A Working Holiday in Glasgow is an experience like no other. This month the UK Hospo Co team have crossed the English border to spend a few days exploring Scotland’s, Glasgow.
The UK is a great place to spend a gap year or working holiday. But if you, as many people do, limit yourself to London jobs, you will be missing out on a great deal of the landscapes, people and cultures that are dotted around the nation.
One of the best places to find UK pub jobs, and enjoy a good time while you’re at it, has to be Glasgow. The biggest city in Scotland, although not it’s capital. Glasgow is a cultural hub that draws creatives from around the country, and the world, to its bosom. Here are just a handful of reasons why you should come to Glasgow too:
Music, Music and More Music
Glasgow is a UNESCO City of Music and that means that musos from all over the place head there to get their creative thing on and enjoy the sounds of the City. There are too many great music venues in Glasgow to mention, but you’ll have a working holiday well spent if you hand out in King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, the City Halls & Old Fruitmarket or the 02 ABC Arena, where live music rules and you’ll get to see a good mix of promising up-and-coming bands and established artists.
Great Glaswegians
The people of the UK are, by and large, a friendly bunch, but the people or Scotland are particularly warm and welcoming to visitors from far and wide, and the Glaswegians have a special brand of warmth that is highly appealing. They’re generally a gregarious group of people who are always up for a chat and a good laugh, especially in the many pubs and clubs of the city. In fact, so great are the people of Glasgow that their city slogan is actually ‘People make Glasgow’. That means that you, as someone who is visiting for working holiday jobs, will fit right in and start making friends immediately. After a week, you’ll feel like you’ve been there all your life!
Culture is Free
For the skint young person, Glasgow is a dream come true, due to the large number of attractions which can be visited for free. Popular free attractions in the area include the Gallery of Modern Art, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Doctor Who tours, the Botanic Gardens and Kibble Palace and the huge Kelvingrove Park, so there really is something for everyone.
Impressive Pubs
Pubs are a big part of the Glasgow culture, so finding a position in one or more of them as part of your working holiday is a great way to get to know people. Like most places in the UK, Glasgow is home to a mix of traditional olde worlde pubs and modern clubs and bars. Of course, you’ll want to spend your time in the best bars the city has to offer, which is why you should definitely check out The Belle in the West End, which is one of the smallest, cosiest pubs in the area, and which attracts everyone from students and bohemians to couples, oh and dogs, lots of dogs. You’ll also want to spend some time in Bananamoon, which is arguably the coolest bar in Glasgow with great music, drinks to die for and so much neon you’ll feel like you’re in a futuristic video game.
The Food
The great thing about Glasgow’s food scene is that it truly caters to everyone. Glasgow is one of the best places in the UK to be a vegan, thanks to a number of vegan eateries. Offering up everything from British comfort food to American-style junk food to the vegan population at places like the fab Soul Food Kitchen and Nirvana-themed vegan cafe In Bloom.
For those of you who love your meat, places like Two Fat Ladies at The Buttery and the Dakota Bar and Grill are ideal, oh and Pizza Punks is the only place to visit if you want junk food that truly satisfies (you can even make your own). You’re going to want to take the time to explore because there are eateries serving up all manner of foods from all over the world in Glasgow, and so many of them are doing it extremely well.
Super Shopping
Glasgow is a great place to shop. Whether you’re into vintage chic, luxury designer goods or standard high street stuff, you’ll find it all and more in the streets of Glasgow. The ‘Style Mile’ in particular will blow you away.
There are so many great reasons to visit Glasgow, so what are you waiting for?
