Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Continue onwards to:
14 Brel
Especially welcome on nice days, Brel (39-43 Ashton Lane;
&
0141/342-4966), a bar and
bistro, provides both outdoor and conservatory seating in the back. It has a Belgian
theme, serving mussels and European beers. See p. 241 for full review.
17
Go left past the Ubiquitous Chip down the narrow lane to Byres Road. Here is an
underground station, and you can catch the train back to the city center. Otherwise,
turn right onto:
15
Byres Road
Full of bars, cafes, restaurants, and a panoply of shops, this is the proverbial
Main Street of Glasgow's West End. Rarely less than buzzing, the road, for
many, exemplifies the lively district. If you're not in a hurry, the tree-lined
streets running west from Byres Road, such as Huntly Gardens, merit a detour
to see the proud town houses.
Proceed north up Byres Road to:
16
Great Western Road
It took an 1836 Act of Parliament in London to create this street, then a new
turnpike road into the city. Today, its four lanes remain a main thoroughfare in
and out of Glasgow. A stroll west for five or six blocks from this intersection at
the Botanic Gardens will reveal the opulent terraces (including one by “Greek”
Thomson) along the boulevard's southern flank. Going in the opposite direction
takes you to more retail shops. At this corner, the former Kelvinside Parish
Church has been converted into a bar, restaurant, and center for the perform-
ing arts called Oran Mor.
Cross Great Western Road to the:
17
Botanic Gardens
Neither as extensive nor as grand as the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh,
this hilly park is pleasant nonetheless. One main attraction is the extensively
refurbished Kibble Palace, a giant, domed, cast-iron-and-glass Victorian con-
servatory with exotic plants. Other greenhouses contain orchid collections,
while the outdoor planting includes a working vegetable plot, roses, and rhodo-
dendrons, and beds with lots of flowering perennials.
WALKING TOUR 4:
THE SOUTHSIDE
START:
Tramway.
FINISH:
Kilmarnock Road.
TIME:
About 1 hour.
BEST TIME:
Afternoon.
WORST TIME:
Late at night.
The Southside of Glasgow is mostly residential and thus presumably of less interest
to visitors—although some consider it to represent the real Glasgow, and Southsid-
ers can be very attached to their patch of the city. It encompasses a large area. This
