As with Anniesland, Queen Street Low Level (QSLL) isn't particularly concerned with aesthetics. A proper station that tirelessly and thanklessly does its job: shifting loads of people about the place as quickly as it can.
It's not without it's history though. In fact, part of the underground line was built before the Glasgow Subway, making it the oldest underground railway in the city.
As seems to be trend these days, Queen Street has enjoyed a steady increase in passenger use. An 18 million passenger increase over 10 years isn't to be sniffed at.
Coming out of the station and into George Square, you're instantly struck by the wealth of the city. Grand neo-gothic buildings tower above. Many are formerly associated with shipping and ship building, a testament to what made Glasgow great.
The first pub on the tour of three came heavily recommended. The Horse Shoe Bar has been in the business since 1846, when it was opened by spirit dealer, William Turnbull.
The inside and out are brilliantly preserved and have a real gin palace feel. The floor is made up of fantastic mosaic tiles and the bar is the longest continuous one in Britain. The pub has been recognised by Historic Scotland as being of historic importance. It has also been classified by CAMRA as one of Britain's Real Heritage Pubs. It well deserves both.
The staff were friendly and efficient and the pub had a great atmosphere on a busy Saturday evening. There are plenty of tellys about the place, so it's great for sport. The Harviestoun Bitter and Twisted was in excellent form, so good in fact that we had to stay for two.
Just around the corner on Vincent Street you'll find the second pub on our little tour, the Drum & Monkey.
Formerly a bank, this Nicholson's pub offers a great range of beers from the established favourites to some of the newer microbreweries, both local(e) and from further afield. The Portobello Brewery VPA that I tried is a great example of the diversity here and a must for hop fans. The Cask Marque plaque and Good Beer Guide status say everything for the quality.
Despite not originally being a pub, the interior is brilliant. Split into several levels and rooms, there is plenty of room to eat and drink and the long U shaped bar means its relatively easy to get to. Being on a corner, the large windows provide plenty of natural light.
I always think the world is more interesting when you look up, and the ceilings and light fittings here are a real treat for nerds like me.
Lastly but by no means leastly we take a short stroll to Hope Street and the Pot Still.
Walking in the door architecture geeks are greeted with a mezzanine floor framed with columns and ornate...ceiling bits. I did take a picture, but it was so blurred I might as well draw you a picture with crayons.
Most importantly though, the bar. What a bar. I'm not a fan of whiskey. Frankly the smell of it turns my stomach. Could this be a result of a bad experience in my youth? Perhaps.
Anyway, even I was in awe of the selection of whiskies here. The barman informed us that there were over 500 single malts available. So many, the bar staff have to use a ladder like an old fashioned library to get to some
Something I learned at the Pot Still was that there are no double malts, they're called blends. Everyday is a school day.
Beer wise the Harviestoun Grizzly, a fruity dark number was in good nick and there is a good selection of bottled beers available.
So there we have it Just three of the many pubs in Glasgow centre, all within a few minutes walk of each other. To be honest, it looks like it's difficult to stray more than half a mile from a railway station in Glasgow, so you've really no excuse to not explore this great city.
Find out more:
Glasgow Queen Street Station
The Horse Shoe Bar
The Horse Shoe Bar (unofficial)
CAMRA Historic Pub Interiors
Historic Scotland
Drum & Monkey
The Pot Still
Glasgow CAMRA
No comments:
Post a Comment