“When people visit Scotland, they often visit Glasgow or Edinburgh but they very rarely visit both together,” says author Douglas Stuart. “It’s such a miss because the cities are less than an hour apart, the trains are easy, and the vibes are so different. Edinburgh is the great beauty, a UNESCO heritage site, home to the castle, and the famous old town with its cobbled streets and wynds, while Glasgow is a more modern city, bursting with youth and personality, great restaurants, and the most incredible live music scene. I am a Gemini so I need a bit of both.”
The Glasgow-born and -raised Stuart wrote 2020’s Shuggie Bain, his Booker-Prize-winning debut novel; Young Mungo; and now John of John (Grove Press), about an art school graduate who returns home to his father’s sheep farm in the Outer Hebrides. Stuart studied fashion and textiles in Edinburgh and worked as a designer in New York at Calvin Klein, Banana Republic, Jack Spade, and Ralph Lauren.
“Like sisters, there is both an affection and a rivalry between them: Glaswegians think people from the capital are too Anglified and stuck up, while folk from Edinburgh think working-class Glaswegians are a little coarse and unrefined,” he continues. “There is an old joke that says: ‘You will have more fun at a Glaswegian funeral than you ever will at an Edinburgh wedding,’ and as a Glaswegian I usually laugh and try not get involved in the fight.”
Both Shuggie and Mungo are coming-of-age stories set in Glasgow. “In my creative life, no matter what I think I’m writing about, everything seems to lead me back to my hometown. Glasgow went through a tough time in the 80s, but it emerged as a very exciting city and through it all it never lost its charm or sense of humor. It’s such a singular place, full of compassion and with a deep aversion to pretension or air of any kind. For a novelist, the humanity is irresistible, and for the traveler, it will instantly welcome you and make you feel at home. Edinburgh has always felt like a mythical place, and with its castle and neo-classical architecture, there is good reason why it is called the ‘Athens of the North’. I have never met anyone who visited Edinburgh who didn’t instantly fall in love.”
Below, his guide to Scotland’s sister cities, plus a word of advice: “Should a Scotsman ask you if you prefer one over the other,” he says, “just smile and mumble that you love both, but for very different reasons.
Hotel: I love Hotel Du Vin at One Devonshire Gardens in Glasgow. It’s a wonderfully luxurious stay in an old townhouse a little removed from the bustle of the city. It’s a perfect oasis.
Restaurant: The food scene in Glasgow is really exciting. There are so many young chefs doing incredible things that I almost can’t recommend one single place. I particularly love Gloriosa in West End. Corner Shop does incredible seafood. And Errol’s Hot Pizza on the Southside has my favorite pizza. They do a salad, which is really just a towering plate of grated cheese! In Edinburgh, the Michelin-starred chef [James Murray] is always cooking something surprising at Dogstar in Leith.
The “salad” at Errol’s in Glasgowphoto courtesy of Douglas Stuart
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