Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
Calton Hill. Glasgow (which many believe means “Dear Green Place”) has a host
of options from Glasgow Green along the River Clyde to Kelvingrove Park in the
salubrious West End. See chapters 9 and 17.
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Shopping:
Glasgow considers itself the second biggest shopping playground in
Britain after London. And, as no self-respecting city likes to be upstaged when it
comes to retail therapy, so Edinburgh has given chase. There is a combination of
posh department stores, such as Harvey Nichols; old favorites, such as House of
Fraser or Jenners; and plenty of trendy designer shops. For more details on shop-
ping, see chapters 10 and 18.
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Exploring Ancient Edinburgh:
Take a wander down one of the many narrow
lanes off the Royal Mile in the city's Old Town to begin to get a sense of what
medieval Edinburgh was like. In addition to exploring on your own, my walking
tours should help to heighten the experience. See chapter 9.
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Admiring Victorian Glasgow:
Glasgow actually contemplated tearing down its
Victorian-built heritage after World War II. It was perceived as old-fashioned.
Thank goodness the city fathers were stopped and it didn't happen. For walking
tours that highlight Glasgow's best architecture, see chapter 17.
THE
best
CASTLE & PALACE
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Edinburgh Castle:
The Castle's earliest construction dates to around a.d. 1000,
placed at the highest point of a rocky, narrow ridge—a natural fortress. The
Castle has been the locus of many historic royal events and vicious battles.
Extraordinarily, it remains an active military barracks, as well as a crowded tourist
attraction featuring the crown jewels and the famous Stone of Scone on which
ancient Scottish royalty is believed to have been coronated. See p. 87.
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Palace of Holyroodhouse:
At the opposite end of Edinburgh's Royal Mile from
the Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse is the historic as well as the current
Royal residence (when the British monarch is occasionally in town). “Rood”
means “cross,” and the abbey ruins that are adjacent to the Palace date to 1128.
The building's present form largely dates from the late 1600s, when it was rebuilt
in a dignified neo-Palladian style. But the best bits are in the oldest wing, where
Mary, Queen of Scots once stayed. See p. 94.
THE
best
CATHEDRALS &
CHURCHES
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Glasgow Cathedral:
In the 7th century, a Celtic religious pilgrim called St.
Mungo (or St. Kentigern) is believed to have started a monastery on the site of
Glasgow Cathedral, consecrated in the 1130s. This is mainland Scotland's only
fully intact medieval cathedral, and while the Protestant reformation stripped it
of Roman Catholic idolatry, the corpse of St. Mungo apparently lies in the crypt
of this impressive cathedral. See p. 198.
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St. Giles' Cathedral:
In Edinburgh's Old Town, the auld kirk of St. Giles was
perhaps a victim of over-enthusiastic Victorian renovation, but it is still an impos-
ing piece of ecclesiastical architecture. Here is where John Knox, Scotland's
Martin Luther, preached his sermons on the Reformation. See p. 91.
