Three Days of Opera & Whisky in Glasgow

On what was supposed to be a trip to Ireland, I suddenly found myself heading to Scotland. Honestly, I couldn’t help it. After visiting Edinburgh three times last year, I had to see Glasgow, and when there was an opera there, it was a no-brainer. So on a side trip from Dublin I spent three days of opera and whisky in Glasgow, touring a distillery, drinking as much whisky as possible, and eating my way through the city.

Three Days of Opera & Whisky in Glasgow

Scotland holds a special spot in my heart not only because I instantly fell in love with Edinburgh my first time there, but because I’m a sucker for scotch and, well, that’s where it’s made. Even though most whisky distilleries are far from Scotland’s main cities, there are a few you can visit with a day trip or less. (More on that below.)

But this time, my focus on Scotland was opera. At least for the first day. I flew into Glasgow from Dublin (a simple 45 minute flight) and instantly realized how different Glasgow is from Edinburgh. While Edinburgh is touristy and condensed, Glasgow is much more spread out and full of locals. (More on the differences here.)

Seafood in Scotland

After checking into my hotel, I went straight to the Finnieston neighborhood, a row of trendy restaurants and shops, for lunch at The Finnieston. The special was cuttlefish and octopus, and the server suggested I pair it with garlic potatoes. Apologies to whoever I spoke with the rest of the day because those potatoes were drenched in garlic — and I loved them! The cuttlefish was spectacular, and I soon remembered how good seafood in Scotland is.

I stayed on that seafood kick for the rest of my trip. Oysters at The Finnieston, scallops with black sausage (swoon) at Gamba, salmon sashimi at Cafe Gandolfi — it was happily my cuisine of choice. Of course with some haggis thrown in for good measure!

Scottish Opera

As you may imagine, Scotland isn’t exactly known for its opera. But even though the Scottish Opera is small and tours throughout the country, I was shocked how good the performance of Magic Flute was. Especially considering the normally German opera was sung in English, but with rhyming lyrics perfectly matched to their original counterparts. Add to that single malt scotch (Glenmorangie 10) during intermission and I was a very happy lady indeed.

After the opera I went to the Pot Still (very overdressed in my opera attire!). The Pot Still is one of the best whisky bars in Scotland, with over 700 whiskies. The current bar opened in 1991 but the space has been a pub since 1868. The pub was buzzing, the staff was knowledgeable, and I even discovered a new whisky! (Hello, Machrie Moor! A peated Arran whisky, who knew?!)

Whisky Distilleries Near Glasgow

The next day my focus shifted strictly to whisky. There are several distilleries near Glasgow that can be toured without hiring a driver: Glengoyne, Auchentoshan, Deanston, Clydeside, and Tullibardine (which I visited from Edinburgh).

Originally I wanted to visit Islay or Campbeltown, and Glasgow is a perfect starting point for heading to those islands, but I didn’t have enough time. (The ferries and flights can be finicky with Scotland’s notoriously moody weather.)

Instead of rushing from distillery to distillery, I opted to only visit one: Glengoyne. Known for its sherried single malts, the distillery sits on the division between Highland and Lowland regions so the whisky is distilled in the Highlands but aged in the Lowlands. (It’s still technically classified as a Highland single malt.)

I got a private tour of the distillery and got to hand bottle my own single cask. It was so cool that I’m still on a high from it! Here’s the full story on touring Glengoyne.

What to See in Glasgow

With both of my main focuses checked off my to do list, I spent my last day in Glasgow seeing all the sites. Luckily (or unluckily?) there aren’t many of them, so it wasn’t very hard. I walked through the city center to George Square, stopping at the Piper Whisky Bar, then walked to the Glasgow Cathedral. Built in 1136, it is the oldest cathedral on mainland Scotland and the oldest building in Glasgow. But just my luck it was closed!

So I wandered through the nearby Necropolis, a Victorian cemetery built on a hill with huge headstones and lavish statues dedicated to rich merchants. Walking to the top makes for a perfect view over Glasgow, as long as there aren’t heavy dark clouds threatening rain. Since there was, I snapped some photos and went on my way as quickly as possible.

Arts & Education

On my way back to the city center I passed some of Glasgow’s street art. Street art is a major thing here, with an entire mural trail set up to explore the vibrant, full-building paintings throughout the city.  Who needs an art museum when you have street art like this?! (Don’t worry, there’s plenty of those too — and most are free!)

Eventually I made it to the University of Glasgow, one of Scotland’s four ancient universities. Founded in 1451, it’s one of the oldest universities in the English-speaking world. And if that’s not cool enough, it looks a lot like Hogwarts! Plus I walked through the Kelgrove Park to get there, which was relaxing in itself.

After I stopped at the Islay Inn for some whisky, mostly because I love all things Islay. But ironically I ordered Tobermory 12, an Island single malt. #Fail!

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Before I could hit Bon Accord (supposedly the most famous whisky bar in Scotland) it was time to jump back to Ireland. I hadn’t even made it to Ubiquitous Chip for its famous Scottish food yet! But Ireland was calling my name. (That, and my flight.)

Besides, even though Glasgow didn’t quite stand up to Edinburgh in my admittedly-biased heart, I know I’ll be back sooner rather than later for more distilleries. Until then, I left my beloved Scotland with two bottles of Glengoyne in my bag and an aching to explore more of the beautiful country yet again.

Up Next :: Touring Glengoyne Distillery, Glasgow vs. Edinburgh, and Two Days in Galway.