A Girly Getaway to Glasgow, Scotland

a love of friendiversarys and alliteration

Oct 13, 2024

Hello friends! I hope this finds you well! I’m here today to share a lovely little travel guide with you: A Girly Getaway to Glasgow, Scotland. See, in September just past, I celebrated a friendiversary with one of my besties - nineteen whole years of enjoying each other’s company! We hadn’t celebrated a friendiversary since 2017 when we went to Copenhagen, and honestly, that’s just too long! We decided to make an occasion of it and planned our 12th trip out of the country together - this time to Glasgow! We took the first flight out of Dublin on the Saturday morning, and one of the last flights back on Sunday night, giving us a whirlwind 38-ish hours in town! The perfect amount of time to go out exploring and frolicking, but still be back in time for work on Monday morning. How fun!

Although both of us had been to Edinburgh in the past, neither of us had ever been to Glasgow. I always kind of had the sense that the city would be a bit *cough* stab city *cough*, but it was gorgeous! Going on the recommendation of friends and loved ones, we based ourselves in the West End and adored it! The architecture, the people, the restaurants and bars, all of it! It definitely exceed my expectations.

This is a recap of everything we got up to in town, divided into different sections for ease: fun facts / getting there / where we stayed / where we had coffee & pastries / where we ate / where we drank alcohol / and where we tourist-ed. If you’re looking to jump to a specific section, you can use the navigation bar on the left of this page.

Enjoy, friends!

fun facts

Before we get down to the guts of what we got up to in Glasgow, I thought I’d share some fun facts - I know you love them just as much as I do! Good to keep up your sleeve for an impromptu pub quiz, you know?

apparently, chicken tikka masala was invented in Glasgow! A Glaswegian chef, Ali Ahmed Aslam, is said to have created the dish in the ‘70s when a customer asked for a sauce to make their chicken tikka less dry! Obviously this claim is disputed, as are all great food-origin stories, but oof we sure did eat a great version while we were in town!
the raincoat was invented in Glasgow! Charles Macintosh, a Glaswegian chemist, discovered a formula for waterproofing cotton in the 19th century! Seeing as it rained almost non-stop on-and-off during our weekend in town, this one doesn’t really come as a surprise to me - ha!
Glasgow’s underground railway is the third oldest in the world! Beaten in years only by London and Budapest, Glasgow’s underground metro has been open since 1896!

Fun!

getting there

One of the reasons we chose Glasgow is because it’s a breeze getting there from Dublin! Here’s how we made the journey:

we flew direct from Dublin Airport to Glasgow International Airport with Ryanair. The official flight time is 1-hour, but it was definitely less than that.
at Glasgow airport, we walked straight out the doors at arrivals to the Glasgow Airport Express Service 500 bus stop - which was literally just to the left outside the door. There was no queue when we got there, and we were only waiting about 5-minutes before we departed. A single ticket costs £10.50 one way, and you buy it on board with the driver. For more information about the bus, click here.
the bus took 15-minutes to get from the airport into the city centre, and we got off at the George Square stop.
on our return to the airport the following night, we took the same bus back. We made our way to the Buchanan Bus Station, followed the signs for stance 46, and off we went. However! This return journey took twice as long as our initial one - 35-ish minutes in total - so definitely allow extra time just in case!

All in all, a rather pain-free experience!

where we stayed

Albion Hotel // a tad basic perhaps, but perfect for our needs! Ideally located just off the Great Western Road, this was within walking distance to everywhere we wanted to hit in the West End. Our room - a double with en suite - was clean, the lady that checked us in and out was lovely, and the soundproofing wasn’t half bad! Our attic room at the top of the property had a skylight, and listening to the rain hammer away on it all night was so soothing! Well - when I say “all night”, I am of course referring to the 3-4 minutes it took me to fall asleep before I promptly passed out for the whole night - but you get my point 😉 Would recommend. Address: 405-407 N Woodside Rd, Glasgow G20 6NN

where we had coffee & pastries

Lagom Bakery & Eatery // a lovely buzzy cafe! We stopped in for a coffee and pastry early on Sunday morning and this spot was hopping; we barely managed to snag two seats at the window! Initially we’d intended for this to be stop no.1 on a pastry crawl along GWR - stops 2 & 3 were going to be Crumbs and Cottonrake Bakery! - but the pastries here were so filling that we didn’t make it anywhere else! I had a pain au chocolat and Bestie had a heated cinnamon roll; both of which were about the size of our respective heads, and they were so delicious that we devoured every last morsel! We also enjoyed the coffees, and the cafe was beautifully decorated, buttt we found the service a tad slow. Overall, would recommend. Address: 521 Great Western Rd, Glasgow G12 8HN

where we ate

I’m actually pretty impressed with the amount of meals we managed to jam into our limited time in town! Listed below are the places we stopped for a bite, divided into brunch / lunch / and dinner for ease.

brunch

Casa // the cutest little restaurant! We got literally the last table inside this adorably cool space for brunch on Saturday morning and our meal was fantastic! Because I’m weak and boring, I went for their eggs benny + bacon - which comes on a bed of hash browns(!) -, Bestie opted for their breakfast burrito without eggs/with hash browns, and we both had a mimosa; everything was amazing! The hash browns were the true standout - super crispy & caramelized - but honestly everything was great! Packed with flavour, generously portioned, and delightfully moreish. The only real caveat here was the incredibly slow service; every step of the ordering/eating/paying process was tedious. However, the food was great, so ultimately I would recommend, but not if you’re in a rush. Address: 526 Great Western Rd, Glasgow G12 8EL

lunch

Ashoka Ashton Lane // hands down: the best meal of our trip! We knew we wanted to eat Indian while we were in Glasgow and I’m so glad we chose here - it was fantastic!! Initially I’d booked it for dinner, but when I read online they offer a small plates menu until 4pm, I changed our booking to lunch so we could try a few different things for a better price! Between the two of us we devoured: butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, pilau rice, one XL popadom, and the buttery pillowy-soft garlic naan bread of my dreams, all washed down with two pints of Cobra beer. Everything was delicious - although the butter chicken was the highlight! exceptionally fantastic! -, the portions were incredibly generous, and both the decor + service were superb. A must visit. Address: 19 Ashton Ln, Hillhead, Glasgow G12 8SJ

Secession Cocktail Bar & Kitchen // the perfect spot for a lazy Sunday lunch! In truth, we only stopped in here because it was located conveniently close to our hotel, but we ended up having a wonderfully relaxing long-lunch here! We both ordered a glass of pinot grigio and food from the BBQ menu; I went for the Angus beef burger, Bestie went for the teriyaki salmon, and both came with potato salad, coleslaw, and grilled sweetcorn - it was perfect! A local jazz band were playing the whole time we were there, and the vibe was so great we decided to stay a little longer! We ordered an olive oil + sourdough plate, two margarita cocktails and whiled away the afternoon in style! Would recommend! Address: 420 Great Western Rd, Glasgow G4 9JA

dinner

The French Horn // a wonderful newly opened restaurant! Having originally booked a different spot for dinner, we were convinced into changing our plans when we saw how cute this spot slightly closer to our hotel was. Thankfully, it isn’t just cute; the service and food were spot on! Alongside a carafe of house white wine, I devoured a crispy chicken burger with fries while Bestie devoured a bowl of pesto pasta; everything was mouthwateringly delicious. Stuffed after wolfing down every morsel on our plates, we opted for dessert cocktails - an espresso martini for me, and a French 75 for Bestie - both were perfect. The French bistro vibe in the restaurant was lovely, with moody lighting, candles on each table, quirky music, etc. Would warmly recommend. Address: 508 Great Western Rd, Glasgow G12 8EL

where we drank alcohol

Brel // an ideal people-watching spot on Ashton Lane! We visited on Saturday afternoon before our lunch at Ashoka, above, and everywhere was absolutely jammed with people! Luckily, we managed to nab a tiny table tucked right inside the door at Brel, where we sat contentedly drinking margarita cocktails and watching the busy-ness unfold on the street right outside. It was delightful! Oof, and the margs weren’t half bad either - we stayed for two each 😉 Would recommend. Address: 37-43 Ashton Ln, Hillhead, Glasgow G12 8SJ

Innis & Gunn Glasgow West End Brewery Taproom // because we didn’t want our time on Ashton Lane to come to a close too fast, we visited here after our lunch at Ashoka, above. We both opted for a glass of pinot blush rosé, and it was so good! Just the palest hint of pink in colour, not too sweet, and really tasty! Address: 44 - 46 Ashton Ln, Hillhead, Glasgow G12 8SJ

BrewDog Glasgow Kelvingrove // ideally located right across the road from the Kelvingrove, we stopped in here for a Sunday pint after our tourist-ing. I went for their Lost Lager and Bestie went for their Hawks Cider; both were delicious! Fun fact: BrewDog is actually a Scottish company! The brand was created in 2007 and has blossomed ever since. Would recommend. Address: 1397 Argyle St, Glasgow G3 8AN

where we tourist-ed

All of the tourist-ing we did in Glasgow was absolutely free! Glasgow actually has a plethora of free attractions to keep you going, which is wonderful for a quick city break when you don’t want to break the bank! Listed below is everywhere we hit during our weekend in town. If we’d had sliiiightly more time in the city, we would’ve also like to hit The Hunterian Museum & Art Gallery and Glasgow Cathedral - but there’s always next time!

Mural Trail // we sort of accidentally stumbled across a handful of these ginormous artworks en route to the Necropolis, below, but they’re so cool! We definitely saw 2, 3, 4, and 5, but I think we also might’ve seen 1 and 6? They’re massive, and the detail on them is so impressive! If you’d like to follow the mural trail and spot them all, you can find the mural map here.

The Glasgow Necropolis // such a beautiful cemetery! Sitting on top of a hill in Glasgow’s East End, the Victorian burial ground is quite a sight: rising up above the city, covered in winding paths shooting off in different directions, with some truly beautiful sculptures and headstones. One of the things we both thought was really nice about the place was that it was actually busy with people. There were locals walking their dogs or out for a jog etc. - it wasn’t just an old dusty graveyard filled with forgotten graves, you know what I mean? It was so nice! Added bonus: there’s a lovely view over the city from the very top! Would recommend. Address: Castle St, Glasgow G4 0UZ

Glasgow Botanic Gardens // a really very nice spot to spend an hour or so! It was lashing rain when we visited, so we took our time wandering between the many different glasshouses and tropical rooms etc. It was so nice! Hot and humid and sweaty as botanic gardens always are - but still nice. Fun fact: Bestie and I visited the Botanical Garden in Copenhagen on our last friendiversary trip! Maybe the criteria for all future friendiversary city breaks is that they must have a botanic garden? I think yes! Address: 730 Great Western Rd, Glasgow G12 0UE

Ashton Lane // less of an attraction and more just a nice place to walk around, but omg it’s SO CUTE! Filled with quirky bars and restaurants, this is somewhere I’d only come if I planned on having a leisurely mooch around with no real plans in mind - that’s what we did and loved it! On the Saturday of our visit, there were loads of stalls out lining the Lane offering street food and drinks to takeaway, there was bunting up, people with balloons, live street music etc.; there was such a great vibe, even though it was raining! Also! Something we didn’t have time to do but were very intrigued by was watching a film at the Grosvenor Picture Theatre. Located right at the end of the Lane, the GPT is the oldest cinema in Glasgow; it shows a fun mix of old & new films, and has a real Stella feel about it. Next time! A must visit. Address: Ashton Lane, Glasgow G12 8SJ

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum // a fantastic spot! We were undecided whether we should visit here or the Hunterian, but our waitress at breakfast said this was the absolute must-visit museum in town. It was so good! There were so many different things to see: ancient Egyptian relics, natural history displays, gallery after gallery of art from all over the world, 50 floating heads + a spitfire hanging overhead, and so much more! Two personal highlights include: Dali’s Christ of Saint John on the Cross and Harry Clarke’s Coronation of the Virgin. A must visit. Address: Argyle St, Glasgow G3 8AG

And there we have it: A Girly Getaway to Glasgow, Scotland! What did you think? Have you visited the Scottish Second City? I was very pleasantly surprised by how beautiful and welcoming the city was! Let me know any thoughts or recommendations I might have missed in the comment section below!

Karen, here’s to another 19!

Vicki xo

*Date of trip: 24-25 August, 2024.*

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