Submitted by Chris on Tue, 10/31/2023 - 00:30

Scotland is a lovely place.

Incredible architecture, dramatic and beautiful nature, pubs full of character, live music and amazingly friendly locals made this country an absolute delight to visit.

This was a work trip, so while the calendar was very busy with filming, there were opportunities to see many different spots in Glasgow and Edinburgh over the ten days we were there. There is still so much country (and amazing-looking nature, especially) to explore some day, but for now, I'll share some highlights of what I was lucky enough to experience.

Glasgow, Scotland

While Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland, it remains easy to digest and understand — it’s a compact city that is more like a big small town. Opened in 1896, Glasgow's Subway is the third oldest underground railway in the world, after London and Budapest. Buchanan Street, full of popular retail shops, is pedestrian only and perhaps the most notable street in town.

Glasgow Mural Trail

20+ art murals adorn various walls around Glasgow -- and there's a "Mural Trail" that will guide you to all of them.

Glasgow Mural

The Glasgow Necropolis

The Glasgow Necropolis is a strikingly beautiful and ornate cemetery that overlooks the city, similar to Laurel Hill cemetery in Philly.

Live Music at Kitty O'Sheas

Kitty O’Sheas is one of the coolest pubs I’ve ever experienced with its dim underground setting full of little nooks and crannies. A small stage features music 7 days a week. One of my favorite moments in Scotland was a performance of “Rainy Night in Soho” (a Pogue’s cover) by a local muscian on the stage here.

Kitty O'Sheas - Glasgow Scotland

The Scotia (Glasgow's "Oldest Pub")

The Scotia, one of Glasgow’s oldest pubs brims with coziness, friendliness and character. An acoustic guitar was passed around and I somehow ended up taking a turn at playing a few songs (Blister in the Sun by the Violent Femmes, I Should Have Known Better by The Beatles, Have You Ever Seen the Rain by CCR) while others at the pub sang along. Amazing.

The Scotia Pub, Glasgow

"The Buck Mac" at Buck's Pub

"The Buck Mac” fried chicken sandwich (Mac sauce, iceberg and american cheese in a sesame glazed bun) at Buck’s Pub is literally one of the largest and certainly one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. I'm still somewhat full from eating this sandwich.

The Buck Mac Sandwich, Glasgow, Scotland

The University Chapel at the University of Glasgow

The chapel at the University of Glasgow, where we did quite a bit of filming, is stunningly detailed and beautiful.

Ashton Lane | West End, Glasgow

Ashton Lane is a popular spot in the West End of Glasgow, home to a variety of food and drink establishments.

Ashton Lane, West End Glasgow Street

Innis and Gunn Draft List Vibe, West End Glasgow Street

Innis and Gunn Vibe, West End Glasgow Street

General Architecture in Glasgow

Just a few hours into visiting Glasgow, a standout feature was immediately the architecture! You don’t have to seek it out — it finds you wherever you go. Architecture is not something I typically pay any special attention to but you can’t ignore it in a place like this...

Glasgow Architecture

Edinburgh, Scotland

The Streets of Edinburgh

Pulling off the M8 and driving into Edinburgh is like a fairy tale. The landscape is dramatic and the architectural detail is abundant and detailed.

Edinburgh Castle & the Royal Mile

The Edinburg Castle famously overlooks the city, sitting atop the “Royal Mile” — a steep, primarily pedestrian street filled with shops, museums, restaurants and pubs.

Arthur's Seat

“Arthur’s Seat” is a gorgeous Edinburgh overlook that sits atop an extinct volcano — and a steep hike will take you to it! Making this climb was a major highlight of the trip as an opportunity to get back into nature and soak in the overall view of Edinburgh.

Arthur's Seat Hike

Calton Hill

Calton Hill is a short but steep climb to overlook views of the city. I took a lot of photos from here and we did a few hours worth of filming here for UPenn.

Notable Edinburgh Pubs

Edinburgh Pub Sign

A few standout Edingburgh pubs included:

The Banshee’s Labyrinth

A cave like underground pub with a different rooms including some hidden bars, a live music space, movie theater, a pool table and various dimly lit seating areas.

The Banshee Edinburgh

The Captain

A pass-the-acoustic-guitar-around-and-play-a-song folk pub.

The Captain Edinburgh

The World's End

Possibly an inspiration to one of my favorite movies of all time, The World’s End? I don't think so, but had to check it out and the cozy atmosphere was nice.

The World's End Pub in Edinburgh

Scotland: Final Thoughts

I could have used more hours of time exploring all the details and spots spread throughout Edinburgh — there is certainly no shortage to explore here.

A couple local flavors of Scotland included Tenent’s beer, Irn Brw orange soda, haggis (yes for some reason I tried a bite — it’s disgusting but it actually somehow tasted somewhat ok!). This is weird but the Krispy Kreme donuts were off the hook amazing.

I had the chance to experience just a bit of Glasgow and Edinburgh — there’s so much more of Scotland left to explore, especially in nature. The National parks, the highlands and the various isles all look to be (and as confirmed by the locals) amazing. I had a feeling I'd like to return some day on a non-work trip...and that is certainly true! What a beautiful place!

10 Days in Scotland (2023)