Glasgow: Scotland's second city
Edinburgh may have the royal aura, but I find Glasgow's down-to-earth appeal captivating. One Glaswegian told me, "The people of Glasgow have a better time at a funeral than the people of Edinburgh have at a wedding." In Glasgow, there's no upper-crust history, and no one puts on airs. In this revitalized city, friendly locals do their best to introduce you to the fun-loving, laid-back Glaswegian way of life.
IF YOU VISIT...
SLEEPING: Adelaides Guest House rents eight rooms in a church building near the Glasgow School of Art (moderate, www.adelaides.co.uk). The Rennie Mackintosh Art School Hotel has 24 rooms and hints of Glasgow's favorite architect on a street that offers instant immersion into Glasgow's working-class roots (moderate, www.rmghotels.com ).
EATING: Rogano, a time-warp Glasgow institution in the city center, retains much of the same classy Art Deco interior it had when it opened in 1935 (11 Exchange Place). In the trendy West End, head to quaint and cobbled Ashton Lane for a variety of eateries, including Ketchup (an American-style diner), The Wee Curry Shop (Scottish-Indian fusion) and Jinty McGuinty's (Irish pub and beer garden).
GETTING AROUND: Buses run every few minutes down Glasgow's main thoroughfares. Taxis are affordable and plentiful, and often come with nice, chatty cabbies. Glasgow's cute little single-line subway system, nicknamed Clockwork Orange, makes a six-mile circle around the edge of the city center. Though essentially useless for connecting city-center sightseeing, it's handy for reaching sights farther out, such as the Kelvingrove and the West End.
TOURIST INFORMATION: www.visitscotland.com.
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Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at rick@ricksteves.com and follow his blog on Facebook.
(c)2014 RICK STEVES DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
