Glasgow and Inverness - hit me with your best recommendations!

[Lottapianos]

DP and I are going to Scotland for a week in September (no kids). Sleeper train from London to Inverness, 3 nights there, then 3 nights in Glasgow. Really keen to hear suggestions and recommendations of great things to do. We enjoy:
-walking

• visiting galleries
• whisky tasting
• mooching
• bit of light shopping

Would also be grateful for restaurant recommendations for both places - any cuisine, mid price rather than fine dining, grown up rather than family friendly

Thanks!

Walk on the Ness Islands is my favorite thing to do in Inverness.
Also Len Affric is my favorite place to visit if we go to Inverness.
www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/glen-affric-p333811

Glasgow restaurants: sputinis, bucks bar, six by Nico, and fanny Trollopes. Also check out Ashton lane for cocktails!

Also Dores Inn is my favorite place near Lock Ness. Has lovely atmosphere.
www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186543-d1317875-Reviews-Dores_Inn-Inverness_Scottish_Highlands_Scotland.html

glasgow restaurants- ox and finch, sugo, ka pao!

inverness - get the train to nairn, it’s beautiful and you can see the dolphins 🐬

I really like the Ubiquitous Chip in Glasgow for lunch/dinner. Fits your grown-up-but-not-Michelin-star brief perfectly.

It's no secret, but Kelvingrove is amazing. I went for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Dali, Monet, Picasso, Matisse - so much to see! In Glasgow we ate at Mother India and Topolabamba (Mexican) for dinner. We went to a couple of decent brunch places as well, Singlend and Sips and Baker.

These sound great, thanks people. Keep em coming!

BAaD is great for a light lunch and a drink.
I like Cafe Andalusia too in the toon centre. Great tapas.
Also, pretty much anything on Great Western Road, Byers Road, Ashton Lane.

Definitely Kelvingrove. Also the Hunterian and the Macintosh house. And the People's Palace

Also forgot to mention Nonna Said in Merchant City if you like pizza. Fabulous.

Near the Ness Islands is Contrast Brasserie which is very good, and had a cheaper fixed price menu for early evening diners when we went there

Oh, and even in Glasgow, restaurants close earlier than in London, so be aware, otherwise you'll end up having a lousy meal in TGI Fridays at 11pm

That's totally fine, we normally eat about 7. Will be tucked up in bed by 11

In Glasgow a walk around the botanic gardens is lovely in nice weather or Kelvingrove park. Then cocktails and dinner in Ashton lane. The bothy on byres road (across from Ashton lane) is lovely. I second singlend for brunch - grown up but not swanky. Mharsanta in the merchant city is a nice place too. I'd recommend somewhere in princes square (just off Buchanan Street, one of the main shopping streets) for lunch one day. The cranachan does a great afternoon tea

That's good 😄 we'd been to a gig at Oran Mor and got caught out. I think the early dinner menu at Contrast was for arriving before 7

We were hoping to go on the new sleeper to Inverness when we went but they delayed their introduction so it was still the old ones. The first class lounge opposite Inverness Station was worth visiting for a post-train shower & coffee and I believe that a cat now runs it.

Ashton lane for cocktails and merchant city has some lovely bars and restaurants. Lychee Oriental is a beautiful (slightly more upscale than your usual) Chinese restaurant in the city centre. Barca is a lovely tapas restaurant inside the Princess Galaries so great for people watching. Brutti is another lovely tapas restaurant in Merchant City.

'and I believe that a cat now runs it'

Okkaaaaaaay....

Phoebe

mobile.twitter.com/calsleeper/status/1361242569057918977?lang=en-gb

We've just come from Inverness. Highly recommend

Mustard seed restaurant- lovely, lovely food and great service - we did the early evening menu which runs until 6.45 and it was great value and delicious! It's a white linen napkin type of place but not up its own arse Recommend the Loch Ness gin they have!

Black Isle Bar - local brewery with craft beers and delicious organic cider. Lovely place which also do wood fired pizzas and meat/cheese platters. We only popped in for a quick drink but were sad we were booked in elsewhere and had to leave! The pizzas looked amazing!

We also ate at Nar Mediterranean restaurant which was delicious but expensive. The king prawns were amazing!

Jacobite cruises - 2 hour cruise of Loch Ness from Dochgarroch lock. About 15 minutes from Inverness - brilliant and so so beautiful!

Dolphin spirit boat - leaves off the marina dolphin spotting trip which takes out into the Moray Firth

For a quick bite diner style 'the filling station' by the shopping centre was good for a quick burger and coke.

Enjoy!

[quote illuyankas]Also Dores Inn is my favorite place near Lock Ness. Has lovely atmosphere.
www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186543-d1317875-Reviews-Dores_Inn-Inverness_Scottish_Highlands_Scotland.html[/quote]
Loch Ness not Lock. Please don’t pronounce it as a ‘ck’ sound!

The Waterside Restaurant in Inverness is great. Right on the River Ness, 10 min walk from the centre of town. We were there a couple of weeks ago, fab experience.

Peoples Palces in Glasgow is wonderful, but you need to book (free) www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/venues/peoples-palace
Kelvingrove also very good, and you also need to book (free)www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/venues/kelvingrove-art-gallery-and-museum

Both are examples of Glasgow's wonderfully 'art and culture and history for all' spirit. There's wonderful world-class stuff at both, for all, no charge.

Loch Ness is indeed beautiful and Dores is a very nice place. Indeed, my ancestors lived there. The islands at Inverness, as suugested by a previous poster, are lovely also. There is the haunted Culloden battleground nearby.The restaurants at Inverness sound splendid as well but PLEASE don't be a dolphin-botherer. Tourists are really damaging them:
www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/dolphin-worrying-incidents-spark-stay-back-plea-to-wildlif-245067/

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-57982738

I hope you have a great trip.

Thanks Impatientwino - I did have my eye on Mustard Seed, as online reviews are great. Black Isle Bar sounds right up our street too!

Will be leaving the dolphins well alone

For Inverness - MacGregor’s Bar for good food and music

Brilliant, OP thank you