My Heart Belongs to Scotland – Glasgow and Clan Graham

This is a continuation of my recap of my time in Scotland. After landing in Edinburgh, traveling up to Stonehaven, and enjoying some time at the Aboyne Games, my friend and I journeyed to Glasgow to continue our adventure.

Instead of taking the LNER train, we rode ScotRail. We weren’t able to upgrade our tickets for this leg of our trip, but we ended up with good and comfortable window seats. We were joined by an adorable young married couple – Lola and Hal – on their way to Glasgow for a fun weekend. We had a fantastic conversation and enjoyed the sights as we chugged along for two hours.

We arrived at the Glasgow train station and started the walk to the Maldron Hotel. This was our first time at a modern hotel in Scotland: the hotels we stayed in before (and after) this one were mostly boutique style and more historical. The sleek and modern decor was fun and fresh. We dropped off our bags, freshened up, and prepared to meet our tour group for dinner.

Our tour was hosted by Clan Graham Society, the organization endorsed by the head of Clan Graham, James Graham, 8th Duke of Montrose. The tour was organized to commemorate Clan Graham Society’s 50th Anniversary and was coordinated by several members of Clan Graham – specifically, Kate Graham and Kiersten Graham Dick, along with Gordon Graham – and every detail was considered with care. All members of the group, except for a few folks like me, have a connection to James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose. Clan Graham is extraordinarily warm and welcoming, and I joined the organization as a friend of Clan Graham. My friend, who was my roommate for the entirety of the trip, has a Graham-affiliated surname, so she’s a member of Clan Graham and encouraged me to join. I’m so thankful for her encouraging me to become part of the group!

In our ten day tour, we visited sites that were historically relevant to Scotland as a whole, as well as sites relevant to Graham history specifically. Every other day or so, we traveled to another town or city, each one significant in its own right.

We enjoyed delightful meals at the Maldron each day during our stay (we were there two nights). On the first full day in Glasgow, we were supposed to go to the Isle of Arran, but the weather was unfavorable (one of the strongest storms of the summer happened on this day). While the group made alternate arrangements, my friend and I – still quite tired from our time in Stonehaven and Aboyne – decided to sleep in and explore Glasgow in the afternoon instead.

While walking around, we came across many interesting and old buildings that were photo-worthy. But, despite Glasgow being full of gothic, Victorian and art nouveau structures, the city has a distinctly modern, “concrete jungle” feel. It’s undeniably metropolitan energy gives it an edge and pulse that wholly unlike the laidback energy of Edinburgh. To be frank, I love both cities and will happily return many times, if I’m able.

After grabbing a delicious hot chocolate from Hotel Chocolat (complete with chocolate whipped cream rose, no less), we stumbled across Frasers department store, and I became an instant fan. As a lover of the department stores of yesteryear, Frasers reminded me of the kind of stores that are becoming rarer to find stateside. It was so nice to walk in and get an experience similar to Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Liberty or Selfridges. I found an amazing formal gown that I had to purchase, and had a wonderful chat with one of the sales reps at Frasers. I’m so pleased that we stumbled upon this store, because none of the other cities or towns on our tour had a Frasers.

Once we finished shopping, we made our way back to the hotel. I snapped photos of interesting things I saw on our walk, including Nelson Mandela Place, a street named after the South African former President, Nobel Peace Prize recipient, and anti-apartheid activist. I also saw shops and architectural details that I loved.

Before we walked the final block to our hotel, we stopped off at the DoubleTree by Hilton to check out their restaurant, Cask & Clyde. The menu had a fair amount of options, and I found a couple of things that looked good (namely, the soup of the day – lentil – and macaroni and cheese). I also enjoyed an old fashioned while I waited for my food.

I enjoyed my Cask & Clyde experience, and will definitely return when I get back to Glasgow. After we were full, we returned to our rooms and relaxed for a few hours before dinner.

The next day, we loaded our luggage onto the tour bus in preparation for checkout. Our bags stayed on the bus as we journeyed to our first stop on day 2: Mugdock Castle. This was the original stronghold for Clan Graham more than 800 years ago. The castle is now mostly in ruins, but Mugdock Country Park is still an incredible site and well worth the visit. The castle is about a 15 minute walk from the entrance. On the trail to the castle, you will see the remains of Craigend Zoo, as well as many dog owners taking their friendly pups for walks.

When we arrived at the castle, Clan Graham’s chieftain, Richard Graham, presented the caretakers of Mugdock Castle with a 50th anniversary commemorative plate. It was a touching ceremony and I’m so glad I got to witness it. Inside the castle, there are a number of Clan Graham artifacts, including a number of pieces emblazoned with royal crests. The site is a beautiful one that is listed by the Scottish Tourism Board. While the day was misty and cool, the walks to and from the castle were refreshing and picturesque.

We returned to the main entrance building and warmed up with lentil soup, sandwiches and coffee and tea. The guides graciously answered our questions and gave us a delightful end to a fantastic day at Mugdock.

We boarded the tour bus and made our way to the next city on our tour, Stirling. However, we stopped momentarily at Loch Katrine, then followed that with a later stop at a local shop which had some highland coos in a neighboring field, and I got the treat of a lifetime when I was able to feed those sweet coos!

This full day of activity was only a glimpse of the magic to come on my Scotland vacation! I’m excited to share with you the next part in a few days, where I will discuss my time in Stirling. Until then, take care, and thanks for reading!