre anyway. That end of town also has some other iconic watering holes like the Clutha, the Scotia Bar, and Babbity Bowsters. All worth a visit if you're after the (mostly) genuine Glesga pub experience.

Oh, and wherever you stay, you need to visit the Horseshoe in Drury Street. It used to have - maybe still does - the longest continuous bar surface in Europe (or something like that). A cracking pub altogether.

Historical trips? Hmmm. I probably know more about pubs.
If it was a museum type visit you were after, then most folk would think of Kelvingrove, which is newly refurbished/upgraded. It's also just next to Glasgow University, the old part of which contains some magnificent architecture and might be worth a wander. As an alternative though, and somewhere i've always enjoyed, there's the People's Palace. It sort of does what it says on the tin. It's very Glasgow.

A left field suggestion - and not everyone finds wandering around cemeteries to their taste, I know - is the Necropolis. You either find that idea historically interesting or just plain odd, so I'll leave it there!

Oh, and if we're not away on holiday ourselves that week (depends on my better half's time off), then I'd be delighted to head in and join you for a wee pub crawl!

Just in passing, and I'm sure it must have been mentioned on this forum before, Pete Irvine's "Scotland the Best" guidebook really is a treasure trove for folk wanting inspiration for where & what to see if they're visiting. It's rarely wrong, in my experience. Being Scottish however I'm too mean to buy a new edition every year, so mine's a bit outdated now.

[cessna152towser]

Not so sure of hotels in central Glasgow, I once stayed in the central station hotel, felt it was overpriced and noisy.
When I go to the Glasgow area I usually stay at the Ramada at Glasgow Airport.

[KenB]

The Babbity Bowster is a great spot. An easy walk to George Square. MacMillan MacDuff (Kilts) are located just a couple of blocks from the Buchanan St. Mall. Also, Hector Russell is located very close as well.

[Darkislander]

Not so sure of hotels in central Glasgow, I once stayed in the central station hotel, felt it was overpriced and noisy.
When I go to the Glasgow area I usually stay at the Ramada at Glasgow Airport.

The once glorious Central hotel is no more, and was on a steady decline after the demise of British Transport Hotels. I'm talking the 70's here.

[ForresterModern]

This is a thread bump and an update of some of the details of my trip, hoping to arouse some interest in a kilt night in Glasgow with some of the locals on my overnight there next month.

As stated before I will be arriving into Glasgow on Friday August 6 a day early for starting a 7 day golf trip the next afternon when my firneds will be arriving. My early arrival was predicated on completing a simple business transaction either Friday afternoon or Satruday morning at my hotel, the Hilton on the west side of downtown near the highway (M8?). Otherwise I will have the rest of Friday afternoon and Saturday morning to see a few sights, shop some of the kilt shops, eat a nice local meal, and carouse with some of the local kilties if any are free to come out to play. Alex has been kind enough to offer to pick me up at the airport and get me to my hotel and then chaperone me around town a bit friday before sharing a supper and some local beverage sampling. Obviously any local kilties who would like to join should chime in and we can set up a meet for dinner and or later carousing. I understand from Paul that darts are still a common pub pass time, and I have some history in their tossing that may prove entertaining so I will bring along mine, as long as I can find them since the last move.

As I said I am at the downtown Hilton simply because I had enough points from previous Hilton stays for a free night (always a good thing), and it is only a few blocks from the more active parts of town I understand, so a meet up could be there or at a restaurant of the locals choosing--afterall you all know this town better than I. My only requirements are to complete this small business transaction, have fun, and be packed, awake, and ready to be picked up by my golfing mates by around noon on Saturday. Other than a desire to visit a few local kilt shops while there I have no other particular requirements, and will place myself at the mercy of your ideas for a good time on a Friday night kilted in Glasgow. Being 6'5" and 270lb I do not usually fear much from the nighttime crowd, even when kilted.

Any interested Glaswegian kilties looking for an excuse to have a kilt night, to eat and drink, and make fun of a kilted yank are welcome to join the fray. Suggestions for supper and drinks are also welcomed, although I wll have Alex along as a fine tour guide as well who I am sure will more than suffice in those areas if no others are available to join us.

Cheers!

Jeff

[Inchessi]

Thanks, Sandy.

we are slated to play 7 different courses in 7 days, Sunday through Saturday.

Oh the suffering! Who pray tell, is forcing this heinous punishment on you. It ain't right. I would be willing to fall on my sword and take up your burden.

Have a great time.