Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Glasgow and Ayr, need some help

Ayr, I can't help with. On Glasgow try:-

Glasgow is Scotland?s happening place and it was also the European City of Architecture in 1999.

There is an east/ west split in Scotland, which leads to intense rivalry between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Edinburgh is the ancient capital and Glasgow is the largest city. Glasgow?s fame is 19th century because of industrial grandeur and imperialism it?s often said that Scots built the Empire.

Also the industrialisation coincided with the Irish potato famine, and hundreds of thousands of Irish people came to Scotland and especially Glasgow, leading to a second split- Catholic/Protestant. Scotland had a fairly robust Reformation leaving few Catholic families here, and the arrival of hundreds of thousands into the midst of Calvinist Scotland was a shock we have not yet quite got over. It?s one of the reasons that there has never been an IRA atrocity north of the Border- everyone in Northern Ireland is related to someone in Glasgow. It?s said that if you tell people in Glasgow that you are a Jew, you are likely to be asked if you are a Catholic Jew or a Protestant Jew. There are two main football teams, which split along the same divide

So, a place to stay-Adelaide?s Guesthouse in Bath Street. This is a City centre conversion of a church hall, used to bring in revenue. Never stayed there myself but am told it?s very good. En Suite rooms are c £40 per person per night. If you want cheaper, we can no doubt find it. If you are coming in University vacations, the student residences are available at very good rates. Obviously no en suite but clean and functional. One, Baird Hall, is an A- listed (highest architectural standard in the UK) Art Deco former hotel.

Things to do- Architecture

In Glasgow you start with Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Lots of Art Nouveau buildings and other design. The best building is the Glasgow School of Art, (good from the outside but tours 11am and 2 pm(Sat 10.30am))but others include, Queen?s Cross Church, the Mackintosh House(this was his house and shows what a complete artist he was. He designed almost everything in it); Scotland Street School (now a museum of education Mon-Sat 10am-5pm Sun 2-5pm); the Willow Tearooms; Martyr?s Public School; House for an art Lover in Bellahouston Park

The Lighthouse is the gallery established for the year of architecture.

The area from the city centre down to the river is now known as the Merchant City- lots of neo-classical 18th century stuff. West of the city centre there?s a grid of fine town houses built when the great unwashed pushed the fine folk out of the centre- lots of Georgian elegance. Another great Glasgow architect was Alexander ?Greek? Thomson who worked in the second half of the 19th century. Lots of examples-fusing classical and eastern. Look at St Vincent Street Church.

The Tenement museum is owned by the National Trust. Lots of central Glasgow was 19th century tenement buildings. The lady who owned this one died about 200 years ago, and it was discovered to be untouched since about the turn of the century. It?s an absolute time capsule.

Other culture/ history

The People?s Palace- late 19th century museum of social history with it?s Winter Gardens next door (10-5 daily)
The Necropolis- Based on Pere Lachaise it?s stunning; high on a hill overlooking the City. I wouldn?t send just anyone there.
The Burrell Museum in Pollock Park
The Museum of Modern Art
Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery

You also need to know about the Glasgow Boys. It?s said that the Royal Scottish Academy (artists) wouldn?t take anyone from the west coast in the 19th century. A school of painting based on impressionism grew up in Glasgow around 5 painters- Guthrie, Lavery, Hornel, Henry and Crawhall in the 1870s. Best examples in Kelvingrove.

Other options

1. Shop. Glasgow is the shopping city to die for.
2. Transport Museum
3. Botanic Gardens
4. Hunterian Museum
5. Fossil Park
6. Glasgow Horror Walking Tour
7. Waverley (paddle steamer trips down the Clyde- there?s even a song about it)

Festivals- Mayfest in early May
Celtic Music Festival in January
Jazz festival- October/November
World Pipe Band Championships- mid August

Food- For quality Glasgow?s probably better than Edinburgh
Nairn?s TV chef quality Scottish produce simply cooked
One Devonshire Gardens- ?contemporary, vogueish and stylish?
The Ubiquitous Chip- in Glasgow society for serious people watching
Rogano- THE Glasgow restaurant

There are lots of others but I have restricted myself to the ones I know about. There are in addition some great Indian restaurants- the Ashoka West End (watch out there are others with similar names) and the Shish Mahal are but 2.
There are some great Chinese too. My favourite is the Loon Fung in Sauchiehall Street.

Everyone speaks to you in Glasgow- usually too much! They have a language all of their own, and no-one is admired as much as those who are ?gallus? ( you find out what it means, and explain it to me please) You will find the approach every where in taxis, shops, cafes, clubs, talking to policemen, just everywhere. If you are there at the weekend, you should go to the Barrows (Barras) a market with about 1000 stalls. Don?t buy and hold onto your wallet. Go to watch and listen and have breakfast in one of the nearby caffs.

There used to be a great tradition of neighbourhood cafes, often Italian. Ones to look for/try are Coia?s in Duke Street and D?Jaconelli in Maryhill Rd. Understand these are greasy spoons, no sought out for cuisine especially.

Glasgow is the home of the Scottish pub. They are all worth trying, but these are some of the best- definition of best here is ?Glasgow?-
The Halt Bar in Woodlands Road
The Corinthian in Ingram Street
The Scotia (my favourite- folk music, writers and journalists) Stockwell Street
The Saracen?s Head (wan singer, wan song) Gallowgate
The Bon Accord- for the beer. N Street( now a slip road of the motorway)
Tennents in Byres Road

If you want folk music try the Scotia or the Clutha Vaults nearby. For a ceilidh try the Renfrew Ferry (a real ferry moored on the river. Every Friday night) or the Riverside.

Glasgow is a big city. It has everything you might like to find. Bits of it are rough, so you need to be careful about where you go late at night. The people are probably about the most friendly in the world. It has a small city centre underground known as the Clockwork Orange. (You?ll see why)

There?s a fortnightly magazine called the List, which has all the current stuff in it for Edinburgh and Glasgow. Buy it as you get off the plane.