UK 2014 Glasgow

We left the house in Kingussie on time and in style, an 8 seater people mover, leather seats and our own personal driver. Lovely way to travel and not that expensive when divided by 5. Checked in to the airport hotel, literally steps to the departure terminal, in the early afternoon and then took the bus (#500 airport to downtown shuttle, very convenient) into Glasgow.
I had in my mind that Glasgow was a dirty, industrial, scruffy kind of place. As we drove in the amount of industry was obvious but downtown is beautiful and a nice mix of the old and the new. On a Saturday afternoon it is also a very busy place.

Getting off the bus we were greeted by the sound of primal drums and bagpipes and turned the corner on to
a pedestrian street, full of sound and people.

We wandered the pedestrian streets and admired the old buildings.

We admired the statues.

If its not a pigeon, it's a seagull. 

We admired the toilets, really!

Thistle on the side and

Lion on the top.

Having spent the last week in a small town (except for the trip to Inverness), the crowds were a bit of a shock to the system.

After a search for the tearoom with MacIntosh decor and gifts and some last minute souvenir shopping, we went in search of food and drink. The downtown pubs and bars were hopping on a Saturday evening (far earlier than they would have been in Toronto).

The ceiling of a beautiful bar downtown, The Counting House. 

Heather and Don stayed for a pint while Pam and I went in search of food and a place to sit, across the street in Cafe Andaluz. We ended up having one of the best meals of the trip in the lovely small, tasty, tapas choices that we shared. When Don and Heather joined us they voted it the best meal we had had.
Back to the hotel, bed and up early for the long trip home.

This post is 2 weeks late, ironically the internet at all the places we stayed in was better than mine at home - thanks Bell!