cmt

I was planning to go to Scotland in September. However, I'm having some second thoughts, because that's three months after summer solstice, so daylight will end long before I'll be ready to go back to my hotels.

My tentative plan is to take a small group walking tour. I'm not concerned about the week of the tour, since I'd be with other people and therefore the evening dinner routine would take longer and wouldn't leave me with many hours when I'd still feel energetic, but it would be dark outside. Nevertheless, I'm thinking that it might be better to save Scotland for some other time, perhaps May when daylight hours are longer and I would be comfortable going without a tour, since then I'd be able to travel by bus or train and still arrive at a final destination for the night before dark.

In deciding whether to stick with the September plan, my specific questions are about Glasgow and Edinburgh after dark. I would be spending a few days on my own pre- and post-tour in these two cities, and I wonder what the evening culture is like. (I've had no problems in the evening when I travel alone in Italy, because it is so normal for people to take walks in the evening, before dinner or after dinner or both, and I just do the same and feel perfectly safe and comfortable. I've also been comfortable alone taking walks after dinner in parts of Greece and France and definitely in Montreal where lots of people took walks at night.) I am not a drinker, except at the dinner table, so "going for drinks" in the evening would definitely not be for me, and I would probably feel uneasy if that were the main thing "everyone" did in the evening.

Can anyone address my specific question re what it's like after dark (maybe around 6:30 to 10) in Glasgow and Edinburgh, what people do, how they act, and what would be a normal and pleasant way to pass the time after dinner and before bedtime if I don't want to be cooped up in a hotel?

(P.S. I originally asked this question on someone else's thread, but reconsidered and decided to post it separately with the question in the title.)

alanRow

They do what they do in most Western cities - eat, drink, go to theatre, cinema.

Generally they don't go around attacking tourists

ira

Hi cmt,

I don't know whether either city is considered to be be a high crime area, but do watch out for the occasional rabid haggis.

They have been known to attack.

cmt

Ira, I think certain parts of Glasgow might be somewhat high crime, but I wouldn't be in those areas. I think Edinburgh is safe. I wasn't really worried about crime.

I would not normally pass the time by walking around by myself at night in a city in the USA, or at least not in NYC or Philadelphia. But I do in Italy. For example, even when I went to Sicily in November, I enjoyed Palermo at night, because so many people just walk around the city center at night, with no particular destination or appointment, that it's just the normal way to pass the time, and being alone, while not the norm, was not a problem at all. I'm trying to ask whether it's the same way in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

GreenDragon

I thought haggis stayed mostly in the countryside -- are there herds of haggis ravaging the cities now? When does haggis hunting season start? Is that around the same time as Snark Hunting season?>

alanRow

"I think Edinburgh is safe."

Edinburgh is the setting for Trainspotting & the Inspector Rebus novels. It really is like that in some places, though the chances that a tourist (or someone from the posher areas of Edinburgh) going to those areas is fairly low

alanRow

"I thought haggis stayed mostly in the countryside"

There are wild ones (left handed ones) on Arthur's Seat & they have been known to invade Princes Street Gardens during August

cmt

I assume from the lack of response that these are not cities where people just talke walks for pleasure in the evening before a late dinner or after an early dinner. If that assumption is correct, it confirms my feeling that I would not like going there when days are short and I'd better put off Scotland for some other time.

sheila

Edinburgh is a perfectly pleasant place to walk about in the evening. You will not be joining a passegiata, but the streets will be busy.

mvor

cmt, people in both those cities will be going to dinner, films, theatre, and pubs etc. at the times you describe so I don't think you'll be out of place (or unsafe) taking a walk. As in any city, research the best place for you to stay nearby the type of activities that interest you. What would you normally do in Italy? Perhaps you can research cafes (vs. pubs) or bookstores so you have a destination for your strolls.

Based on your other posts, I really think you'll enjoy Scotland (especially Edinburgh--although I'm a Glaswegian by birth and it really is a terrific city, think the very underated Philly!).

I aslo think you'd appreciate the highlands so perhaps you can look into that as an add on for your tour. I really hope this helps and that more people who are "on location" will answer tomorrow.

Best of luck!

janisj

As I posted on the other thread where you asked this - just how early do you think it will be dark in September??? You are not talking about December here. You will have planty of daylight - and even if you didn't - Edinburgh is a fantastic city in daylight, in darkness and in between.

I am really puzzled by the whole issue . . . . . . .

mvor

Clearly spelling and proof reading are underrated too!

mvor

Sunset in the beginning of September in Glasgow is 8:15 pm and at the end is 7:00 pm per sunrisesunset.com.

cmt

Mvor: The tour does includes part of the highlands and the Hebrides. But unfortunately the tour is much more expensive than I'd like. However, since for many reasons I'm unwilling to rent a car by myself and drive, a tour may be the only option for seeing any of the highlands and having a chance to see parts of it slowly and take walks. I do like small group tours, which are usually walking tours with plenty of country destinations (easy enough to visit cities without a tour). But they have increased in price tremendously since I first started taking them less than 10 years ago.

About the hours of daylight and darkness: As I posted on the other thread, I had things backwards and thought sunset would be earlier than where I live, when in fact any time after spring equinox and before fall equinox it's actually later. (I thought sunset would be around 6:30 in mid-Sept., when in fact it will be around 7:30.) So I don't think I'd have too much darkness to deal with.

Janis, if you don't get the whole issue, I don't think I can explain it any better. I tried to be clear.

Mvor: I know I'd enjoy Edinburgh, but I would like to see Glasgow as well, at least for some of the art. Also I think I could meet up with an Internet acquaintance (from another nontravel forum) who lives there.

mvor

Hello again cmt, I didn't see your other thread, sorry. I really think (based on your comments here) that you'd appreciate Glasgow and its wonderful art museums (including the newly renovated Kelvingrove Museum), architecture, and people, etc.

In many ways I think Glasgow is to Rome as Edinburgh is to Florence (probably too simplistic and sure to be challenged by many here but that's ok). Again, hopefully some more Scots will respond tomorrow.

Maureen

cmt

Thanks mvor, I think I'm OK on the matter of enjoying the after dark hours in the two cities. So what it will come down to now is whether to put off the trip until I can figure out a better/cheaper way to do get around the highlands and get to some islands (without renting a car).

Barbara

I'll challenge the "Glasgow is to Rome" idea. I really don't see where that would come from, especially as Edinburgh is the capital city and Rome is the capital city. Edinburgh has been compared to Florence many times, though.

mvor

Barbara, my analogy is based on that both Glasgow and Rome are larger and more diverse vs. their counterparts and consequently they take more research to plan or time on the ground to enjoy. I'm in no way diminishing the beauty or offerings of Glasgow or Rome--or Edinburgh or Florence for that matter. I think each of these cities is wonderful in its own right.

FWIW, I'd rather spend my time in Glasgow or Rome but that's just me. To each his own and all that—but of course I'm happy that I've been to Florence and Edinburgh so I could make that decision for myself.

Cmt, best of luck w/your planning!

caroline_edinburgh

I feel perfectly safe walking round on my own in both cities and I don't just mean the "posh" areas. I have for example been to the Citizens Theatre in the Gorbals area of Glasgow on my own, at night, in the middle of winter, via public transport.

As Janis says, anywhere you are likely to go will have people around, we just don't tend to walk about for the sake of it. How about the theatre ? Both cities have lots of good theatres - too many to fit everything in, usually. The shops are open late, until 8pm, on Thursdays. The national galleries in Edinburgh city centre are open until 7pm on Thursday and I think the main Glasgow galleries are too.

If you are interested in art, especially contemporary art, Glasgow is certainly worth a visit. I visited c.25 galleries there, as part of Glasgow International, the weekend before last !

It has to be said, though, that what people mostly go out for is eating and drinking - although isn't that the case everywhere ?

I'm don't think that whether it's dark or not makes any difference at all to what people do.

cmt

Thanks Caroline.

<<...we just don't tend to walk about for the sake of it.>>

That's really what I was asking! I LOVE the custom of walking in the evening just for the sake of walking, but I realize it's not done all over. It's one of the many things I like in Italy. I remember being miserable when I was nine when we moved to a town where people did not routinely take walks just for the pleasure of it. We could not walk anywhere without having some well meaning acquaintance in a car offer a ride. But I'm sure I'll enjoy Edinburgh.

<<...what people mostly go out for is eating and drinking - although isn't that the case everywhere?>>

Mmm...no.