Dear Archinecters: Turns out I'm going to Scotland for ten days in May! My mother-in-law is taking the family, thus choosing the itinerary, which is a wonderful gift. I've never been and am very excited to get even a brief visit.
Unfortunately the itinerary only allows a few stops and one city is going to have to be skipped. We will have time in the countryside, and Inverness I think? But it's been left to me, as the family architect, to choose which city to spend a day in: Glasgow or Edinburgh.
I'm leaning towards seeing the Parliament building. But the Glasgow School seems important too, and the Tea Room I suppose. I honestly don't know and haven't done any research - I'm just lazily looking for help as I always chastise others for doing.
The other question is which city has a better art museum, as while I'm looking at buildings the boys (husband and brother in law, both artists) will want to see art.
what a heartbreaking choice to have to make! they're so different! (like the difference between louisville and lexington. ha!)
don't know much about museums, but the things i do remember.
glasgow:
tea room very nice and still in operation on sauchiehall (sp?)
sauchiehall itself is a GREAT street.
mac school is a must-see.
'rooms' of hill house used to be on display in glasgow.
wonderful 19th c industrial city that has had an incredible cultural rebirth.
edinburgh:
the road (the royal mile or something like that?) up to the castle is also a great street.
much slower paced, non-industrial, historic city.
hike up arthur's seat is a great experience.
I have to vote for Edinburgh. Yes, the MacIntosh stuff in Glasgow is important and the Tea Room is interesting, but Edinburgh is enchanting. It's mystical. Look at my pictures, it's unbelievable! It's absolutely one of my favorite cities in the world.
I'm sure that your family would love the Old Town and the Royal Mile, and your son will get a real kick out of the castle. The Scottish Parliament is glorious and definitely worth a trip down the hill. The picture of the Ron Mueck sculpture (giant baby) was taken at the Art museum there, plus there's several other exhibits around town and Calton Hill is a good hike for a spring afternoon. If you have a car, you would also have a chance to visit the Firth of Forth bridge and the Falkirk Wheel, which are both only about a 20 minutes' drive from the City Center.
There's more but I have to work, will write more later.
another vote for edinburgh here, even though I have not been to either yet. I caught a lecture given by malcom fraser (architect in edinburgh - check his work out) who was highlighting parts of both cities. Edinburgh clearly has more appeal for a short trip, though the royal mile seems extremely touristy. I can't imagine being in scotland and NOT seeing the scottish parliament building. But that's just me.
Steven is right, lb, Edinburgh and Glasgow are only about 45 minutes apart (by train I think). However, with navigation and what not, that might be a pretty ambitious day.
The Royal Mile is touristy but if you don't hear bagpipes at least once while you're there, then you've not really been to Scotland.
Incidentally, has your mother-in-law ever been to Edinburgh? She might find it more to her liking than she thinks, thus affording you more time to explore? Just a thought, as I've not heard good things about Inverness....
since everybody else is weighing in and i was sort of noncommital in my first response, i'll just say it: edinburgh was great in a beautiful old european city total package sort of way but i MUCH preferred glasgow as a place to see architecture.
Yeah, I've heard that from people but I didn't, personally. There's way too many nooks and crannies and juxtapositions in Edi that captured my imagination. I should really revisit Glasgow to have a better look. Did you go pre-Parliament, Steven?
yes, preparliament. 'bout '91, when my then-girlfriend was going to the mac, i spent christmas break there. glasgow was gearing up for 'european city of culture' celebration then and edinburgh was hopelessly conservative, so...
what a great discussion to find...i'm headed to scotland in three weeks. visiting the wife's family in Kirkwall, Orkney, though we'll be passing through Edinburgh on the way up, and Glasgow on the way back down...
Alright, been an Archinect lurker for a while now, thought this would be as good a time as any to "break my silcence" as im from Edinburgh. Well straight away i have an obvious bias!!
My vote is for Edinburgh. Others have already recommended some of these but, oh well:
Castle
the parliment building(although my tutor tells me that barcelona does not work in Edinburgh!)
The Royal Mile is extremly touristy, but you should explore down some of the alleys that are off of it and the rest of the old town.
Museum of Scotland is worth a look (Benson + Forsyth)
The New Town- Princes Streets, George Street, Queens Street are great (GS and QS at night at this time of year)
Arthur Seat gives a great view if you can face the walk.
(on a bit of a side note, The Sheep Heed (oldest pub in scotland i think, def in Edinburgh) is perfect for refreshing yourself on the way back down!! its beside Duddingston Loch)
Malcomn Fraser and Richard Murphy are two prominent architects in the city (Although there are (some) others).
Gezz i feel like some sort of sales rep!!
Ethier way they are both great cities (imho) and if you go to Glasgow the Mackintosh stuff is fantastic. The night life in Glasgow is better as well, if you looking to have a good time. (i know your with your mother-in-law!)
Thanks so much, Neil - it's funny, my first ever archinect post was about Philadelphia - I guess we hold strong enough opinions about the cities we love to break our silence! Thanks for your help - I will definitely be up for a good tiring walk up to Arthur's Seat then a cold refreshment on the way down! Sadly I'm the only drinker in our group, and will be traveling with our 3yo son (he has a passport from when we took him to Italy at 9 months old - he's such a little jetsetter!) so the night life will not be our scene - but I'll still try to pop into a pub at least once as I love a good local beer. That said, Neil, are there any totally non-touristy pubs walking distance off the Royal Mile whose denizens won't laugh if a yankee walks in all starry-eyed?!
I'm imagining Edinburgh as a bit like Ljubljana - a castle up high in the middle of a cool historic town - and DubK your pictures helped me a lot in that regard.
emaze your comment about city spaces is great too - so I'm convinced, Edinburgh it is!
There is a place on the corner of The Royal Mile and that big main road that comes up the hill, it's a little pub and you can tell it's very touristy and has probably seen better days, but I have had some of the best pints there. Also you can eat, and that's where we had haggis. Not the best haggis I've ever seen in my life, but it was there, nonetheless.
I would probably vote for pretty Edinburgh - it is better for a family trip as others pointed out, even though hard-core archi-visitors might prefer Glasgow. Do keep in mind as someone already said, they are about 1h train drive apart, and you can see a lot in a day!
As someone who studied architecture in Edinburgh and now lives and works in Glasgow, I'd say the following:
Edinburgh wins hands down for beauty: there's nothing else quite like the contrast between the old and the new towns anywhere else. For architecture, wander through the new town for some of the most serene domestic architecture around: it's all in the proportions! The old ton has its schmaltzy, touristy aspect but it's also incredible as a spatial parti, something that has been fully explored and developed in Benson and Forsythe's extension to the Museum of Scotland and also, of course, in the Parliament building. The art gallery in the centre of town (right between the old and the new) has some great Italian art but if you're keen on Francis Bacon et al then you must take the free bus that runs from there out to the museum of modern art, which also features a large landscaped garden by our favourite 'theory-made-easy (and sensational)' Charles Jencks.
I chose to live in Glasgow more for its long term appeal: it doesn't have so much surface appeal, being a gritty ex-industrial centre. That said, its art and music scenes are more vibrant than Edinburgh's, perhaps because its less stultified by the weight of history and the cultural weight of the Financiers and Conservatives who camp out in Edinburgh. Museums-wise, Glasgow has the wonderful Kelvingrove art gallery. It's most famous acquisition is the Christ by Salvador Dali, although my favourite canvases are those Symbolist and Pre-Raphaelite works by the likes of Burne-Jones et al. This gallery also has the best atmosphere of any gallery I've ever been to: it's a real family friendly, people friendly place. There's also a beautiful park just outside.
So, for visitors, Edinburgh wins, but if you're into Culture, get under Glasgow's skin and you'd find it possibly more rewarding. I do.
hey my pics dint work. well one is of talisker distillery one is of graffiti in edinburgh one is of a bagpipe player in a kilt. none were taken by me as i am a prussian by heritage.
I really loved Edinburgh. Definitely check out all the places on NeilWalkinshaw's (above) list. I got so lost walking through the alleys but loved every minute of it.
I ordered the haggis. It came with a bunch of other squished foods. Delicious and easy to digest.
Solidred's analysis of Glasgow "gritty ex-industrial centre" with a developing culture is accurate and may be a better place to live concerning the cultural aspect; however, as a visitor for only a few days, I found that it's very difficult to "get under Glasgow's skin".
Also, be prepared for the weather (when I was there, I got a slight sunburn and I think it rained every 2 hours or so) and climb Arthur’s Seat (I think that's what it's called). Amazing view. Great workout.
treekiller- Shamefully (is it?) i have never had haggis in a resturant before so i couldn't really say! (tend to only eat it once a year- on burns night) .
LibertyBell- thanks for the warm welcome (you too Wonder K!), if you go to the grass market there are plenty of scottish pubs around, im sure all the locals will be nice. Also greyfraires pub across from the Museum of scotland would prob fit the bill.
An other "site" you can see in the burgh is Scotlands Disgrace! its quite funny really, you can see it from princes street(no real need for a close up). Someone thought it would be a good idea to build an exact replica of the parthenon on carlton hill, but they only built one wall before running out of money. since then edinburgh has had to live with shame.... THE SHAME!!!
I second solidreds thought on the new town housing.
When I first went to Edinburgh, I didn't know any of this.....my friends and I walked up that hill and were like, "wow! Look at all of this! I wonder what it IS?"
To my credit, I was 21 at the time, and had only been in a foreign country for about 72 hours at that point.
Drove around scotland for a week and a half with my husband a few years back - we loved it all, a very nice place indeed, would love to move there... we started at Aberdeen, drove north & west to Inverness (which I don't remember as being anything interesting - I'd say skip it), down by Loch ness to Glasgow & then Edinburgh. Our favorite places had to be the countryside, castels and lighthouses. Tea and scones!
My memory's a bit hazy, but Glasgow definitely stuck out for me as my favorite city, by far... browsed some arch crits at the school and generally wandered. Can't decribe exactly but the feeling was better, maybe because there are less tourists. But I can also say my parents went to Scotland recently and they LOVED Edinburgh, they're big into walking and eating and museums...
Hey all. Like Neil I have lurked the pages with intrigue for a while. I am from Dundee and in my 3rd Year of a Masters degree. Edinburgh would definitely get my vote. For a drop in visit, the character of Edinburgh is unparallel anywhere.
Buildings to visit.
Edinburgh Castle by various – Heart of the ‘old’ city. A must!
Museum of Scotland (extension) by Benson + Forsyth - The original building has a spectacular atrium but the extension has wonderful spaces, vistas and niches. My personal favourite building in Edinburgh.
Scottish Parliament by Enric Miralles – Granted it is a bit over the top on the exterior but you gain an understanding of the building inside. It did not go as far over budget as many will have you believe, the brief changed and the office space almost doubled. Defiantly worth a look.
Dance Base, Grassmarket by Malcolm Fraser Architects – Much praised centre for dance in Edinburgh, discrete from the street façade but magnificent inside.
Scottish Poetry Library, Crichton’s Close by Malcolm Fraser Architects – A compact, well designed gem off of the Royal Mile (worth a walk down).
The Fruitmarket Gallery by Richard Murphy – Richard Murphy’s first major public work converting a forlorn warehouse into a light and spacious Gallery.
National Gallery of Scotland by William Playfair – Some breathtaking collections
Dynamic Earth by Sir Michael Hopkins – A tensile fabric tent by the Scottish Parliament building. An amphitheatre outside and most of the building below ground. Perhaps out of context but interesting none the less.
If you want more…just let me know. Sorry for the lengthy first post.
LOL, apparently all we need to do to get the lurkers out is start talking about Scotland! Well done liberty bell!
And also, to rringsell, do not apologize for your post. I have seen much longer posts that had a lot less to say. Welcome to the forum! I second the Dynamic Earth, that place is pretty cool. Forgot about that.
That gal with the gorgeous smile is verrrrry happy about seeing what's under that poor man's kilt!
rringsell, solidred, Neil - thank you so much! My mother-in-law is working to put together our itinerary (with a Scottish travel company) and I will forward her a bunch of suggestions from your posts - just enough to let the travel agent know I'm serious about architecture, man!
I'll revive this thread in spring, when the trip is near, for more advice. It looks like I was wrong about Inverness: we are going to see Sterling Castle and Kilmorak, both family-history-related stuff on my husband's side. Also trying to visit a place where bagpipes are made, nice! And we'll be in a car part of the time and on a train part of the time. Yay, I'm very excited!
Oh and especially rringsell thank you for the suggestion of the Benson and Forsyth project - this was in the news last time I was in London - 1997 or so? - and the renderings looked so cool - I'm eager to see it!
Stirling is the city, Sterling is the currency. Watch out for the funny Scottish money printed by innumerable minor banks.
If you are going to Stirling it's only another 30 minute drive to Loch Lomond. The East side of the Loch with Drymen, Balmaha and Rowardennan is beautiful and down a very straight old roman road from Stirling. The Loch sits on the edge of the homely rolling hills of the Campsies and the Trossachs with Ben Lomond (a mountain) visible, often capped with snow, in the distance. I believe that there is now a water taxi on the Loch which can take you to the pub on one of the many jewel-like islands.
Unless you want to go to the cinema, there is nothing in Stirling but the castle. I't's very like Edinburgh except that Edinburgh castle is surrounded by a beautiful city swarming with tourists while Stirling castle is surrounded by state housing.
Aberdeen is stunning in the sunshine as the granite comes to life all silvery and sparkling. The university buildings of Marischal College (city centre) and Kings College (university campus) are beautiful, and were in their day (500years ago) two of the first three universities in scotland. A drive out Royal Deeside (the river Dee runs from the Grampian mountains through the city to the sea) will take you to Braemar and the queen's Country residence across barren, moody moorlands. There are other stunning castles to be seen too, Drum and Crathies both have wonderful gardens and interiors. The National Trust will give more details.
Glasgow, as noted by many contributors, is the more deeply interesting, Edinburgh the more easily pleasing.
The galleries in Edinburgh come in pairs, the Dean and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art with Paolozzi's studio and the Jencks land form respectively. Also the two that are now umbilically linked on Princes Street.
Fettes school (Tony Blair) is stunning, as is Merchiston Castle school. Catch a rugby match from the touchline at one of them to see what expensively educated Scots get up to.
Do get down to the old waterfront district of Leith, and in the city walk around the incredibly formal, austere residential crescents. Robert Adam is the 18thC Edinburgh Architect of note.
You will find the whole of Scotland to be very white. Cultural diversity has not really reached that far North.
There isn't much in Inverness but if you respond to landscape, the long journey getting there will be special, more so the further North you go.
Scotland really is a lovely country, enjoy the accents and dialects, the fecund greenery of the west coast, the windswept absences of the North and East. The proximity of water and imminence of rain.
Ian Hamilton Finlay's Little Sparta, get there if you can. Charles Jencks' garden in Portrack is rarely open and the landscape there, after Jencks' interventions strikes me a little like an impetuously tattoed rock fan.
The Burrell collection in Glasgow is a bit out of the way, but amazing to see what an individual collector could put together. The Hunterian Museum a gothic masterpiece full of geological oddities. The Kelvingrove was, apparently, built back to front. Glasgow's honeyed sandstone hues are meltingly comforting in the hazy rain. The road in from any motorway puts you through some dreadful highrise concrete social graveyards. Don't be put off. The Merchant City area of town is buzzy, the Stockiemuir road out to Loch Lomond (30 minutes) is beautiful at any time of year. Princes Arcade is worth a wander for a coffee and to see a Foucault's Pendulum in action. The botanic gardens are also a pleasure and put you in the right place for a stroll through the west end which has terraced housing to compete with Edinburgh and the cooky Byers Road. Pop into the Ubiquitous Chip for some lunch.
btw Liberty Bell, up near Stirling Castle is an arts centre called the Tolbooth which has a nice cafe etc. but the interior remodelling has been done very well by... Richard Murphy maybe. Also up by the castle are some of Scotland's finest Renaissance buildings. Around the historical time I'm thinking of, the Scots were pretty pally with the French / Dutch (sorry: my history's very sketchy...) and so the Renaissance in Europe spread as far afield as Scotland: lots of foreign stonemasons were employed at Stirling Castle itself, for example.
There's also a fine old movie set in and about Stirling Castle called 'Tunes of Glory' with John Mills and Alec Guiness: a great Sunday afternoon movie. It's possibly available on second-hand video... somewhere.
Help me choose: Glasgow or Edinburgh?
Dear Archinecters: Turns out I'm going to Scotland for ten days in May! My mother-in-law is taking the family, thus choosing the itinerary, which is a wonderful gift. I've never been and am very excited to get even a brief visit.
Unfortunately the itinerary only allows a few stops and one city is going to have to be skipped. We will have time in the countryside, and Inverness I think? But it's been left to me, as the family architect, to choose which city to spend a day in: Glasgow or Edinburgh.
I'm leaning towards seeing the Parliament building. But the Glasgow School seems important too, and the Tea Room I suppose. I honestly don't know and haven't done any research - I'm just lazily looking for help as I always chastise others for doing.
The other question is which city has a better art museum, as while I'm looking at buildings the boys (husband and brother in law, both artists) will want to see art.
What are your thoughts, fellow 'necters?
(We're also overnighting in Iceland wahoo!)
I'd go to Glasgow to see the school, but I dont know anything.
what a heartbreaking choice to have to make! they're so different! (like the difference between louisville and lexington. ha!)
don't know much about museums, but the things i do remember.
glasgow:
tea room very nice and still in operation on sauchiehall (sp?)
sauchiehall itself is a GREAT street.
mac school is a must-see.
'rooms' of hill house used to be on display in glasgow.
wonderful 19th c industrial city that has had an incredible cultural rebirth.
edinburgh:
the road (the royal mile or something like that?) up to the castle is also a great street.
much slower paced, non-industrial, historic city.
hike up arthur's seat is a great experience.
i'd love to see rejkjavik.
Woo hoo! lb, I'm so excited for you! I love Scotland. But I've never been to Iceland! Fun!
In the event that you have not seen them yet, I would like to direct you to the pictures from my most recent trip to Edinburgh:
DubK in the Capitol City
I have to vote for Edinburgh. Yes, the MacIntosh stuff in Glasgow is important and the Tea Room is interesting, but Edinburgh is enchanting. It's mystical. Look at my pictures, it's unbelievable! It's absolutely one of my favorite cities in the world.
I'm sure that your family would love the Old Town and the Royal Mile, and your son will get a real kick out of the castle. The Scottish Parliament is glorious and definitely worth a trip down the hill. The picture of the Ron Mueck sculpture (giant baby) was taken at the Art museum there, plus there's several other exhibits around town and Calton Hill is a good hike for a spring afternoon. If you have a car, you would also have a chance to visit the Firth of Forth bridge and the Falkirk Wheel, which are both only about a 20 minutes' drive from the City Center.
There's more but I have to work, will write more later.
*gasp* We WILL have a car! And I desperately want to see the Falkirk Wheel! Oh I think maybe my decision is made.
But please keep your opinions coming!
if you have a car, remember that scotland is small. you could drive between edinburgh and glasgow easy. you probably should.
Any Scottish Archinecters want to weigh in? BOTS, signum, are you guys out there? (and are you Scottish? I'm easily confused.)
another vote for edinburgh here, even though I have not been to either yet. I caught a lecture given by malcom fraser (architect in edinburgh - check his work out) who was highlighting parts of both cities. Edinburgh clearly has more appeal for a short trip, though the royal mile seems extremely touristy. I can't imagine being in scotland and NOT seeing the scottish parliament building. But that's just me.
Steven is right, lb, Edinburgh and Glasgow are only about 45 minutes apart (by train I think). However, with navigation and what not, that might be a pretty ambitious day.
The Royal Mile is touristy but if you don't hear bagpipes at least once while you're there, then you've not really been to Scotland.
Incidentally, has your mother-in-law ever been to Edinburgh? She might find it more to her liking than she thinks, thus affording you more time to explore? Just a thought, as I've not heard good things about Inverness....
since everybody else is weighing in and i was sort of noncommital in my first response, i'll just say it: edinburgh was great in a beautiful old european city total package sort of way but i MUCH preferred glasgow as a place to see architecture.
Yeah, I've heard that from people but I didn't, personally. There's way too many nooks and crannies and juxtapositions in Edi that captured my imagination. I should really revisit Glasgow to have a better look. Did you go pre-Parliament, Steven?
yes, preparliament. 'bout '91, when my then-girlfriend was going to the mac, i spent christmas break there. glasgow was gearing up for 'european city of culture' celebration then and edinburgh was hopelessly conservative, so...
any thoughts on the best place for hagis?
what a great discussion to find...i'm headed to scotland in three weeks. visiting the wife's family in Kirkwall, Orkney, though we'll be passing through Edinburgh on the way up, and Glasgow on the way back down...
I would generally agree with the consensus here. (old)Edinburgh is such an incredibly three dimensional city. A must for any connoisseur of spaces...
Alright, been an Archinect lurker for a while now, thought this would be as good a time as any to "break my silcence" as im from Edinburgh. Well straight away i have an obvious bias!!
My vote is for Edinburgh. Others have already recommended some of these but, oh well:
Castle
the parliment building(although my tutor tells me that barcelona does not work in Edinburgh!)
The Royal Mile is extremly touristy, but you should explore down some of the alleys that are off of it and the rest of the old town.
Museum of Scotland is worth a look (Benson + Forsyth)
The New Town- Princes Streets, George Street, Queens Street are great (GS and QS at night at this time of year)
Arthur Seat gives a great view if you can face the walk.
(on a bit of a side note, The Sheep Heed (oldest pub in scotland i think, def in Edinburgh) is perfect for refreshing yourself on the way back down!! its beside Duddingston Loch)
Malcomn Fraser and Richard Murphy are two prominent architects in the city (Although there are (some) others).
Gezz i feel like some sort of sales rep!!
Ethier way they are both great cities (imho) and if you go to Glasgow the Mackintosh stuff is fantastic. The night life in Glasgow is better as well, if you looking to have a good time. (i know your with your mother-in-law!)
Anyway, sorry for the essay, hope this helps.
Neil- glad you finally spoke up, welcome! so where can you get good hagis in the 'burgh?
Thanks so much, Neil - it's funny, my first ever archinect post was about Philadelphia - I guess we hold strong enough opinions about the cities we love to break our silence! Thanks for your help - I will definitely be up for a good tiring walk up to Arthur's Seat then a cold refreshment on the way down! Sadly I'm the only drinker in our group, and will be traveling with our 3yo son (he has a passport from when we took him to Italy at 9 months old - he's such a little jetsetter!) so the night life will not be our scene - but I'll still try to pop into a pub at least once as I love a good local beer. That said, Neil, are there any totally non-touristy pubs walking distance off the Royal Mile whose denizens won't laugh if a yankee walks in all starry-eyed?!
I'm imagining Edinburgh as a bit like Ljubljana - a castle up high in the middle of a cool historic town - and DubK your pictures helped me a lot in that regard.
emaze your comment about city spaces is great too - so I'm convinced, Edinburgh it is!
Oh and yes I will also be on the lookout for haggis, as the only haggis I've had (and enjoyed) came from Philly's famous Italian Market butcher shop!
Neil, I like you already!
There is a place on the corner of The Royal Mile and that big main road that comes up the hill, it's a little pub and you can tell it's very touristy and has probably seen better days, but I have had some of the best pints there. Also you can eat, and that's where we had haggis. Not the best haggis I've ever seen in my life, but it was there, nonetheless.
WonderK, I'm wondering what you would qualify as the best haggis you've ever seen in your life...
(should one even bother to rank haggis?!)
Also, now I am wondering if I am the only person on here who started commenting the day I found the site. Hmm.
I would probably vote for pretty Edinburgh - it is better for a family trip as others pointed out, even though hard-core archi-visitors might prefer Glasgow. Do keep in mind as someone already said, they are about 1h train drive apart, and you can see a lot in a day!
m- you're special!
As someone who studied architecture in Edinburgh and now lives and works in Glasgow, I'd say the following:
Edinburgh wins hands down for beauty: there's nothing else quite like the contrast between the old and the new towns anywhere else. For architecture, wander through the new town for some of the most serene domestic architecture around: it's all in the proportions! The old ton has its schmaltzy, touristy aspect but it's also incredible as a spatial parti, something that has been fully explored and developed in Benson and Forsythe's extension to the Museum of Scotland and also, of course, in the Parliament building. The art gallery in the centre of town (right between the old and the new) has some great Italian art but if you're keen on Francis Bacon et al then you must take the free bus that runs from there out to the museum of modern art, which also features a large landscaped garden by our favourite 'theory-made-easy (and sensational)' Charles Jencks.
I chose to live in Glasgow more for its long term appeal: it doesn't have so much surface appeal, being a gritty ex-industrial centre. That said, its art and music scenes are more vibrant than Edinburgh's, perhaps because its less stultified by the weight of history and the cultural weight of the Financiers and Conservatives who camp out in Edinburgh. Museums-wise, Glasgow has the wonderful Kelvingrove art gallery. It's most famous acquisition is the Christ by Salvador Dali, although my favourite canvases are those Symbolist and Pre-Raphaelite works by the likes of Burne-Jones et al. This gallery also has the best atmosphere of any gallery I've ever been to: it's a real family friendly, people friendly place. There's also a beautiful park just outside.
So, for visitors, Edinburgh wins, but if you're into Culture, get under Glasgow's skin and you'd find it possibly more rewarding. I do.
hey my pics dint work. well one is of talisker distillery one is of graffiti in edinburgh one is of a bagpipe player in a kilt. none were taken by me as i am a prussian by heritage.
I really loved Edinburgh. Definitely check out all the places on NeilWalkinshaw's (above) list. I got so lost walking through the alleys but loved every minute of it.
I ordered the haggis. It came with a bunch of other squished foods. Delicious and easy to digest.
Solidred's analysis of Glasgow "gritty ex-industrial centre" with a developing culture is accurate and may be a better place to live concerning the cultural aspect; however, as a visitor for only a few days, I found that it's very difficult to "get under Glasgow's skin".
Also, be prepared for the weather (when I was there, I got a slight sunburn and I think it rained every 2 hours or so) and climb Arthur’s Seat (I think that's what it's called). Amazing view. Great workout.
treekiller- Shamefully (is it?) i have never had haggis in a resturant before so i couldn't really say! (tend to only eat it once a year- on burns night) .
LibertyBell- thanks for the warm welcome (you too Wonder K!), if you go to the grass market there are plenty of scottish pubs around, im sure all the locals will be nice. Also greyfraires pub across from the Museum of scotland would prob fit the bill.
An other "site" you can see in the burgh is Scotlands Disgrace! its quite funny really, you can see it from princes street(no real need for a close up). Someone thought it would be a good idea to build an exact replica of the parthenon on carlton hill, but they only built one wall before running out of money. since then edinburgh has had to live with shame.... THE SHAME!!!
I second solidreds thought on the new town housing.
NeilWalkinshaw...I forgot about that. It looked really cheesy and it does stick out like a sore thumb.
yeah it always makes me laugh when i see it.
ha! it almost looks like they *intentionally* tried to fake it as a ruin...
hehe!
When I first went to Edinburgh, I didn't know any of this.....my friends and I walked up that hill and were like, "wow! Look at all of this! I wonder what it IS?"
To my credit, I was 21 at the time, and had only been in a foreign country for about 72 hours at that point.
Drove around scotland for a week and a half with my husband a few years back - we loved it all, a very nice place indeed, would love to move there... we started at Aberdeen, drove north & west to Inverness (which I don't remember as being anything interesting - I'd say skip it), down by Loch ness to Glasgow & then Edinburgh. Our favorite places had to be the countryside, castels and lighthouses. Tea and scones!
My memory's a bit hazy, but Glasgow definitely stuck out for me as my favorite city, by far... browsed some arch crits at the school and generally wandered. Can't decribe exactly but the feeling was better, maybe because there are less tourists. But I can also say my parents went to Scotland recently and they LOVED Edinburgh, they're big into walking and eating and museums...
Hey all. Like Neil I have lurked the pages with intrigue for a while. I am from Dundee and in my 3rd Year of a Masters degree. Edinburgh would definitely get my vote. For a drop in visit, the character of Edinburgh is unparallel anywhere.
Buildings to visit.
Edinburgh Castle by various – Heart of the ‘old’ city. A must!
Museum of Scotland (extension) by Benson + Forsyth - The original building has a spectacular atrium but the extension has wonderful spaces, vistas and niches. My personal favourite building in Edinburgh.
Scottish Parliament by Enric Miralles – Granted it is a bit over the top on the exterior but you gain an understanding of the building inside. It did not go as far over budget as many will have you believe, the brief changed and the office space almost doubled. Defiantly worth a look.
Dance Base, Grassmarket by Malcolm Fraser Architects – Much praised centre for dance in Edinburgh, discrete from the street façade but magnificent inside.
Scottish Poetry Library, Crichton’s Close by Malcolm Fraser Architects – A compact, well designed gem off of the Royal Mile (worth a walk down).
The Fruitmarket Gallery by Richard Murphy – Richard Murphy’s first major public work converting a forlorn warehouse into a light and spacious Gallery.
National Gallery of Scotland by William Playfair – Some breathtaking collections
Dynamic Earth by Sir Michael Hopkins – A tensile fabric tent by the Scottish Parliament building. An amphitheatre outside and most of the building below ground. Perhaps out of context but interesting none the less.
If you want more…just let me know. Sorry for the lengthy first post.
LOL, apparently all we need to do to get the lurkers out is start talking about Scotland! Well done liberty bell!
And also, to rringsell, do not apologize for your post. I have seen much longer posts that had a lot less to say. Welcome to the forum! I second the Dynamic Earth, that place is pretty cool. Forgot about that.
itsaBig Country
wow- even more kilted members have emerged from the woodwork.
Welcome to rringsel!
Did someone say kilts?
I don't know what this girl thinks she's doing. She looks like she's had some alcohol. I think she's likes kilts as much as I do though.
That gal with the gorgeous smile is verrrrry happy about seeing what's under that poor man's kilt!
rringsell, solidred, Neil - thank you so much! My mother-in-law is working to put together our itinerary (with a Scottish travel company) and I will forward her a bunch of suggestions from your posts - just enough to let the travel agent know I'm serious about architecture, man!
I'll revive this thread in spring, when the trip is near, for more advice. It looks like I was wrong about Inverness: we are going to see Sterling Castle and Kilmorak, both family-history-related stuff on my husband's side. Also trying to visit a place where bagpipes are made, nice! And we'll be in a car part of the time and on a train part of the time. Yay, I'm very excited!
Oh and especially rringsell thank you for the suggestion of the Benson and Forsyth project - this was in the news last time I was in London - 1997 or so? - and the renderings looked so cool - I'm eager to see it!
...in glasgow.
lb, it sounds like a really fantastic trip, especially the family history stuff. The best thing about Scotland is, after all, the people.
Its not a problem liberty bell. Anything I can do to help I will.
spring archinect meetup in edinburgh or glasgow? i bet it could happen...
Stirling is the city, Sterling is the currency. Watch out for the funny Scottish money printed by innumerable minor banks.
If you are going to Stirling it's only another 30 minute drive to Loch Lomond. The East side of the Loch with Drymen, Balmaha and Rowardennan is beautiful and down a very straight old roman road from Stirling. The Loch sits on the edge of the homely rolling hills of the Campsies and the Trossachs with Ben Lomond (a mountain) visible, often capped with snow, in the distance. I believe that there is now a water taxi on the Loch which can take you to the pub on one of the many jewel-like islands.
Unless you want to go to the cinema, there is nothing in Stirling but the castle. I't's very like Edinburgh except that Edinburgh castle is surrounded by a beautiful city swarming with tourists while Stirling castle is surrounded by state housing.
Aberdeen is stunning in the sunshine as the granite comes to life all silvery and sparkling. The university buildings of Marischal College (city centre) and Kings College (university campus) are beautiful, and were in their day (500years ago) two of the first three universities in scotland. A drive out Royal Deeside (the river Dee runs from the Grampian mountains through the city to the sea) will take you to Braemar and the queen's Country residence across barren, moody moorlands. There are other stunning castles to be seen too, Drum and Crathies both have wonderful gardens and interiors. The National Trust will give more details.
Glasgow, as noted by many contributors, is the more deeply interesting, Edinburgh the more easily pleasing.
The galleries in Edinburgh come in pairs, the Dean and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art with Paolozzi's studio and the Jencks land form respectively. Also the two that are now umbilically linked on Princes Street.
Fettes school (Tony Blair) is stunning, as is Merchiston Castle school. Catch a rugby match from the touchline at one of them to see what expensively educated Scots get up to.
Do get down to the old waterfront district of Leith, and in the city walk around the incredibly formal, austere residential crescents. Robert Adam is the 18thC Edinburgh Architect of note.
You will find the whole of Scotland to be very white. Cultural diversity has not really reached that far North.
There isn't much in Inverness but if you respond to landscape, the long journey getting there will be special, more so the further North you go.
Scotland really is a lovely country, enjoy the accents and dialects, the fecund greenery of the west coast, the windswept absences of the North and East. The proximity of water and imminence of rain.
Ian Hamilton Finlay's Little Sparta, get there if you can. Charles Jencks' garden in Portrack is rarely open and the landscape there, after Jencks' interventions strikes me a little like an impetuously tattoed rock fan.
The Burrell collection in Glasgow is a bit out of the way, but amazing to see what an individual collector could put together. The Hunterian Museum a gothic masterpiece full of geological oddities. The Kelvingrove was, apparently, built back to front. Glasgow's honeyed sandstone hues are meltingly comforting in the hazy rain. The road in from any motorway puts you through some dreadful highrise concrete social graveyards. Don't be put off. The Merchant City area of town is buzzy, the Stockiemuir road out to Loch Lomond (30 minutes) is beautiful at any time of year. Princes Arcade is worth a wander for a coffee and to see a Foucault's Pendulum in action. The botanic gardens are also a pleasure and put you in the right place for a stroll through the west end which has terraced housing to compete with Edinburgh and the cooky Byers Road. Pop into the Ubiquitous Chip for some lunch.
Enjoy.
*gasp*
PsyArch, are you a travel writer? That post was beautiful..... and well-deserving of the country.....
Moreover, will you write my personal statement for me? :-D
btw Liberty Bell, up near Stirling Castle is an arts centre called the Tolbooth which has a nice cafe etc. but the interior remodelling has been done very well by... Richard Murphy maybe. Also up by the castle are some of Scotland's finest Renaissance buildings. Around the historical time I'm thinking of, the Scots were pretty pally with the French / Dutch (sorry: my history's very sketchy...) and so the Renaissance in Europe spread as far afield as Scotland: lots of foreign stonemasons were employed at Stirling Castle itself, for example.
There's also a fine old movie set in and about Stirling Castle called 'Tunes of Glory' with John Mills and Alec Guiness: a great Sunday afternoon movie. It's possibly available on second-hand video... somewhere.
easy vote for edinburgh here . . . glasgow is very interesting in its own right but if i had to choose one it would be edingburgh all the way
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