Best city in Scotland for a hungry librarian?
January 16, 2024 10:14 AM Subscribe
I am going to be visiting Scotland this May, and I’m trying to decide whether to spend a week in Edinburgh or in Glasgow. Thoughts?
I’ll be taking a drawing course at Gartmore House near Stirling, the week of May 12-17, and will be flying home out of Glasgow on May 24.
Since I don’t want to rent a car, I will have gotten plenty of nature in the first week, and I’m not really a fan of the travel parts of travel, I’d like to spend that second week all (or mostly) in one city. I’m thinking either Glasgow (easiest because of the flight) or Edinburgh but I’m open to other suggestions.
I’m a single woman in my late forties traveling alone but I’ve done quite a lot of travel all over the world so I’m not especially worried about safety, etc (although I’m happy to hear about anything I should be careful of!) I’m a librarian from San Diego CA, the kind of person people often ask for directions, if that gives an idea of my vibe. I’m not a fancy person.
Things I’m into: Good food of all kinds, preferably small hole-in-the-wall type places rather than fine dining. Bakeries. Quirky things. Cozy things. Art/design/architecture. Books and movies. Fabric stores. Cool libraries. Weird museums, the more niche the better. People-focused history. Entomology. Walking around in cities. Riding on boats or ferries. Learning new things. Meeting new people, but I’m shy to just approach strangers.
Things I’m not super into: Braveheart/Outlander/Harry Potter fandom stuff. Military history. Genealogy. Hiking. Sailing/canoeing/kayaking. I’m happy to go to a pub but I’m not much of a drinker. I don’t knit or crochet.
With all of this in mind, what city should I choose, and what part of the city should I stay in? I was thinking an actual B&B would be fun, as it would have more human interaction than an Airbnb or hotel, but I’m open to any of the above. Recommendations for specific places also welcome!
I’ll be taking a drawing course at Gartmore House near Stirling, the week of May 12-17, and will be flying home out of Glasgow on May 24.
Since I don’t want to rent a car, I will have gotten plenty of nature in the first week, and I’m not really a fan of the travel parts of travel, I’d like to spend that second week all (or mostly) in one city. I’m thinking either Glasgow (easiest because of the flight) or Edinburgh but I’m open to other suggestions.
I’m a single woman in my late forties traveling alone but I’ve done quite a lot of travel all over the world so I’m not especially worried about safety, etc (although I’m happy to hear about anything I should be careful of!) I’m a librarian from San Diego CA, the kind of person people often ask for directions, if that gives an idea of my vibe. I’m not a fancy person.
Things I’m into: Good food of all kinds, preferably small hole-in-the-wall type places rather than fine dining. Bakeries. Quirky things. Cozy things. Art/design/architecture. Books and movies. Fabric stores. Cool libraries. Weird museums, the more niche the better. People-focused history. Entomology. Walking around in cities. Riding on boats or ferries. Learning new things. Meeting new people, but I’m shy to just approach strangers.
Things I’m not super into: Braveheart/Outlander/Harry Potter fandom stuff. Military history. Genealogy. Hiking. Sailing/canoeing/kayaking. I’m happy to go to a pub but I’m not much of a drinker. I don’t knit or crochet.
With all of this in mind, what city should I choose, and what part of the city should I stay in? I was thinking an actual B&B would be fun, as it would have more human interaction than an Airbnb or hotel, but I’m open to any of the above. Recommendations for specific places also welcome!
It doesn't get much quirkier than Calton Hill in Edinburgh.
posted by humbug at 10:59 AM on January 16
posted by humbug at 10:59 AM on January 16
Another vote to say you would have fun in either city - and both with specifically will be able to provide a list of places which will keep you well supplied with all the things you are into. I used to tell people that the way to think about Glasgow versus Edinburgh would be "Fort" (Edinburgh: Closed off to the world but with pretty views) versus "Port" (Glasgow: Gritty but naturally cosmopolitan and welcoming) - but in recent decades Edinburgh has become a lot more international and welcoming and Glasgow has lost some of its scarier edge. So both are good choices: but, like choosing a sports team, it can maybe help to choose one and be partisan towards it. To do that you need to experience both - one a little more and one a little less.
I'm going to suggest Edinburgh because I happen to live there and because its castle, firth and sea layout makes it easier to orient yourself. You might enjoy basing yourself a little out of town - somewhere like Bruntsfield, Newington, Stockbridge or Leith - because these are areas right in the kind of places you are interested in. The city is great for walking around (and sketching in) but there is also a good bus network and trains to take you to Glasgow on a day . trip. I'm going to suggest Atlas Obscura for suggestions on either Edinburgh or Glasgow
posted by rongorongo at 11:31 AM on January 16 [3 favorites]
I'm going to suggest Edinburgh because I happen to live there and because its castle, firth and sea layout makes it easier to orient yourself. You might enjoy basing yourself a little out of town - somewhere like Bruntsfield, Newington, Stockbridge or Leith - because these are areas right in the kind of places you are interested in. The city is great for walking around (and sketching in) but there is also a good bus network and trains to take you to Glasgow on a day . trip. I'm going to suggest Atlas Obscura for suggestions on either Edinburgh or Glasgow
posted by rongorongo at 11:31 AM on January 16 [3 favorites]
If you pick Glasgow, take a day trip over to Helensburgh to visit Mackintosh’s Hill House, which is a delight (and is currently enclosed by a chain-mail tent). The town is pleasant enough too, with a couple of nice places to eat.
posted by pipeski at 11:44 AM on January 16
posted by pipeski at 11:44 AM on January 16
Best answer: If you don't like the travel bit, my only caution is, tho I love Glasgow a lot and like Edinburgh very2 much, they both fare poorly in terms of (non-taxi/Uber) public transport especially if you come from a rail/tram/metro orientation. The next question then is probably figuring out which has a neighbourhood that is 'central' enough to park yourself for a week. Edinburgh wins this by a smidge, imo, if you locate yourself within the Old Town/Royal Mile, there's a lot of visual variety and places of interest (though enough for a week? Hmmm).
On the other hand I think Edinburgh's inclines are more extreme than San Francisco in parts with more treacherous surfaces. On the gripping hand Glasgow is still having major construction around the Buchanan Street area. But if you're very okay with buses and walking everywhere is normal for you, then Glasgow opens up and I feel has interesting cafes and sights. I rate Edinburgh for the variety of natural features, but Glasgow has a lot more interesting eras of human society reflected in its architecture and shops imo.
But with the amount of time you have you should also do a day trip, for sure.
posted by cendawanita at 11:54 AM on January 16 [1 favorite]
On the other hand I think Edinburgh's inclines are more extreme than San Francisco in parts with more treacherous surfaces. On the gripping hand Glasgow is still having major construction around the Buchanan Street area. But if you're very okay with buses and walking everywhere is normal for you, then Glasgow opens up and I feel has interesting cafes and sights. I rate Edinburgh for the variety of natural features, but Glasgow has a lot more interesting eras of human society reflected in its architecture and shops imo.
But with the amount of time you have you should also do a day trip, for sure.
posted by cendawanita at 11:54 AM on January 16 [1 favorite]
Oh, also my more-familiar-with-Londoners friend eventually remarked, "you Scottish are chatty!" So don't worry about shyness - likelier in Glasgow at times, but people will strike up small talk with just anyone, lol.
posted by cendawanita at 11:57 AM on January 16
posted by cendawanita at 11:57 AM on January 16
Edinburgh's bus service is excellent. Still plenty of steep hills to walk up tho!
posted by Klipspringer at 12:17 PM on January 16 [2 favorites]
posted by Klipspringer at 12:17 PM on January 16 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I won’t suggest one or the other of the cities but will say I believe I took some busses in Glasgow though I don’t remember for sure. I do, however, remember taking a food tour with Maddie. That was four years ago and I still remember most or all of the restaurants we went to and food we tried, so if you end up in Glasgow I’d recommend checking our this tour.
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 12:29 PM on January 16
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 12:29 PM on January 16
Best answer: I had my main holiday last October in Scotland. I spent five days in Edinburgh and five in Glasgow. Of the two, I much preferred Glasgow. Sure, Edinburgh is beautiful, but I found the Old Town a little twee, the New Town being much more interesting.
Glasgow is much grittier, but I found it less touristy and more interesting than Edinburgh.
Both cities have a lot to offer in terms of art and culture, but, outside of the Edinburgh Festival (which is in August), I don't think the arts scene is as interesting as Glasgow's.
I think it would be possible to visit both cities in a week. Both cities are very walkable (although, as stated, Edinburgh has a lot of hills in the Old Town), and they are only an hour apart by train. In Edinburgh I did the free City Explorers Walking Tour (you pay what you feel it's worth at the end, and it's really good a good tour). I'd recommend that, as I found lots of nooks and crannies and interesting places I wouldn't have found by myself.
I didn't bother with a guided tour in Glasgow, but I downloaded a map of the many, many murals that adorn the buildings, and did a self-guided tour of those.
There's a lot of restaurant choice in both places, but Edinburgh's restaurants tend to cater towards tourists. I had a fantastic (vegan) afternoon tea in Glasgow in the Hidden Lanes Tea Room (they also do regular, or gluten-free), and some of the best Indian food I've had in years. In Edinburgh I had haggis, neeps and tatties at The Haggis Box, as you must when you are in Scotland (non-meat options available).
In Edinburgh I was lucky enough to be there for the International Storytelling Festival, and went to a couple of evening events there, but outside of that, there wasn't really a lot going on in the evenings. In May things will probably be picking up, but October is a bit of a haitus for tourism in the UK, with summer over and the kids back at school, and too early for the Christmas tourists. Still, there were a lot of tourists in Edinburgh, and the shops along the Royal Mile are just full of Chinese-made tat. I found lovely hand-made art and gifts in the Tron Kirk market, though, with all the money going to the artists who created the items.
In Glasgow I went to the opera, cinema, theatre and a music venue, and wasn't stuck for finding evening entertainment. The Rennie Mackintosh museum and Tearoom in Sauchiehall Street is really worth a visit. Do the tour, and then have lunch in the tearoom.
For accommodaiton, I stayed in Adagio Aparthotels in both cities, the one in Edinburgh being on the quietest part of the Royal Mile, not far from Holyrood Palace, and the one in Glasgow by St Enoch Square. I booked them a couple of months in advance and got a good deal on both, the one in Edinburgh being more expensive than Glasgow, which is understandable as there's more demand for hotel rooms.
I'm 64, female, very short - and I felt perfectly safe in both cities, and particularly in Glasgow I was walking home by myself pretty late at night.
posted by essexjan at 1:59 PM on January 16 [3 favorites]
Glasgow is much grittier, but I found it less touristy and more interesting than Edinburgh.
Both cities have a lot to offer in terms of art and culture, but, outside of the Edinburgh Festival (which is in August), I don't think the arts scene is as interesting as Glasgow's.
I think it would be possible to visit both cities in a week. Both cities are very walkable (although, as stated, Edinburgh has a lot of hills in the Old Town), and they are only an hour apart by train. In Edinburgh I did the free City Explorers Walking Tour (you pay what you feel it's worth at the end, and it's really good a good tour). I'd recommend that, as I found lots of nooks and crannies and interesting places I wouldn't have found by myself.
I didn't bother with a guided tour in Glasgow, but I downloaded a map of the many, many murals that adorn the buildings, and did a self-guided tour of those.
There's a lot of restaurant choice in both places, but Edinburgh's restaurants tend to cater towards tourists. I had a fantastic (vegan) afternoon tea in Glasgow in the Hidden Lanes Tea Room (they also do regular, or gluten-free), and some of the best Indian food I've had in years. In Edinburgh I had haggis, neeps and tatties at The Haggis Box, as you must when you are in Scotland (non-meat options available).
In Edinburgh I was lucky enough to be there for the International Storytelling Festival, and went to a couple of evening events there, but outside of that, there wasn't really a lot going on in the evenings. In May things will probably be picking up, but October is a bit of a haitus for tourism in the UK, with summer over and the kids back at school, and too early for the Christmas tourists. Still, there were a lot of tourists in Edinburgh, and the shops along the Royal Mile are just full of Chinese-made tat. I found lovely hand-made art and gifts in the Tron Kirk market, though, with all the money going to the artists who created the items.
In Glasgow I went to the opera, cinema, theatre and a music venue, and wasn't stuck for finding evening entertainment. The Rennie Mackintosh museum and Tearoom in Sauchiehall Street is really worth a visit. Do the tour, and then have lunch in the tearoom.
For accommodaiton, I stayed in Adagio Aparthotels in both cities, the one in Edinburgh being on the quietest part of the Royal Mile, not far from Holyrood Palace, and the one in Glasgow by St Enoch Square. I booked them a couple of months in advance and got a good deal on both, the one in Edinburgh being more expensive than Glasgow, which is understandable as there's more demand for hotel rooms.
I'm 64, female, very short - and I felt perfectly safe in both cities, and particularly in Glasgow I was walking home by myself pretty late at night.
posted by essexjan at 1:59 PM on January 16 [3 favorites]
Glasgow has the edge for me for its greater grit and vibrancy, but both cities have plenty to offer in all the areas of interest you mention. As someone said above, they're close enough together to allow a day trip or two to whichever's your second choice.
If you're interested to learn a little more about the history of specific Edinburgh houses and the ordinary people who've lived in them over the past couple of hundred years, take a look at Diarmid Mogg's Tenement Town website. People-focused history is exactly what it does.
posted by Paul Slade at 2:31 PM on January 16 [1 favorite]
If you're interested to learn a little more about the history of specific Edinburgh houses and the ordinary people who've lived in them over the past couple of hundred years, take a look at Diarmid Mogg's Tenement Town website. People-focused history is exactly what it does.
posted by Paul Slade at 2:31 PM on January 16 [1 favorite]
Best answer: May is usually when Glasgow has a book festival called Aye Write, generally centred about the Mitchell Library, A large public reference library
If you aim to stay near Byres Road then Glasgow University ,and associated museums including the Hunterian and Mackintosh House, can be an easy walk as are the Botanic Gardens,Kibble Palace and Oran Mor to see some of the murals of the recently internationally famous Alasdair Gray. Grays archives are open to the public but in a bit more out of the way place which he would probably have enjoyed . There are walking tours of the original Glasgow settings of Poor Things available Poor Things Walking Tour that act as a nice tour of part of the city.
Our tiny underground is a double loop so you can't get lost. There are easy accessible underground stops at Hillhead or Kelvinhall on Dumbarton Road or you can wander through Kelvingrove park to go to the main Art Galleries or walk into town or the Mitchell . From the bottom of Byres Road places on Dumbarton Rd and into Finnieston for additional different foods are easy to get to.
Many buses or trains to get to the recently reopened Burrell Collection and Pollok House with the highland coos. City centre there is the Gallery of Modern Art and a wander along Buchanan st and into the Lighthouse is worth your time. Stops for underground at either end ( Buchanan st or St Enochs) .
The rebuilding of the School of Art is worth a look and the newer building is there to see anyway. The Art School may even survive this time as Muriel has been shifted on.
These are just some main things but lots of things all over the place.
posted by stuartmm at 4:03 PM on January 16 [4 favorites]
If you aim to stay near Byres Road then Glasgow University ,and associated museums including the Hunterian and Mackintosh House, can be an easy walk as are the Botanic Gardens,Kibble Palace and Oran Mor to see some of the murals of the recently internationally famous Alasdair Gray. Grays archives are open to the public but in a bit more out of the way place which he would probably have enjoyed . There are walking tours of the original Glasgow settings of Poor Things available Poor Things Walking Tour that act as a nice tour of part of the city.
Our tiny underground is a double loop so you can't get lost. There are easy accessible underground stops at Hillhead or Kelvinhall on Dumbarton Road or you can wander through Kelvingrove park to go to the main Art Galleries or walk into town or the Mitchell . From the bottom of Byres Road places on Dumbarton Rd and into Finnieston for additional different foods are easy to get to.
Many buses or trains to get to the recently reopened Burrell Collection and Pollok House with the highland coos. City centre there is the Gallery of Modern Art and a wander along Buchanan st and into the Lighthouse is worth your time. Stops for underground at either end ( Buchanan st or St Enochs) .
The rebuilding of the School of Art is worth a look and the newer building is there to see anyway. The Art School may even survive this time as Muriel has been shifted on.
These are just some main things but lots of things all over the place.
posted by stuartmm at 4:03 PM on January 16 [4 favorites]
Best answer: We spent some time in both last summer and I agree with the others you kind of can’t go wrong. Came away with a slightly better impression of Edinburgh’s food than Glasgows but that could easily just have been the places we chose. At the risk of suggesting fine dining when you said you weren’t into it, our meal at Heron in Edinburgh stood out amongs a summer of incredible dining, they are doing really fun and innovative things showcasing gorgeous Scottish produce in a very unstuffy and relaxed (but nice) fine dining setting (there are no tablecloths, servers were ultra competent but in a friendly casual/professional way). It looks like the tasting menu is now up to 120 pounds but it felt like the kind of spot that would charge double that in any big American city. On a much more casual note we were directed to Teuchter’s Landing in Leith by friendly locals who saw us checking our phone maps and it couldn’t have been any more delightful in a neighborhood bar with excellent food kind of way. I am a professional baker and was impressed with the local bakery scene for sure.
It’s already been mentioned, but if you decide to do Glasgow the Kelivngrove museum is fantastic, spanning natural & human history alongside impressive art, it really is a jack of all trades. I was particularly impressed with the way they handled the uglier side of Glasgow’s historical wealth (Glasgow’s economic peak was due to shipbuilding, and the ships were in high demand because of the triangle trade in enslaved people). You said you liked niche museums but this one is not to be missed - its pretty rare for me to feel like I left a museum without seeing all I wanted, but I for sure could have spent a few more hours at kelvingrove.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 6:40 PM on January 16 [1 favorite]
It’s already been mentioned, but if you decide to do Glasgow the Kelivngrove museum is fantastic, spanning natural & human history alongside impressive art, it really is a jack of all trades. I was particularly impressed with the way they handled the uglier side of Glasgow’s historical wealth (Glasgow’s economic peak was due to shipbuilding, and the ships were in high demand because of the triangle trade in enslaved people). You said you liked niche museums but this one is not to be missed - its pretty rare for me to feel like I left a museum without seeing all I wanted, but I for sure could have spent a few more hours at kelvingrove.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 6:40 PM on January 16 [1 favorite]
For a fun boat trip, I recommend taking a day trip from Glasgow up to Loch Lomond. If you take the train, it's just about an hour ride from the Glasgow Queen Street station to Balloch station, and then a very short walk from the train station to the ferry landing.
posted by panther of the pyrenees at 10:14 PM on January 16
posted by panther of the pyrenees at 10:14 PM on January 16
Response by poster: Thank you all! I think Glasgow has the edge, with a day trip to Edinburgh.
I'm totally fine with buses, and in a way prefer them to a subway since you get to see more of the city.
I'll definitely check out the walking food tour and possibly splurge on a fancy meal at Heron.
Any other specific restaurant recommendations are welcome!
posted by exceptinsects at 9:39 AM on January 18
I'm totally fine with buses, and in a way prefer them to a subway since you get to see more of the city.
I'll definitely check out the walking food tour and possibly splurge on a fancy meal at Heron.
Any other specific restaurant recommendations are welcome!
posted by exceptinsects at 9:39 AM on January 18
Yay, Glasgow! It's a great place for (Northern-oriented) Indian food, but I don't have any specific recs, because I tended to get homecooked ones when I was there, lol. However, they do have the rep for it, so give it try. Otherwise:
- Mono does great vegan food
- Ashton Lane next to the University of Glasgow is quite bougie, but if you intend to do the uni, Kelvingrove Museum, Hunterian Art Gallery and Museum circuit, it's a great spot to pick for a fancy meal. I like Brel because they do Belgian food, as the occasional treat.
-- absolutely seconding the recommendation for the museums, the Glasgow ones are amongst my favourite in their curation. IIRC the People's Palace exhibits got moved temporarily to the Kelvingrove so it's even more packed. But more than England, when I went last year, they really took the protests that started in Bristol in 2020 to heart, and for a western museum, have been blunt about the history. (However, due to popular... demand... there's a tiny Outlander exhibit at the Hunterian though lol)
- Ox & Finch tends to get packed, but it's also a dependable choice. Tbh in my last trip it felt like you could a tolerably affordable meal that's decent more dependably than in London.
- uh... for jokes but also not really, at the end of Sauchiehall Street that's near the Buchanan Galleries there's huge Jollibee, and so if you want to try the Filipino fast food chain that's their national institution, why the heck not.
- Otherwise nearby the Willow Tea Rooms is pretty all right, especially for the aesthetics. To get that, you better book though. Walk-ins are fine too, it's just that all the nice seats might be taken.
posted by cendawanita at 10:27 AM on January 18 [1 favorite]
- Mono does great vegan food
- Ashton Lane next to the University of Glasgow is quite bougie, but if you intend to do the uni, Kelvingrove Museum, Hunterian Art Gallery and Museum circuit, it's a great spot to pick for a fancy meal. I like Brel because they do Belgian food, as the occasional treat.
-- absolutely seconding the recommendation for the museums, the Glasgow ones are amongst my favourite in their curation. IIRC the People's Palace exhibits got moved temporarily to the Kelvingrove so it's even more packed. But more than England, when I went last year, they really took the protests that started in Bristol in 2020 to heart, and for a western museum, have been blunt about the history. (However, due to popular... demand... there's a tiny Outlander exhibit at the Hunterian though lol)
- Ox & Finch tends to get packed, but it's also a dependable choice. Tbh in my last trip it felt like you could a tolerably affordable meal that's decent more dependably than in London.
- uh... for jokes but also not really, at the end of Sauchiehall Street that's near the Buchanan Galleries there's huge Jollibee, and so if you want to try the Filipino fast food chain that's their national institution, why the heck not.
- Otherwise nearby the Willow Tea Rooms is pretty all right, especially for the aesthetics. To get that, you better book though. Walk-ins are fine too, it's just that all the nice seats might be taken.
posted by cendawanita at 10:27 AM on January 18 [1 favorite]
(I don't have a fish & chips rec because it's one of those things you might as well try the ones near you, and they're likely to be good anyway)
posted by cendawanita at 10:28 AM on January 18 [1 favorite]
posted by cendawanita at 10:28 AM on January 18 [1 favorite]
For Indian food, I'd recommend Swadish by Ajay Kumar. Not cheap, almost fine dining, but sublime.
My favourite breakfast spot was The Glasvegan in St Enoch Square. Facebook page.
I also had great pizza at Pizza Punks.
posted by essexjan at 2:23 PM on January 18 [1 favorite]
My favourite breakfast spot was The Glasvegan in St Enoch Square. Facebook page.
I also had great pizza at Pizza Punks.
posted by essexjan at 2:23 PM on January 18 [1 favorite]
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posted by Morpeth at 10:35 AM on January 16 [1 favorite]