24 HOURS IN GLASGOW

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“How long do I need to do Glasgow ?” asks one of my regular readers.

Well, that depends whether you want to do ALL the Guide pubs, and whether you’ve a cultural bone in your body or not. You could easily spend two days doing Glasgow’s fantastic museums like the Kelvingrove and Burrell Collection. There’s probably a Tennent’s museum somewhere.

But let’s assume you’re a cultural heathen who just wants to drink beer and eat curry, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

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I’ll also assume you can manage a couple of hours on foot.

Where to start ?

Well, a 9am Breakfast with Lorne sausage at Cairn Lodge on the M6 is the only way to go if you’re driving into Glasgow.

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But if you’re already in Glasgow, find a Wetherspoons and wash down their Scottish breakfast with an early pint of Deuchars.

You’re spoilt for choice for Spoons, but I rate the one in Cambuslang highly. Can you see why ?

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11 am The Bon Accord. Best for beer quality on my visit, and a chance to relive the moment in 1978 when the Scots thought they were going to win the World Cup.

12pm Walk along Sauchiehall Street. Eat that Tunnocks wafer you’ve been saving in your coat pocket.

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1pm Pot Still. Another classic. Don’t get distracted by their whiskies.

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1.30 Pop in the Gallery of Modern Art for your culture. You can’t miss it.

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2pm Succumb to the burger and chips at the Dog House., my favourite Brew Dog venture. Go on, you deserve your craft.

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Purists can walk the extra 5 minutes to Babbity Bowster for a Deuchars, but both the pub and the beer have fallen out of favour of late.

3pm Take a stroll east to the High Street to admire the cathedral, necropolis and art.

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4pm Loo stop in Sloans. The Whitelocks of the North.

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5pm State Bar. A Top 100 pub, cosy and warm, miss the Green Devil and regret it forever.

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6pm Walk across the Clyde to one of the world’s great pubs.

6.30 The Laurieston Bar. “A symphony in red and brown” I wrote of the Laurieston. Have a Jarl and sing along to the crooners.

7.30pm Curry round the corner at Karahi Palace.

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A nightcap ? You’ll be drunk by now, so best randomly look for one of the big red “T” signs. And ask for a Bud.

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Good luck.

Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

19 thoughts on “24 HOURS IN GLASGOW”

  1. Yes, the Bon Accord, Pot Still, State and Laurieston are all wee stoaters. Haven’t been to Sloan’s, looks well worth a try. Did you ever get into the Horseshoe Bar? Not renowned for real ale but a stonking good pub.

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    1. Should have added the Horse Shoe (as it’s styled to confuse me); had a Deuchars and a pie there 20 years ago and doubt it’s changed.

      Sloans is stunning, bit like Whitelocks in Leeds.

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  2. An excellent write up on Glasgow Martin, and a very doable looking pub-crawl/introduction to the city. I changed trains, and stations, in Glasgow early one morning, about 35 years ago, whilst en route to Edinburgh, after travelling overnight from London, and that was my sole visit to the city.

    My travelling companion had spent several years living in Edinburgh, and I remember us postponing breakfast until we arrived in the Scottish capital. Continental only back then; a hangover from the “Auld alliance” with France, according to my friend, so no chance of a proper “fry-up.” That was considered far too English for Scottish tastes/sensibilities.

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    1. I picked 4 out of 5 pubs that Duncan recommended on his own blog (he also mentions the Old Toll Bar which looks a great heritage bar). There’s some very good craft places in Glasgow (Inn Deep, Drygate near the Tennents Brewery) as well.

      In my experience not many English have been to Glasgow, Paul.

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      2. “not many English have been to Glasgow”
        I’ve been to Glasgow but not often enough, 2005 and 2013 being the last times I’ve stayed there – and it was on my list for this year or next.
        The Laurieston is my favourite with the Scotia Bar and Horse Bar also excellent.

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      3. It’s a year since I visited the Scotia. Worth a visit but no-one was drinking the real ale.

        My sense is cask has faded in Glasgow in 20 years (when Deuchars and a few other local 80/s were common) but there’s enough great pubs for all tastes.

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      6. Yes, Duncan can surely give us more details.
        Scottish entries could only cover three pages (210-212) of the 1976 Guid Beer Guide and it was still “Vast areas of Scotland are without cask-conditioned beer” by the 1980 GBG.
        A rare bit of good news through the 1980s was the increasing availability of real ale north of the border such that it was indeed “in decent health 20-30 years ago”

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  4. “Well, that depends whether you want to do ALL the Guide pubs, and whether you’ve a cultural bone in your body or not.”

    I’m assuming if you do have a cultural bone in your body then there’s no sense in going? 😉

    “Can you see why ?”

    Lacings? Either that or because you can go upstairs with your pint and pour it on some unwitting person below?

    “Eat that Tunnocks wafer you’ve been saving in your coat pocket.”

    You’re mistaking some of us with Si.

    “Don’t get distracted by their whiskies.”

    Hard liquor and me do not get along. Learned that many many years ago.

    “You can’t miss it.”

    *looks at photo below*

    No comment. 🙂

    “Go on, you deserve your craft.”

    Why thank you. I believe I shall.
    (pours a delightful red IPA)

    Oh, wait; you meant if I was ever in Glasgow.

    “to admire the cathedral, necropolis and art.”

    I had something for the necropolis but wisely decided against it.

    “4pm Loo stop in Sloans. The Whitelocks of the North.”

    Blimey. It looks like a very large railway carriage. Either that, or a multi-site confessional. 😉

    “5pm State Bar. ”

    Lovely outside photo.

    “A nightcap ? You’ll be drunk by now, so best randomly look for one of the big red “T” signs. And ask for a Bud.”

    A Bud? Ok, now THAT’S cultural. 🙂

    Cheers

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