Merchant City Glasgow’s

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the city centre of Glasgow

it’s sometimes hard to remember why it’s called the ‘Dear

Green Place’.

So why not follow our trail and discover the best green

spaces in Merchant City as well as our favourite food stops

for coffee, cake, take away sandwiches or a delicious meal

along the way!

A. George Square

B. Rotten Row Gardens

C. Medieval Gardens

D. Zen Gardens

E. Necropolis

F. Ramshorn Graveyard

G. Glasgow Green

1. Pinto

2. Piazza Italia

3. Wee Guy’s Cafe

4. Cathedral House Hotel

5. Sapporo Teppanyaki

6. Ingram Wynd

7. Merchant Square

8. Bar 91

9. City Merchant

10. Rose & Grants

11. WEST Brewery

George Square was laid out in 1781, part of the innovative

Georgian central grid plan that initially spanned from

Stockwell Street east to Buchanan Street. This was reflected

in the growing rational influence of the Scottish

Enlightenment, along with the similar development

of Edinburgh's New Town. This grid iron masterplan across

the lands of Meadowflats and eventually as far west

as Blythswood Hill, was largely the work of the notable

contemporary architects James Barry, James Craig and

James Gillespie Graham.

The square has often been the scene of public meetings,

political gatherings, riots, protests, celebrations, ceremonies,

parades and concerts. Perhaps the most famous was

the 1919 Black Friday rally, when campaigners for

improved working conditions (particularly protesting a 56

hour working week in many of the city's factories) held an

enormous rally, with at least 90,000 protesters filling the

square and the surrounding streets.

The terraced Rottenrow Gardens are situated on the sight of

the old Rottenrow Maternity Hospital. Here you will see

cutting edge modern landscaping techniques fused with

Victorian architecture, beds filled natural bio diversity

planting and relaxing green spaces. The gardens feature a

'Monument to Maternity’, a seven-metre high stainless steel

sculpture in the form of

a giant nappy pin.

The sculpture, designed

by Scottish artist

George Wyllie, has

previously been

exhibited in New York.

The garden won a

commendation in the

Scottish Design Awards

2004.

St Nicholas Garden, High Street

As the name suggests, this cloistered garden behind

Provand's Lordship, reflects the building's possible links with

the Chapel and

Hospital of St

Nicholas.

The garden has

two distinct parts.

On the outer

edge is a physic

garden

containing plants

which were in common use for medical purposes in the 15th

century, while at the centre is a knot parterre, based on a

Celtic design, illustrating the development of more formal

gardens which occurred in the Renaissance period. The

covered cloister area contains carved grotesque heads,

dating from 1737, which originally formed the arch

keystones of the Tontine Hotel piazza in the Trongate.

High Street

The first Zen garden in Britain is found at St. Mungo

Museum of Religious Art where you can discover some

amazing facts about the world’s major religions, and the

story of religion in the west of Scotland. The garden is part

of the museum café, which opens out into it. With its white

gravel, grasses and stones it is the perfect space to rest and

recuperate.

off High Street

The Glasgow Necropolis was

described by James Stevens Curl as "literally a city of the

dead". Based on the design of the Père Lachaise Cemetery

in Paris; the cemetery, as most early Victorian cemeteries, is

laid out as an informal park, lacking the formal grid layouts

of later cemeteries. The cemetery's paths meander uphill

towards the summit, where many of the larger monuments

stand, clustered around the John Knox Monument. A great

space to explore and discover some historic graves!

Ingram Street

Surrounding the neo-gothic Ramshorn Church is the

wonderful peaceful

green space of the

graveyard. This is

the resting place of,

amongst others,

Pierre Emille

L'Angellier whom

the Blythswood

Square murderess

Madeleine Smith allegedly poisoned with over 80 grams of

arsenic in a cup of cocoa - was this the first case of 'Death

by Chocolate'?

The graveyard is open every day and makes a great

lunchtime spot in the

middle of the city.

off Greendyke Street

The Green is the oldest of the city's parks. In 1450, Bishop

Turnbull gifted the common lands of Glasgow Green to the

people of Glasgow. Initially it was used for washing,

bleaching linen, grazing, drying fishing nets and for

swimming.

For centuries it functioned as the city’s only green public

open space. Features to look out for are the People’s Palace

and Winter Gardens, The Doulton Fountain the largest

terracotta fountain in the world, Templeton’s Carpet

Factory/

WEST

Brewery and

the towering

Lord Nelson

monument.

Find these places to eat and drink on the way …

138 Queen Street

This is a casual dining

restaurant with 'an eclectic mix of funky and contemporary'

style. It serves up freshly made soups, burritos, nachos,

tacos, chilli con carne and salads, to eat in or take away.

The restaurant is also fully licensed and stocks beer, wine

and

Margarit

as to

get you

into the

Mexican

mood!

15 John Street

This authentic family-run restaurant offers quality food at

excellent value in a friendly, vibrant atmosphere; including

an outdoor seating area should the weather permit. Savvy

shoppers may like to pop into the ‘mini-Milan’ that is The

Italian Centre.

51-53 Cochrane Street.

Brought to you by the same people behind Guy’s Restaurant

& Bar, this relaxed café offers an extensive menu from

coffees, breakfasts and pastries to sushi, sandwiches and

salads.

Take a break and choose to eat in or pick up some snacks

for a park picnic.

Overlooking the Necropolis discover this 19th century

building in the style of a Scottish castle, complete with turrets

and a spiral stone staircase. Their café/bar is the ideal stop

for light bites and refreshments.

2-6 Ingram Street

Sapporo Teppanyaki prides itself in offering a unique and,

at times, highly dramatic

dining experience.

Emphasis is focused on

excellent service, great

food, a child-friendly

environment and first class

hospitality, all served

against a background of

stylish Japanese décor.

56 - 58 Ingram Street

Ingram Wynd offers contemporary Scottish cuisine in a great

Victorian-style period dining room. The kitchen only use

Scottish-sourced produce, so you can tuck into Loch Duart

salmon, roast Jerusalem artichoke or marinated venison and

skirlie. They also have a lovely beer garden with a separate

bar and snack menu.

Candleriggs & Bell Street

At the heart of the Merchant City, Merchant Square

has a great range of family-friendly restaurants and cafes,

with bistro-style seating. For nights out there are bars

specialising in beer, wine and cocktails. Throughout the

year, you’ll find regular events and markets, all set in the

beautiful, covered courtyard.

89-91

Candleriggs

Just across the road from Merchant Square, is the cool and

relaxed Bar 91 offering café-style drinking and dining. They

have a robust daytime menu of ‘wee plates’, chunky

sandwiches, salads and burgers as well as a more

streamline evening menu available till 9pm, most nights. In

the summer, you can sit outside at their street café tables

and

soak

up the

sun.

97 - 99 Candleriggs

One of Glasgow’s finest fish and seafood restaurants, City

Merchant’s has rustic ambience, locally sourced produce,

modern and traditional dishes and plenty of Glaswegian

hospitality.

27 Trongate.

This contemporary café

serves delicious Bei &

Nannini Coffee with

homemade baking, perfect for a cake stop. Earlier in the

day there’s a fantastic breakfast menu of Eggs Benedict,

Pancakes and breakfast bagels. While lunchtime offers

include freshly made soups, crusty bread sandwiches and

scrumptious salads.

Building 4, Templeton Building, Glasgow Green

WEST are a proud and passionate business and it is their

mission to brew the finest beer produced in the UK, to serve

all customers, as best they can.

They have recently won a Family Restaurant of the Year

Award and have a lovely outdoor seating area, complete

with garden benches.

We would like to give special thanks for assistance producing this publication to: Friends

of the Necropolis, Glasgow Life, Glasgow City Council, Pinto, Piazza Italia, Wee Guy’s

Café, Cathedral House Hotel, Sapporo Teppanyaki, Ingram Wynd, Merchant Square,

Bar 91, City Merchant, Rose & Grants and WEST Brewery.

www.merchantcityglasgow.com

Merchant City Tourism & Marketing Cooperative

27-29 Trongate, Glasgow, Scotland, G1 5EZ

Tel: 0141 552 5255

A Company Limited by Guarantee Registered in Scotland No: 341479

A Local Enterprise Funded by Glasgow City Council, Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Government

and BIDS (Business Improvement Districts Scotland).