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Haggis, Whisky & Baby Kilts: My 48 Hours in Glasgow (Part I)
Posted by Andrew Hickey on Feb 10, 2010 in Travel
You think you know a place…and then you visit it. Glasgow, Scotland was one such locale that I thought I was familiar with. I mean I had heard of haggis (although never tried it), I have been known to down a few glasses of whisky (not to be confused with whiskEy) and well I grew up on such pop culture characters that call Glasgow home as pro wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper and Simpsons’ extra Groundskeeper Willie.
But after spending two days in the Scotland’s largest city I came away with a totally new and even more positive outlook on this often time overlooked destination.
Saturday:
12:02pm: After flying from London’s impressive Terminal 5 in Heathrow, I landed down in the very simple and somewhat dated looking Glasgow International Airport. I mean the place was nothing special, but at least I could get out of it in less than 10 minutes (which is usually not the case in London’s “Death Row” or my own local airport JFK International).
12:47pm: I arrived at the ABODE Glasgow Hotel, but could not check in just yet. So the bags were dropped and off I went to check out this new city I had landed in less than hour ago.
1:23pm: Lunch time and I needed some grub in my belly badly. Some writers and a representative from Visit Britain joined me for an afternoon meal at the very popular and equally cozy fifi & ally. This would be my first chance to try the much talked about Scottish dish called Haggis. What exactly is haggis you ask?
(Warning: If you have a weak stomach, you might want to skip the next couple of sentences.)
Haggis is a dish containing sheep’s (sometimes cow or pig) heart, liver and lungs. It is then minced with onion, oatmeal, spices, chicken broth and salt. Then it traditionally is simmered in the animal’s stomach for about three hours.
Well I tried it…and I loved it. I thought it tasted pretty damn good and had a little kick of spiciness to it (which I love). I washed it down with a local Scottish brew called Arran Blonde Ale. I made one observation while attending lunch here with my fellow writers…a lot of women dine at fifi & ally! Seriously every a few minutes 10-12 more females entered, some with babies, but mostly alone. It made for a sort of Scottish Sex in the City scene.
2:30pm: I hailed a cab (which are so much cheaper than in London) to check out local art exhibit called Trongate 103. Although the name sounds like a Scottish sci-fi convention, this six story Edwardian warehouse is actually filled with many great and unique pieces from some very creative individuals. Worth checking out if you are into local city art scenes and like free attractions.
3:45pm: I was finally able to check into the Abode Glasgow. Nice property in a good part of the city. I could easily walk to top restaurants and night life from the hotel within minutes. Some negatives to the property however included no Wi-Fi internet (had to plug laptop into a modem…very 2002), only four or five channels on the TV and the room was pretty cold at night.
7:30pm: After freshening up at the hotel and enjoying some dinner with friends, I made my way to Celtic Connections, which is Scotland’s premier winter music festival. It was a chilly Saturday night in Glasgow as I entered the Classic Grand to check out some live music over a few cold beers. As I walked into a rowdy music hall full of Scots, the Bevvy Sisters were performing. This trio of Edinburgh women really impressed me with their absolutely amazing vocals. It was a shame that I showed up late because I was just getting into the band as they wrapped up their set.
Up next were the Deadly Gentlemen. A few writers and I were ready to listen to another local act. But when the lead singer introduced the band, we immediately noticed he did not have that distinguishable Scottish accent, but instead sounded like one of us. It turns out that the band is from the States and currently reside in New York! Talk about small world. While they were not my cup of tea, it was pretty funny to go all the way to Scotland to hear some New Yorkers sing.
9:45pm: A few drinks were in order and Glasgow had plenty of great spots to hit up. Unfortunately we started the drinking part of our night a little late (Glasgow’s last call is 12am!). But some bars you should check out include the Buff Club, Winchester Club and Horseshoe Bar.
Notice the blurry vision? That is how I take pictures after some whisky
