Merchant City Glasgow’s
Amidst the hustle and bustle of the city centre of Glasgow it’s sometimes hard to remember why it’s called the ‘Dear Green Place’. So why not follow our trail and discover the best green spaces in Merchant City as well as our favourite food stops for coffee, cake, take away sandwiches or a delicious meal along the way!
A. B. C. D. E. F. G.
George Square Rotten Row Gardens Medieval Gardens Zen Gardens Necropolis Ramshorn Graveyard Glasgow Green
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Pinto Piazza Italia Wee Guy’s Cafe Cathedral House Hotel Sapporo Teppanyaki Ingram Wynd Merchant Square Bar 91 City Merchant Rose & Grants WEST Brewery
George Square was laid out in 1781, part of the innovative Georgian central grid plan that initially spanned from Stockwell Street east to Buchanan Street. This was reflected in the growing rational influence of the Scottish Enlightenment, along with the similar development of Edinburgh's New Town. This grid iron masterplan across the lands of Meadowflats and eventually as far west as Blythswood Hill, was largely the work of the notable contemporary architects James Barry, James Craig and James Gillespie Graham.
The square has often been the scene of public meetings, political gatherings, riots, protests, celebrations, ceremonies, parades and concerts. Perhaps the most famous was the 1919 Black Friday rally, when campaigners for improved working conditions (particularly protesting a 56 hour working week in many of the city's factories) held an enormous rally, with at least 90,000 protesters filling the square and the surrounding streets.
The terraced Rottenrow Gardens are situated on the sight of the old Rottenrow Maternity Hospital. Here you will see cutting edge modern landscaping techniques fused with Victorian architecture, beds filled natural bio diversity planting and relaxing green spaces. The gardens feature a 'Monument to Maternity’, a seven-metre high stainless steel sculpture in the form of a giant nappy pin.
The sculpture, designed by Scottish artist George Wyllie, has previously been exhibited in New York. The garden won a commendation in the Scottish Design Awards 2004.
St Nicholas Garden, High Street As the name suggests, this cloistered garden behind Provand's Lordship, reflects the building's possible links with the Chapel and Hospital of St Nicholas.
The garden has two distinct parts. On the outer edge is a physic garden containing plants which were in common use for medical purposes in the 15th century, while at the centre is a knot parterre, based on a Celtic design, illustrating the development of more formal gardens which occurred in the Renaissance period. The covered cloister area contains carved grotesque heads, dating from 1737, which originally formed the arch keystones of the Tontine Hotel piazza in the Trongate.
High Street The first Zen garden in Britain is found at St. Mungo Museum of Religious Art where you can discover some amazing facts about the world’s major religions, and the story of religion in the west of Scotland. The garden is part of the museum cafÊ, which opens out into it. With its white gravel, grasses and stones it is the perfect space to rest and recuperate.
off High Street The Glasgow Necropolis was described by James Stevens Curl as "literally a city of the dead". Based on the design of the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris; the cemetery, as most early Victorian cemeteries, is laid out as an informal park, lacking the formal grid layouts of later cemeteries. The cemetery's paths meander uphill towards the summit, where many of the larger monuments stand, clustered around the John Knox Monument. A great space to explore and discover some historic graves!
Ingram Street Surrounding the neo-gothic Ramshorn Church is the wonderful peaceful green space of the graveyard. This is the resting place of, amongst others, Pierre Emille L'Angellier whom the Blythswood Square murderess Madeleine Smith allegedly poisoned with over 80 grams of arsenic in a cup of cocoa - was this the first case of 'Death by Chocolate'? The graveyard is open every day and makes a great lunchtime spot in the middle of the city.
off Greendyke Street The Green is the oldest of the city's parks. In 1450, Bishop Turnbull gifted the common lands of Glasgow Green to the people of Glasgow. Initially it was used for washing, bleaching linen, grazing, drying fishing nets and for swimming. For centuries it functioned as the city’s only green public open space. Features to look out for are the People’s Palace and Winter Gardens, The Doulton Fountain the largest terracotta fountain in the world, Templeton’s Carpet Factory/ WEST Brewery and the towering Lord Nelson monument.
Find these places to eat and drink on the way ‌
138 Queen Street This is a casual dining restaurant with 'an eclectic mix of funky and contemporary' style. It serves up freshly made soups, burritos, nachos, tacos, chilli con carne and salads, to eat in or take away. The restaurant is also fully licensed and stocks beer, wine and Margarit as to get you into the Mexican mood!
15 John Street This authentic family-run restaurant offers quality food at excellent value in a friendly, vibrant atmosphere; including an outdoor seating area should the weather permit. Savvy shoppers may like to pop into the ‘mini-Milan’ that is The Italian Centre.
51-53 Cochrane Street. Brought to you by the same people behind Guy’s Restaurant & Bar, this relaxed café offers an extensive menu from coffees, breakfasts and pastries to sushi, sandwiches and salads. Take a break and choose to eat in or pick up some snacks for a park picnic.
Overlooking the Necropolis discover this 19th century building in the style of a Scottish castle, complete with turrets and a spiral stone staircase. Their café/bar is the ideal stop for light bites and refreshments.
2-6 Ingram Street Sapporo Teppanyaki prides itself in offering a unique and, at times, highly dramatic dining experience. Emphasis is focused on excellent service, great food, a child-friendly environment and first class hospitality, all served against a background of stylish Japanese dĂŠcor.
56 - 58 Ingram Street Ingram Wynd offers contemporary Scottish cuisine in a great Victorian-style period dining room. The kitchen only use Scottish-sourced produce, so you can tuck into Loch Duart salmon, roast Jerusalem artichoke or marinated venison and skirlie. They also have a lovely beer garden with a separate bar and snack menu.
Candleriggs & Bell Street At the heart of the Merchant City, Merchant Square has a great range of family-friendly restaurants and cafes, with bistro-style seating. For nights out there are bars specialising in beer, wine and cocktails. Throughout the year, you’ll find regular events and markets, all set in the beautiful, covered courtyard.
89-91 Candleriggs Just across the road from Merchant Square, is the cool and relaxed Bar 91 offering café-style drinking and dining. They have a robust daytime menu of ‘wee plates’, chunky sandwiches, salads and burgers as well as a more streamline evening menu available till 9pm, most nights. In the summer, you can sit outside at their street café tables and soak up the sun.
97 - 99 Candleriggs One of Glasgow’s finest fish and seafood restaurants, City Merchant’s has rustic ambience, locally sourced produce, modern and traditional dishes and plenty of Glaswegian hospitality.
27 Trongate. This contemporary cafÊ serves delicious Bei & Nannini Coffee with homemade baking, perfect for a cake stop. Earlier in the day there’s a fantastic breakfast menu of Eggs Benedict, Pancakes and breakfast bagels. While lunchtime offers include freshly made soups, crusty bread sandwiches and scrumptious salads.
Building 4, Templeton Building, Glasgow Green WEST are a proud and passionate business and it is their mission to brew the finest beer produced in the UK, to serve all customers, as best they can. They have recently won a Family Restaurant of the Year Award and have a lovely outdoor seating area, complete with garden benches.
We would like to give special thanks for assistance producing this publication to: Friends of the Necropolis, Glasgow Life, Glasgow City Council, Pinto, Piazza Italia, Wee Guy’s CafÊ, Cathedral House Hotel, Sapporo Teppanyaki, Ingram Wynd, Merchant Square, Bar 91, City Merchant, Rose & Grants and WEST Brewery.
www.merchantcityglasgow.com Merchant City Tourism & Marketing Cooperative 27-29 Trongate, Glasgow, Scotland, G1 5EZ Tel: 0141 552 5255 A Company Limited by Guarantee Registered in Scotland No: 341479 A Local Enterprise Funded by Glasgow City Council, Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Government and BIDS (Business Improvement Districts Scotland).