Thursday 25 August 2011

A night in Glasgow and lunchtime in Edinburgh

Business, rather than pleasure, sent me to Scotland today. Visiting our office in Glasgow today and on to Edinburgh tomorrow. This necessitated an overnight stay in Glasgow. I had a hotel organised for me by the office - it turned out to be a brief ride down the hill - and just up the hill from George Square where Brad Pitt is currently filming 'World War Z'.

I was booked in to stay at a hotel on Renfrew Street CitizenM. At the moment it is the only one in the UK... and if you haven't any other reason to visit Glasgow a night at this hotel is enough.

Photos of the hotel can be found at this link.

It labels itself as 'Boutique Budget'. I don't stay in enough hotels to comment on the budget part, but the boutique part is certainly true!

I took a quick walk down to see the film set, a square in central Glasgow pretending to be Philadelphia. I had to see it just so that I can sit there when the film comes out I can sit and say 'I saw that, I was there'.

A short train journey the next day took me to Edinburgh. The Fringe Festival is drawing to a close, but there is also a Book Festival happening. As I waked along Princes Street I was given a free promo copy of a book (which I'm pretty certain I'd read a preview of and decided I want to read). See London Calling for what I think of it when I'm done! There was also a French market on Castle Street so I got a sausage baguette for my lunch.

Didn't get to see many sights in either City due to the business not pleasure bit, but it certainly reinforces my desire to take a real visit to both places.