Edinburgh and Glasgow offer two diverse, dynamic views of Scotland.

by Lawrence Ferber
photos courtesy of Britain on View

Scotland’s Edinburgh and Glasgow both echo the past, yet live in the modern, young age — each to divergent degrees. Located within an hour by rail from each other, the pair makes a fantastic dual destination — and both thrive with gay nightlife in compact LGBT districts.

EDINBURGH: KILTIN’ IT OLD SCHOOL

Edinburgh is the Scotland you’ve probably pictured: Ancient buildings, toned in amber and brown, overlook hilly roads and streets. Clan tartans adorn shops along Old Town’s Royal Mile strip. And the Scottish brogue here is thicker than anything Mike Myers has ever forced upon us.

Begin your tour with Old Town—trek up the Royal Mile and explore the many sections within Edinburgh Castle (edinburghcastle.biz). Next, stop by the Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre (whisky-heritage.co.uk) for a three-step, hands-on educational tasting session. You can sample additional varieties in their dizzying 319-whiskey bar, while the gift shop stocks an impressive selection of hard-to-find bottles.

The National Museum (nms.ac.uk) is worth a peek, while Goths and lovers of grim should check out People’s Story (cac.org.uk) for glimpses at Edinburgh’s not always pretty history. The Elephant House (elephanthouse.biz) café proudly touts itself as the “birthplace of Harry Potter”—this is where former resident J.K. Rowling first put her fanciful, lucrative ideas to paper.

New Year’s Eve, aka Hogmany, is Edinburgh’s highest season—the chilly streets jam with live music and liquored-up locals. August’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe (edfringe.com) sees a huge influx of gays; check if popular local queer theater group the Luvvies (theluvvies.org) has anything on.

GLASGOW NOW

Young, artistic and betraying a modern fashion consciousness conspicuously absent from Edinburgh, Glasgow pulses with excitement and color. Embark on a foot tour that includes stops at upscale coffeeshop Tinderbox (118 Ingram St.), indie CD shop Monorail (monorailmusic.com) and Che Camille (checamille.com), a curated showroom representing Glasgow’s top indie designers and brands including Judy Clark’s insane Bjork-à-porter Scottish-wear.

After shopping along Kelvingrove’s Byers Road, Mackintosh fetishists can indulge further at the Mackintosh House (hunterian.gla.ac.uk), Glasgow School of Art (gsa.ac.uk) and the Willow Tearooms (willowtearooms.co.uk). Six-floor design and architecture center the Lighthouse (thelighthouse.co.uk) is another must, smack dab in the city center, while Q! Gallery (qgallery.org) is devoted to queer art and artists.

Of course, no visit would be complete without a taste of haggis. Scotland’s national dish is typically made from ground sheep organs, oatmeal, onion and spices. Glasgow’s Stravaigin (stravaigin.com) proudly serves Scotland’s official “best haggis.” Presented alongside scoops of bashed neeps and champit tatties (mashed turnips and potatoes), it’s succulent and spicy, rich yet not oily. In the vegetarian version, lentils and barley replace the meat, but it retains an addictive texture and savory heat. Winner!

STAY

Tigerlily, edinburgh (tigerlilyedinburgh.co.uk) is a gorgeous, modern boutique property soaked with nouveau lounge ambiance. Its ground level bar and restaurant rank among the town's hippest, and Sunday night, from 10 p.m.-on, is gay.

Abode (abodehotels.co.uk) is a fab modern Glasgow hotel with old-school touches.

EAT

Edinburgh's first Michelin Star-winning venue, Restaurant Martin Wishart (martin-wishart.co.uk) is one of the region's true culinary diamonds. Wishart's New Scottish approach emphasizes seasonal local ingredients, while presentation and flavor profiles are both rich and artful. At Stockbridge Restaurant (thestockbridgerestaurant.co.uk) chef Jason Gallagher's seasonal fare frequently includes game meats like venison and quail, complemented by chewy homemade breads and cozy interior design. Scottish comfort food gets the fusion touch at stac polly (stacpolly.com).

Glasgow’s The Restaurant (therestaurantbarandgrill.co.uk/glasgow.html) serves tasty mod-Scottish and international cuisine, as does chef John Quigley's Red onion (red-onion.co.uk).

PARTY

Edinburgh's gay nightlife is mostly concentrated around New Town's east end, aka the “pink triangle.” named after Bette Midler's character in Beaches, C.C. Blooms (bebo.com/CCBloomsNightclub), is among the most famous bars/clubs. Café Habana (cafehabanaeh1.com) is primarily for the queer kiddies and wannabe kiddies. the street (myspace.com/thestreetbar) is a fun, lively pub for both men and women. Drag queens rule at priscilla’s cabaret bar (bebo.com/priscillasedinburgh). new town bar (newtownbar.co.uk) hosts a bear party every second Saturday. At the regent (2 Montrose Ter.), favored by older rugby types, genuine ale is pumped up from its cellar. For lesbians, party Fur-burger at club ghq (socialanimal.co.uk/ghq) is a must.

Glasgow’s Delmonicas, Moda, Polo Lounge and lesbian venue FHQ are all quite glam — and straight-owned. Gay-owned revolver (revolverglasgow.com) provides an alternative, brimming with all ages and genders, from bears to primped emos to dressed-down barflies and a delicious digital jukebox.