Laura Redpath let the train take the strain as she enjoyed an indulgent festive weekend break in Glasgow
It was cold, it was wet, it was windy and it had been an extremely long day running about Aberdeenshire with my dictaphone, interviewing people.
Even at 5pm, when it was time to switch off and start the weekend, Christmas was the last thing on my busy mind. But when my friend and I got on the train, we soon started to unwind as we chatted about our day and what we had to look forward to during our two-night stay in Glasgow.
For a Friday night, the ScotRail train wasn’t too busy. We were able to get a seat and enjoyed a glass of wine from the refreshments trolley which passed us regularly on the two-and-a-half-hour trip.
We got into the city just after 9pm and we were desperate for something to eat, but to save our backs from our heavy bags, we decided to check in at the hotel so we could drop off our luggage and freshen up.
Hotel Indigo wasn’t far from Queen Street Station at all, but, with Glasgow’s traditional wet weather out in full force, we opted for a taxi.
When we arrived at Waterloo Street, we were checked in speedily and managed to have a quick look around our boutique twin room before setting off for food. To my delight, there was a huge power shower in the bathroom and plenty of space for packing away clothes – which we saved until after tea.
Now nearly 10pm, we were worried we wouldn’t find somewhere that was still serving food, but luckily stumbled on The Trading House on St Vincent Place. The restaurant and bar were buzzing and everyone around us was getting into the Friday-night swing.
After having a look at the fantastically designed menus, my friend and I both decided to go for a comforting steak pie and chips with a deli board filled with complementary cheeses, meats and breads to start. But halfway through our scrumptious main course, we quickly realised we had eyes bigger than our stomachs.
It was going to be a struggle to get through the generous helping of steak pie and chips, but it was just too good to leave on the plate, so we battled through as much as we could before admitting defeat and falling into a food coma back at the hotel.
Breakfast on the Saturday morning was extremely busy and we wished we’d given ourselves more than an hour to have our order taken and eat it, as we were a little pushed for time.
My friend opted for a full Scottish breakfast while I went for pancakes with maple syrup and bacon. Both dishes went down well with a few pieces of fresh fruit from the continental breakfast table.
We started our day in Glasgow with a bit of Christmas shopping and I fell in love with some of the bags from the Cambridge Satchel Company.
The shelves in the shop in Royal Exchange Square were filled with beautiful leather bags, luggage tags and storage trunks. Most of the designs can be embossed with initials and make the perfect Christmas present.
After a nosey around House of Fraser and Zara, we headed to 29 – The Grill at the Square for a bite to eat.
After a quick look at the menu, we realised the weekend was turning into an episode of Man v. Food, but with the variety of restaurants at our finger tips, we weren’t going to be skipping any opportunity to try them.
The menu boasted a traditional Christmas meal with turkey and we were even given Christmas crackers to get us in the festive spirit. I opted for pork medallions while my friend tucked into a lovely cauliflower cheese croquette which was accompanied by soft drinks and fantastic service.
After lunch, we had a quick peek around the traditional Christmas market, where you can treat yourself to festive snacks and artsy shopping, before we went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.
We headed to The Mussel Inn on Hope Street, where I enjoyed an Asian fish stew which was cooked to perfection and bursting with flavour. For those not keen on fish, there were plenty of options.
We then headed to the King’s Theatre to see Snow White, where some of Scotland’s biggest names, including Gregor Fisher, aka Rab C. Nesbitt, put a modern and hilarious twist on the classic tale.
The script was brimming with Glaswegian references which had adults and children in stitches as they bellowed out the classic “they’re behind you” whenever the villains appeared on stage.
We finished the night with a few drinks at the hotel before turning in.
On Sunday, we got up for another busy breakfast and popped into Buchanan Galleries for a quick look around.
We treated ourselves in the luxury Arran Aromatics, where we learned about the stunning perfumes available and even had a go at mixing our own scent and personalising the bottle’s label. Choosing a perfume can be really hard, so it was great to go through what was on offer and the experience makes a great treat for a friend or relative.
Before returning to Aberdeen, we had brunch at Hutchesons on Ingram Street, where a bottle of Prosecco was included with our meal. We then had a walk around George Square, where you can ice skate or take a ride on the Ferris wheel if shopping’s not your thing – what’s not to love about Christmas?
TRAVEL FACTS
For more information on booking your trip to Glasgow and its festive programme, where to eat and drink, Christmas shopping information, transport and parking deals, visit www.glasgowloveschristmas.com
For more information on the venues in this article, visit:
thetradinghouse.uk.com/menus/glasgow
www.cambridgesatchel.com/en-gb/home
www.atgtickets.com/venues/kings-theatre
www.glasgowloveschristmas.com/glasgow-on-ice/Pages/Glasgow-on-Ice.aspx