The best area for to stay in Glasgow is undoubtedly the city centre and there are other very interesting options that should be known before booking accommodation to make your stay as comfortable as possible.
The best areas to stay in Glasgow
As for the location of most accommodation for staying in Glasgow, it is located on the north bank of the River Clyde (the oldest part of the city), extending north-west through the Hillhead district and around the Glasgow Botanic Gardens.
Is Glasgow an expensive city in terms of accommodation?During the low season, the average price ranges from 50 to 100 euros, while in summer it exceeds that amount.
Let’s see below how the best areas to stay in Glasgow are.
1.Glasgow Central
Central refers to the area around Glasgow Central Station and belongs to the district called City Centre.It is bounded by the River Clyde to the south, Saltmarket to the east and Newton Street to the west and north, where the M8 circular motorway also runs.
This area is the most touristy part of the city and has a fairly youthful atmosphere with several universities, while the most residential area is Merchant City, to the west of Central and formerly the area where traders lived.
In addition to the train station itself, full of souvenir shops and cafes, a place not to be missed is Glasgow Cathedral. It is located right on the edge of the City Centre, was completed in 1197 in Gothic style and is also known as the High Kirk.
Back in the area around Central Station, the most popular area is George Square, which is full of statues of notable Scotsmen, built in 1781 and is the venue for many events.
Glasgow is also famous for its culture.Highlights include the Merchant City area; several theatres with Theatre Royal leading the way; Glasgow Royal Concert Hall; Gallery of Modern Art and several other museums; and Cineworld, which boasts the highest standing in the UK.
In addition to these attractions, travellers will also find numerous shopping areas. Buchanan, Argyle and Sauchiehall streets have many shops, and Buchanan also has a large shopping centre, but the most prominent shopping centre is St. Enoch Centre.The places of greatest interest are between the Central Station and the also Glasgow Queen Street station, with dozens of establishments such as Viva Brazil Glasgow, a buffet and economic; the Mussel Inn seafood restaurant, with local products, or Bread Meats Bread, a British fast food site where users share a table.”, ”
To go out at night, the pub and the Whisky Bar predominate, with The Post Still, on Hope Street, and The Piper Whisky Bar, on Cochrane Street, being much visited.To these places we must add bars and clubs with live music such as King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, the O2 ABC auditorium in Glasgow and discos such as The Garage.
Central and surroundings is also the part of the city with the highest number of accommodations, but also the most expensive to stay in Glasgow.
– Accommodation in Glasgow Central
2.North West
The north side of Glasgow is home to the city’s poorest neighbourhoods, but in the west, between Ruchill Park and the Great Western Road, the facilities and attractions are well worth a visit.In any case, like the rest of the north of the city, the North West is a fairly residential area with good links to the city centre.
In terms of culture, the Maryhill district is an interesting area that still retains the Georgian style in places like the Maryhill Burgh Halls government building and the Mackintosh Queen’s Cross Church on Maryhill Road, which stands out for its innovative architecture.
North West is also criss-crossed by rivers and canals, and canoe hire and water sports are quite common.
Shopping and eating areas are not very abundant, only in the Maryhill area and its avenue there is a little more activity with small shops and restaurants like The Lockhouse, where you can try the local cuisine, and pubs like Harvey’s Bar.
On an accommodation level, along the area north of the Great Western Road there are a number of options for staying in Glasgow.
– North West Accommodation
3.West End
Just drive through the Great Western Road from the North West to the popular West End area.
South of Kelvingrove Park, on the north bank of the River Clyde and on the Great Western Road itself, the number of accommodations has grown considerably so that more and more tourists are choosing this area to stay in Glasgow.In addition to the University of Glasgow and its Gothic Sir George Gilbert Scott building, the Kelvingrove Gallery Art, the Riverside Museum and the SEC Centre and SSE Hydro, which host major exhibitions, are worth mentioning.”, ‘
Alongside these buildings, culture is also experienced in cafés such as the Tchai-Ovna House of Tea on the east bank of the Kelvin River, famous for its informal, friendly atmosphere and ideal for socializing.
Although the number of shops does not reach the amount that there is in Central, in Argyle Street and Byres Road there are many small shops that are interspersed with more restaurants and cafes, highlighting the Spanish Elena\’s or The 78, vegan restaurant very visited in Argyle Street.
The nightlife is also very lively in the area, the cafés themselves are open late, and in addition to these there are other places like Oran Mor, a large pub restaurant with live performances or BrewDog Glasgow on Argyle Street.
4.East End
Saltmarket Street is the western boundary of the City Centre and from there, it extends east to the Greenfield area. East End was once the most industrial area of Glasgow, where the city’s largest companies were located, but today it is a more residential area with some tourist attractions.
As for the major attractions of the East End, we must highlight the Glasgow Necropolis, a huge cemetery located on a hill, east of the cathedral and Victorian style, just south, is the Tennent Caledonian Breweries, which organizes tours where you can taste the products.
Further south, in the Trongate area, the People’s Palace Museum is not to be missed, in Glasgow Green Park (the oldest in the city) and opposite the River Clyde, where you can learn about the city’s industrial past, the customs of the inhabitants since the 15th century and visit a large greenhouse.
Further East, for sports fans, there is another place of interest: Celtic Park, the football field of the Scottish team Celtic. The field is in a sports area where there is also an indoor basketball court and a velodrome.
East End also has some places to shop, the most famous is the Barrowland Market, popularly known as “The Barras”.It is a covered market where you can buy all kinds of gifts and second-hand items.
For more sophisticated shopping, there are two large shopping centers in the East: The Forge Retail Park, a complex of five large buildings for clothing, do-it-yourself and electronics, and the Forge Shopping Center.
The density of restaurants in the East End is low, especially at a greater distance from the city centre.However, south of the Necropolis and next to the Tennent Caledonian Breweries, is the Drygate Brewing Restaurant where, in addition to local food, you can try artisan beer.Beyond these restaurants, given the large number of green spaces and residential developments, the options for finding restaurants and pubs are limited to the aforementioned shopping centres or the area around the Celtic football pitch.
For those looking to stay in Glasgow in this area, the accommodation offer is concentrated north of Duke Street, where the Guesthouse and Bed & Breakfast predominate.
– East End accommodation
5.South Glasgow
The South Side of Glasgow is a large area that reaches small townships such as Newtown Mearns or Clarkston, already part of the Greater Glasgow.
In any case, the whole south of the city is very well connected to the city centre by avenues and train stations, in addition to the circular underground line which has several stations on the South Side.
The distribution of accommodation to stay in Glasgow south of the Clyde River is not very dense, however, it reaches suburbs like Clarkston, as there are numerous golf courses in the area.
In addition to these areas, South Glasgow is noted for its many large parks, the largest of which is Pollok Country Park (best park in Europe in 2008), southeast of the residential area of Pollokshields.The latter, which was the residence of the Maxwell family in the 18th century, has a rich collection of Spanish art, something that many tourists are unaware of. In its Georgian-style rooms you can find paintings by Goya, Murillo or El Greco, which were acquired by the Maxwell family.And a little further north, on the south bank of the Clyde River, is the Glasgow Science Museum, an IMAX hall and the small TS Queen Mary cruise ship, moored in the harbour.
To the east, there is also another riverfront entertainment area: Springfields Quay, with an Odeon cinema, casino, bowling alley and riverfront restaurants like Frankie & Benny’s.
In the shopping area around Queen’s Park there are some shops such as Wee Beer Shop, where you can buy craft beers and in this area, especially on Kilmarnock Road, there are several restaurants and various pubs and clubs such as The Shed.
– Accommodation in South Glasgow
In addition to this article on the best areas to stay in Glasgow we recommend: Where to stay in London, where to stay in Edinburgh
What is the best area to stay in Glasgow?
The best area to stay in Glasgow is the city centre , which is north of the Clyde River, which runs through the city, where there are many three to five star hotels around Glasgow Central Train Station and the bus station is served by several underground lines.The hotel accommodations share space with an endless number of cafes, restaurants, as well as countless shops that are worth visiting along Buchanan Street, which gives its name to some famous and immense galleries.
And, above all, the old part of this Scottish city is home to such emblematic buildings as the Cathedral, the University, the Art Gallery or The Lighthouse.The Scottish Football Museum, although far from the city centre, is easily accessible by bus and a must for fans of the game.
There are also many bars, pubs and other places that open their doors at night, where the locals go and are a lure for tourists who discover that Glasgow is a bustling city where the pace of life does not stop, day or night.
If you are interested in knowing where to stay in Glasgow , you may also be interested in knowing where to stay in Edinburgh, where to stay in Manchester, where to stay in Liverpool and where to stay in London.
Downtown Glasgow, the best area to stay
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and the third largest in the UK and a favourite destination for tourists because of the charm of its Victorian buildings and the working-class air it still has, despite its financial potential within Europe.The best option to stay is in the old town, which has a wide variety of hotels, restaurants and cafes, and brings together the main tourist attractions of the city, some of which can be visited quietly on foot, and others by bus or subway.In fact, Glasgow’s underground is the third oldest in the world, behind London and Budapest, and it only has one circular line that covers the whole city and connects the different areas that make it up.
In the historic centre is the Glasgow Cathedral, also known as the High Kirk of Glasgow or St. Mungo’s Cathedral, one of the most emblematic buildings of the city, which can be accessed free of charge.To the east of this outstanding monument is the Glasgow Necropolis, a Victorian cemetery where more than 50,000 people are buried, and near the cathedral is Provand’s Lordship, the oldest house in the city, built in the 15th century.
Next to Glasgow Central Station and in the heart of the city is The Lighthouse, a centre for design and architecture that allows visitors to explore and analyse the different materials used in the design and construction of buildings in Glasgow. Every year, the Lighthouse hosts the Mackintosh Festival, which aims to remember the artist for whom it is named and to enjoy his works scattered throughout Glasgow in the most original way.Around The Lighthouse there are exquisite restaurants, gourmet cafes and also the famous Willow Tea Rooms, one of the most iconic and best decorated places in Glasgow to have tea and stop on the way during our visit to the city centre.
Exclusive clothing stores and sophisticated boutiques only a few people can afford are also located near the art centre, as well as the Princes Square Shopping Centre, a spectacular six-storey shopping centre with art nouveau-style outdoor décor that combines the most international clothing stores with local ones, with plenty of cafes, bakeries and restaurants.This leisure area completes its offer with pubs and fashionable places like King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, famous for being the music hall where a record company found and signed Oasis in 1993, as well as the place that supported renowned artists like Radiohead and Florence & The Machine from the beginning of their careers.
Very close to The Lighthouse is the Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art, opened in 1996 and located in one of the city’s most iconic buildings.
And, away from the centre but well connected by bus, you arrive at Hampden Park, a park that houses the Scottish Football Museum, which shows the history of Scottish football and explores the more than 2,500 pieces that make up this ambitious collection of football objects.
