In the Land of Scots

1/30/18

Glasgow, Scotland

Another early morning, on Tuesday we caught a traditional British black cab to Belfast City Airport headed to Glasgow. This tiny airstrip housed a handful of gates for propeller planes only. Even though we arrived at the airport with more than enough time to spare, we still almost missed our flight due to our inability to understand the thick accent of the announcer calling for us to board our plane. It wouldn’t be a real vacation without at least one brisk airport jog. Finally on board our 78-seat plane, we barely had time to take our jackets off before the captain announced we were descending after only 20 minutes in the air. 

Spotted in the Belfast City Airport. This marketing campaign would definitely not go over well in the states.

Our tiny propeller plane.

Once we arrived, we made our way to the Victorian House, our accommodations for the night, to drop off our bags. From there we went to Singl-End, a local bakery where we tried Welsh Rarebit (yum!). Refueled with sandwiches, we made our way to the city center for some much needed shoe shopping. Our Arctic boots proved to be too hot for everyday wear, so we made like Brits and treated ourselves to some Clarks and Dr. Martens. 

Welsh Rarebit, a cheesy delicacy!

Feeling adventure-ready with our new shoes, we walked through the beautiful Kelvingrove Park to the Kelvingrove Museum. This was a spectacular museum featuring many Scottish historical artifacts, including exhibits on armor, textiles, wildlife, and Scottish design. We didn’t want to leave but finally got kicked out 15 minutes past closing time. 

Medieval armor at the Kelvingrove Museum.

We made our way to Ashton Lane, a cobblestone street that is home to restaurants, pubs, and even a craft brewery called Innis & Gunn. We couldn’t pass up the chance to try a new brewery and used it as a home base to catch up on our blogging and have a couple pints. They had the first proper hoppy beer we’ve found across the pond, a double IPA, and a delicious whiskey-aged scotch ale. We finished the night with some Vietnamese food at the quirky Hanoi Bike Shop. We enjoyed a bowl of pho, some slow-cooked curry brisket, and a warm pot of jasmine tea. We retired to our hotel and got some rest as the constant Scottish drizzle pattered on our skylight.