Glasgow City Guide

Despite not being the capital Glasgow is the biggest city in Scotland and in turn has the most universities, bars, clubs and other fun bits and bobs. Hopefully here you will find a good snap shop of them. That will enable you to get the most out of being a student in Glasgow.

The Universities:

Strathclyde: Situated in the city centre Strathclyde is the biggest of the universities in Glasgow. The university offers a wide range of course but is best known for it’s business and engineering courses. The union is split over ten levels and offers something for everyone. The student campus also has it’s own cracking bar called The Todd. Our own quizmaster Rambo runs the pub quiz on a Monday, which is always worth a visit.

Glasgow Caledonian: Situated again in the city centre, behind the Buchanan bus station. Caley, as the university is more commonly known, is geared to more practical subjects and sport.

Glasgow University: Considered the “posh” university in the city, Glasgow University is mainly based in the West End of the city and is situated very nearby to the effortless cool Ashton Lane.  QMU is one of Glasgow’s union and is a great night out and one of the cooler union’s in Scotland. The GUU is the original union and has been around for 125 years, sadly the prices have gone up in that time but the GUU is still one of the cheaper places tod drink in Glasgow.

Pubs

The Todd: Surrounded by halls in the heart of Strathclyde campus The Todd is a lively pub and should be considered an alternative to the Union. Don’t miss the quiz night on a Monday for some off the wall banter.

The Butterfly and The Pig: Hidden away on Bath Street, The Pig is one of the coolest establishments in the city. The bar is underneath the amazing Buff Club and has it’s own entrance. They have live music most nights of the week and the cover band on a Friday/Saturday night shouldn’t be missed.

MacSorley’s: A great pub towards the river. The venue prides it’s self on its musical heritage and is worth checking out if you love your music live.

Nice And Sleazy’s: Situated on the lively Sauchiehaul Street Nice and Sleazy’s does exactly what it says on the tin. The atmosphere is laid back and relaxed.

The WEST Brewery: A microbrewery situated on the edge of Glasgow Green. A once in a term visit type of place due to the expense of the beer on offer but also its lethal effect.

Ashton Lane: We could write a full piece just on the numerous offerings of the pubs in Ashton Lane but it would take too long. Ashton Lane is a great area with numerous pubs and restaurants. A great, yet expensive, pub-crawl location!

Oran Mor: One of the most beautiful venues in Scotland. The old church has numerous music venues hidden in it and a beautiful bar. The walls are littered with pictures of some of the famous patrons that have visited the bar over the years. Don’t annoy the Max and Paddy lookalike bouncer though!!

As you would expect with the biggest city in Scotland the number of great bars keeps on going and going but also worth a mention are Bloc, The Wooden Ship and lots more in the West End and on Sauchiehall. Merchant city is also crammed with great pubs but only if your feeling flush.

Clubs

Glasgow can easily be described as the clubbing capital of Scotland and there is a plethora of great clubs to choose from most nights of the week. Here are a few of our favourites,

The Garage: It’s an institution in Glasgow and tit’s easy to see why if you like your cheesy music. The club is split over three levels and is packed most nights of the week. They offer free entry on certain nights depending on your university.

ABC (Or O2 something or other nowadays): This is one of the biggest clubs in Glasgow and is situated at the heart of Sauchiehall Street. The club boasts one of the biggest disco balls you will ever see and hosts some of the bigger bands when they visit.

BUFF Club: LET’S ALL DANCE IN THE BUFF. The Buff is my favourite club in Glasgow without a doubt. The Buff is like nothing else you will find in the city and plays some rather “interesting” tunes. Don’t be surprised to hear some old school funk mixed with banging electro. Killer Kitsch are the residents on a Tuesday night and are always worth a visit.  The clubs décor can only be described as eclectic and so are some of its clientele.

The Shed: Situated in the East End, The Shed is known for cheap drinking and cheesy music. If that’s your cup of tea then there is nowhere better at the weekend. It’s out of town location means sadly that taxis are a must but the drinks prices are so much lower that you will still have a cheap night out.

Sub Club: The true dance club of the city. The Sub Club is often named in the top dance clubs in the world and plays host to some of the world’s top DJs on a regular basis. The club boasts one of the most expensive sound systems in Scotland and you can tell.

Art School (The Arty): The place where the cool kids go. The Art School is full of Art students, not surprisingly. It’s a great night out though and puts on some of the more extreme and interesting nights in Glasgow. Check out One More Tune every second Saturday!

Other places worth checking out: Viper (West End), Bamboo (City Centre), The Arches (Central Station), Firewater (Sauchiehall), QMU and Strathclyde Unions

Food

Okay if you insist on going out to eat rather than cook our amazing Feed The Flat meals then these are some of the best places in Glasgow,

Bier Hall: Two for one on great pizza included Hoisin Duck, Black Pudding and others. Situated near Central Station the Bier Hall has one of the best selections of beers in Glasgow as well.

Bloc: Offers great day deals during the week. Worth a visit and situated just along Bath Street.

Pizza Express: Now a firm student favourite with 2 for 1 on a Wednesday with Orange. Pizza Express is located on Suachiehall Street.

Slumdog Kitchen: Glasgow is often proclaimed as the Curry capital of the UK and with Slumdog you can see why. Slumdog is the newest offering from the curry king Charan Gill.

Mother India: In my opinion is the best group of Indian restaurants in Scotland. Mother India is at the cutting edge of Indian cuisine with their tapas style meals. Great for a big group to pick and mix.

Shopping

Glasgow may not be an official capital but few would argue that it’s not Scotland’s shopping capital. You will really have to watch your loan in Glasgow as there are tempting shops on every corner. The best areas are Buchannan Galleries, Buchannan St and Braehead where you will find a massive Ikea. If your looking for more vintage clothing then head for the “too cool for school” shops in the West End.

Visit the Apple Store on Buchannan Street for great student discount.

Other Cool Bits and Bobs

Living in a city where there is so much going on like Glasgow can be rather expensive but there are something’s you can do for free, or relatively cheaply, that are still great fun.

The Burrell Collection: Some of the finest pieces of art and culture that you will find on display anywhere in Scotland.

Kelvingrove: These galleries feature some of the most expensive pieces of art currently in Scotland.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh: Arguably Glasgow’s most famous resident, you can seen Charles’s work on display throughout the city.

Hampden: Even on non-match days there is plenty going on out at Hampden. You can take a stadium tour and look at some of the great Scottish players, and some that were involved against Liechtenstein, in the Scottish Football Hall of Fame.

We could keep writing about Glasgow for pages and page but honestly we don’t have the time or the energy. If we have missed out your favourite place or you discover something you really want to tell your fellow student about then why not drop us an email.

Check out our Glasgow Deals page for some great offers on some of the places mentioned.

CR with help from Jenny Lancaster, Clare Lancaster, Jamie Bevers, Pip Beveridge and everyone else I have partied with in Glasgow over the years!