Scotland
What's on, where to go, where to stay, where to eat
So why do I love Scotland so much? Because of the wilds (Glencoe, Cairngorms), lochs (Loch Lomond, Katrine), islands (Arran, Skye, Mull, Iona), beaches, wildlife (deer, eagles, otters, dolphins, seals), sailing, climbing, mountain biking, history, castles, ancient monuments (although I've yet to see Skara Brae), folk music (Celtic Connections festival in January), whisky, beer (Golden Promise, Fraoch), Rennie Mackintosh & Greek Thomson, diving (Scapa Flow when I'm brave enough). I hear the golf's pretty good too.
Glasgow
Once called the second city of the Empire. Favourite places are:
- House for an Art Lover, the Art School - Rennie Mackintosh in full flight. The Lighthouse is a museum/gallery of design and architecture, has a permanent display on Mackintosh. CRM Society has more on places in Glasgow.
- Gallery of Modern Art, Queen St - see Andy Goldsworthy, Bridget Riley, Salgado
- St Mungo's Museum of Religious Life and Art, Cathedral Precinct - see Ghost shirt, Aboriginal dreaming art, dancing Shiva, Zen garden
- Burrell Collection, Pollok Park - eclectic fine art museum
- Kelvingrove Museum and Gallery - see Dali's crucifixion, Spitfire
- Hunterian Gallery, at the Uni - Rennie Mackintosh and art, esp Whistler
- The Necropolis - magical Victorian cemetery behind cathedral
- The Barras - weekend street market in the East End
- David Livingstone centre - his childhood home in Blantyre (12 miles) [currently shut for refurbishment]
- Glasgow Film Theatre - beautiful Art Deco cinema showing arthouse and classic films
- Glasgow Science Centre - superb including planetarium, IMAX cinema - still not been up the tower though
- Kelvinside walk - by the river, through various parks and the Botanic Gardens
- HMS Glenlee - restored Clyde built tall ship, at Yorkhill
Best restaurants:
- Dakhin, Candleriggs - authentic South Indian, brilliant
- Ichiban, Queen St - great Japanese noodle bar
- Two Fat Ladies at the Buttery, Argyle St - lovely old place in unlikely estate, seafood, quite expensive
- Stravaigin, 28 Gibson St - modern Scottish ie familiar ingredients given a twist
- Rogano, 11 Exchange Place - famous Art Deco seafood restaurant, cheaper downstairs
- Mother India, Westminster Terrace - family owned, excellent, authentic
- Mother India's Cafe opposite Kelvingrove Hall - same kind of food, but smaller cheaper dishes. You can't book, but it means you may get a seat here on a Saturday night at short notice, unlike Mother India
- For really cheap and cheerful, there's the Noodle bar on Sauchiehall St near the Garage, open till 4am!
Best bars:
- Corinthian, Ingram St - fabulous, smart but lively, piano bar upstairs, club downstairs
- Arta - a Medieval mansion, various live entertainments
- Barca, Princes Square - great cocktails but expensive. nights - Salsa some nights
- Anywhere on Ashton Lane (Cul de Sac, Jinty McGinty's, Bar Brel)
- For pubs - Horseshoe Bar (Drury St), Blackfriars (Bell St), Rab Ha's (Hutcheson St), Molly Malone's (Hope St)
- On the South Side:
- Tusk - Lavish, glamorous
- Waverly Tea Rooms - round the corner from Tusk, more laid back, intimate. Piano in the corner
Best Cafes
- CCA on Sauchiehall st
- Beanscene - getting a bit corporate now though
- Tapa, Pollokshaws Rd and in Dennistoun
- Kember and Jones, Byres Rd
Best Delis
- Eat Deli, Clarkston Rd
- Heart Buchanan, West End
East Kilbride
Some trivia:
- Rolls Royce griffon RG30-SMS Spitfire engine developed here! Rolls Royce are making staged withdrawal from town now.
Out of town:
- Hill House, Helensburgh - Rennie Mackintosh house, furniture, gardens
- Chatelherault, near Hamilton - old kennels! But not like you've ever seen before. Lovely forest walk
- New Lanark - see below (catch the train and walk/cycle)
Where to stay
My favourite place is Old Pines at Spean Bridge, just north of Fort William, on B8004 at the Commando monument (01397 712324). You feel like you're staying with friends, dinner is included in the price and superb, but leave plenty of room for it because all 5 courses are enormous.
Viewfield B&B, 1 Rosetta Rd, Peebles (01721 721232) is lovely. Castle Venlaw, on the other hand,is superb (food excellent too).
Another fabulous place would be the Roman Camp in Callander (see under Eating).
Other places I would like to stay are the Summer Isles Hotel, Achiltibuie (01854 622282) 40km from Ullapool, the Ceilidh Place (01854 612103) in Ullapool itself, the Onich Hotel near Fort William overlooking the loch (01855 821214), Monachyle Mhor farmhouse in Balquidder (famous for food too, 01877 384622).
More reasonable but still out of this world: Loch Lomond youth hostel at Arden, a mansion; and the amazing Carbisdale Castle youth hostel out towards Inverness.
Where to eat
Trossachs - Creagan House (01877 384638), An Carraig tea shop in Strathyre village. Brig o' Turk cafe (A821).
Callander - Ben Ledi cafe for chips and ice cream, or Dun Whinny's cafe just off Glasgow road. Best is the Roman Camp (01877 330003, also a hotel).
Loch Fyne Smokery and Seafood - cafe and shop, A83 20 km from Inverary. Oops non-veg
Fort William - Crannog seafood restaurant on the water. The Ben Nevis pub is nothing special but is always busy and serves food later than other places. Noticed a nice looking restaurant behind the tourist information last time.
Special places
New Lanark, the old mills and village at the Falls of Clyde
Traquair House, near Innerleithen
Rosslyn chapel, near Edinburgh
Badenoch, near Gairloch in northwest
Fife coast, around Crail, Anstruther, Pittenweem
Torridon - for mountains, lochs and sea views
Isle of Mull - gorgeous, Ben More, Iona, beaches, Tobermory, short ferry ride from Oban
Loch Lomond - stay at the Rowardennan Youth Hostel or camp, walk up Conic Hill (easy) or the Ben
Loch Katrine - take your bike on the ferry to the end, cycle back (easy)
Balquidder - Rob Roy's grave, lovely path to Callander
Ben Nevis - Glen Nevis walk for softies, else north face via CMD arrete or from the Aonach Mor chairlift
