Glasgow

Glasgow Universities

Glasgow is a buzzing city with a proud history of providing fantastic levels of higher education to both Scottish students and those travelling from all round the UK and the rest of the world. Whether you are an artist, a musician, or aiming for a career in engineering and industry, there is a fantastic opportunity awaiting you in Scotland’s largest city. All of the universities are easily reached from our luxury student accommodation in Glasgow.

1. The University of Glasgow – The University of Glasgow is within close walking distance of our luxury student accommodation in Glasgow. It has been widely recognised down the years as a world leader in research and academia, with a proud history that stretches back over 500 years (and it is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world). The Students’ Union is not conventional, as it is spread over two buildings, with GUU having a reputation as a leading debating institution, and QMU home to live music and other big events.
2. Glasgow School of Art – Recognised internationally as one of the best universities in the whole of Europe to study the visual and creative disciplines. The studio-based approach combines a high-level of teaching and lots of research that helps students learn to problem solve within the creative arts. Students can choose between a wide spectrum of disciplines and materials, including photography, 3D workshops, textiles, fashion design, jewellery, and much more.
3. The University of Strathclyde – 23,000 students from over 100 countries, taking part in over 170 clubs and societies, in the heart of the city. The University of Strathclyde has over 200 years of history and a reputation as a fine higher education establishment. There is a focus on broadening the skills and experience of students, with fantastic volunteering opportunities that help to provide a strong foundation for a future career in any industry.
4. Glasgow Caledonian University – The University for the Common Good is aimed at helping students aspire to and succeed in entrepreneurial projects. The idea is to build future leaders and innovative and creative thinkers who are capable of improving myriad industries and society in general. The university has a history dating back to 1875, and became a university in 1993, with campuses in London, and New York.

Eating Out in Glasgow

The Glasgow food scene has improved dramatically over recent years and it is now a food destination in its own right for visitors from all over the world. As a student living in our luxury student apartments in Glasgow you’ll be in the heart of the action, with cuisine from all around the world right on your doorstep. Whether you are looking for classic Scottish cuisine, street food from other parts of the world, budget takeaway, classic daytime light-bites, or a fancy meal out, you’ll find it all in Glasgow, a world city with a fantastic palate.

1. Ubiquitous Chip (Ashton Lane) – An innovative and creative restaurant that is at the vanguard of the Glasgow food scene, Ubiquitous Chip is a great place to go if you are looking for an exciting spot for a lunch date. Full of arty types looking for the creative edge to their food, you can pick up delicious plates for under a tenner, championing Scottish produce in a different way to what you are used to. They also have a really long and well-renowned wine list.
2. Cubatas (Elderslie) – In the West End of Glasgow this tapas bar is rightly hailed as one of the best examples of small plates and sharing food in the city. Head on over to have a fun meal with a wide range of delicious small plates that you can share with your friends, or have all to yourself in a warm, welcoming, and casual setting.
3. The Flying Duck (Renfield St) – Purveyor of great Glaswegian cuisine, The Flying Duck takes all that is traditionally good about Scottish grub and turns it on its head with a modern and inventive way to deliver food. Set in a trendy underground bar, expect live comedy, quiz shows, and some of the best veggie junk food around! The veggie brunch is a particular highlight.
4. Hillhead BookClub (Vinicombe St) – The bohemian hangout that beats all others in the West End, Hillhead Bookclub is a popular student hangout for cheap drinks and the perfect pub grub that warms the soul. It is a converted theatre and you’ll find fine examples of Scottish, British, and European dishes in this quirky venue.
5. Bread Meats Bread (Three Locations) – Burgers are a great student favourite, and at Breads Meet Bread (with restaurants in different parts of the city) you can get some of the juiciest and tastiest burgers in the city. They do things right, with fantastic sauces and a wide range of craft beer to drink alongside your choice of patty.

Glasgow Nightlife

There are few places better for a student night out than Glasgow, and it doesn’t matter whether you are into live music, comedy, dance music, cheesy pop, or a night out with indie classics, you’ll find exactly what you are looking for. Glasgow is such a friendly city to live in, and from your luxury Glasgow student accommodation you’ll make new friends, with a warm welcome from the locals in the vast majority of venues across the city

1. Tingle Shooter Bar (Mitchell St) – Is there ever a better way to make strong bonds with your new university friends than to go do some shots together? There are two brilliant places to do this as a student in Glasgow. Vodka Wodka is home to tasty shots, inventive cocktails, and a brilliant beer garden, whilst Tingle Shooter Bar on Mitchell St offers wacky shots such as a Jammy Dodger shot, classic tequila slammers, and everything in between.
2. Flat 0/1 (Bath Street) – For a party that feels like you’ve just stumbled upon the best flat party you’ve ever been to, Flat 0/1 on Bath Street is an amazing hideaway bar where you can party all night. You can sing at the top of your voice, dance with strangers, down some cheap drinks, and play video games in this DIY party venue.
3. Sauchiehall St – The centre of many a student night out, Sauchiehall Street is home to many a varied night out, with plenty of options from laid back, cool bars, to party dancefloors. Nice ‘N’ Sleazy offers the best White Russians in town, and Firewater plays Indie Rock classics and modern greats to a lively crowd. Campus serves chips and other tasty snacks, with great drinks promotions.
4. Student Club Nights – There are various student club nights throughout Glasgow that suit all tastes. Sesh @ The Garage is one of the biggest around, offering cheap entry prices, discounted drinks, great chart music, and plenty of games. Out on a Wednesday @ Distrikt is another big student night, whereas Rip This Joint @ Slouch is the place to be for Rock ‘N’ Roll vibes, punk, soul, and funk every Saturday.
5. Live Music Scene – There is a plethora of live music venues spread throughout Glasgow. It is a UNESCO city of music, and is the largest music economy outside of London in the UK. There are around 130 music events every single week, ranging from small venues showcasing new bands to big world stars. Live music venues include the famous Barrowlands, King Tuts, and the SSE Hydro.

Sport in Glasgow

Scotland has a proud sporting tradition and in Glasgow there is a real sense of putting on a great show for visitors. It has been home to countless big sporting events over the years, and continues to have a depth of tradition, history, and rivalry with on-going sports teams in the city, especially in football with the Celtic and Rangers rivalry.

It is tough to choose just a few sports to look out for when you first move to live in our luxury Glasgow student accommodation, but we’ve given it a go!

1. Football in Glasgow – Football is everything in Glasgow, and for the vast majority of people there is only one choice to be made – do you follow Celtic or Rangers. It is one of the biggest football rivalries in the whole world of football, and the Old Firm Derby is up there on many people’s bucket lists of attending a live sporting event. Away from Celtic Park and Ibrox though you can also go visit Partick Thistle at Firhill for a more friendly and laidback affair (with the weird and wonderful mascot Kingsley), just to the north of the city.
2. Rugby Union in Glasgow – Although more associated with the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh, there is still a big following for Rugby Union in Glasgow. The Glasgow Warriors are an outstanding professional rugby union club in the city. They play in the Pro14 League and also compete in elite European competition.
3. Other Sporting Teams in the City – It isn’t just football and rugby that you can find in Glasgow to go and watch though. There is a wide range of sports teams that play at the top level in each respective sport, with students welcome to go watch the Glasgow Rocks play in the basketball league, and Braehead Clan play competitive Ice Hockey, to name just two.
4. Alternative Sports to Play – As a student though you might want to take part in sports teams and individual sporting endeavours, whether to keep fit or to make new friends and have some fun. Glasgow is full of sporting opportunities, including archery, martial arts clubs, badminton, running clubs, as well as the specialist Ski and Snowboard Centre in Bellahouston Park. Kevingrove Skate Park is also a popular place for skaters and skateboarders.
5. International Sporting City – Glasgow is widely recognised as one of the premier cities in the world to host big sporting events. In the last decade it has successfully hosted the Commonwealth Games, as well as the European Championships in 2018. It will also host the 2023 World Cycling Championship and continue to promote itself as a great place to host some of the biggest events around.

It is also worth heading over to the sports departments at your university to join a team, or to take part in a different sport just to keep fit, have some fun, makes friends, or aim to compete at an elite level. There is plenty of choice in terms of sport in Glasgow.

Shopping in Glasgow

Glasgow is one of the premier shopping destinations in the UK, with some of the finest array of shops, from designer outlets, to independent boutiques, and interesting markets, that you’ll find outside of London.

1. Style Mile – Style Mile is where you can find all of the designer outlets, and high-end fashion in the city. It is worth an afternoon strolling around the shops along Buchanan Street, Merchant City, and Argyle Street, to find some of the best clothes and items in the whole of Glasgow. It might only be as a treat or to buy clothes for a special occasion, but it’s good to know where to find the best threads when the time comes.
2. Independent Shopping – Away from the high-end boutiques you’ll find some interesting and quirky independent stores and retailers in different parts of Glasgow. De Courcy’s Arcade and The Barras are both locations where you can shop like nowhere else, amongst local Glaswegians. From arts and crafts, to vintage jewellery, vintage clothing, and little gifts and trinkets, there is plenty of independent stores to explore.
3. Big Brand Shopping – Our luxury Glasgow student accommodation is close to all of the big-name brands and high-street fashion stores that you know and love. The main shopping centres around Buchanan Quarter, Princess Square, Ingram Street, and Buchanan Galleries, are of great comfort when you first move away from home.
4. Glasgow Markets – To get to know a city in its truest form there are few better ways than to take a look around the local markets. Barras Market is just east of the city centre and a weird and wonderful array of local retailers and produce. Glasgow Farmers Market takes place in two locations – Mansfield Park and Queen’s Park, and are great places to find local produce, and great value and quality fruit and veg, meat, and other foodstuffs that you might not find anywhere else.
5. Music Shopping – Glasgow is a haven for music lovers, with many great record stores throughout the city. Some double up as coffee shops and book shops, some are home to special live acoustic performances, or are linked to some of Glasgow’s great bands and artists. Monorail Music, Missing Records, Rubadub, and Mixed Up Records are all worth checking out if you like to buy records for your collection, or want to get to know the local music scene a little better.

Glasgow Events

For such a big city with a multi-cultural population and a creative, artsy edge, it is no surprise to find that Glasgow has plenty of exciting and interesting events and attractions to explore. As soon as you are settled in your new luxury Glasgow student apartment you should head out and take a look at what Glasgow has to offer. You will not be disappointed.

1. Art around the City – There is definitely a claim for Glasgow to be the most arts-friendly city in the whole of the UK. The city just loves art in all its forms. The Glasgow Mural Trail is a fantastic place to start, with free guides and walking tours where you can see some brilliantly inventive murals around the city’s streets. Kelvingrove Art Gallery and The Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art are both brilliant places to see some of the best art in the city, and they both offer free entry too!
2. Celtic Connections – One of the festivals that is looked forward to each year in Glasgow is the Celtic Connections Festival. It brings 18 days of exciting music, talks, screenings, documentaries, ceilidhs, and everything to do with Celtic arts and culture to the city. Expect to see over 2000 artists from around 25 countries take part in the festival which has been going strong for over a quarter of a century, and continues to explore Celtic musical roots, folk stories, and Americana.
3. Glasgow Mela – Taking place every year since 1990, this is an event that celebrates the many diverse communities within Glasgow. There are over 45,000 people who attend the festival each year, with dozens of performers and artists taking part in events throughout the city. It has been named the UKs best Mela at the UK Bhangra awards on more than one occasion.
4. Beautiful Parks and Scenery – There are some beautiful parks and green spaces in Glasgow too, alongside the historic and beautiful aesthetic of architecture and industry. The Botanic Gardens are spectacular and a calm place to wander around, whilst Pollok Country Park and Kelvingrove Park provide brilliant walking routes, hiking trails, and cycling routes that compare to anything else the country has to offer.
5. Art & History – In the city itself the focus on art and culture swings into gear with a selection of gobsmacking attractions and locations to explore. The Mackintosh House is the former home of artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh and must be seen to be believed for all art lovers. The Hunterian Museum is also a highly recommended location, as it is the oldest museum in Scotland and is home to fossils, historical manuscripts, and zoological marvels.

There is so much more to explore in Glasgow, so be sure to use your base of a stunning luxury Glasgow student apartment to see as much as you can during your time living and studying in the city.