Making the transition from Arran to Edinburgh, I was very excited to experience the city life of Scotland versus the countryside that I had just spent almost a week in. Our hostel was located right in the center of it all. Busy streets, loud music, and people everywhere.
Our first night in Edinburgh we decided to check out a few pubs. The first was The City Café. The ambiance was great but their prices weren’t so great. We didn’t stay long and moved on to hunt for another place nearby. Unsure of where to go or what places were the best for people our age and with our budget, we met a small group of people on the street. After chatting for a bit we managed to mosey our way into a place known as “The Caves”. At first glance it seems like a typical bar with lounge seats, tables, bar stools and hip hop music. Then you are directed upstairs and back downstairs in another direction. As you are walking down it gets a little darker at each step. The rooms were so dark that you couldn’t tell who the person was right in front of you. We decided to stay and explore the rest of the place. The entire basement-like setup was divided into separate rooms where each one had different music playing. What was strange was that none of the rooms had music playing over each other. Because the walls were similar to what I would consider as a dungeon, each room was practically soundproof. It made a great experience for dancing.
Glasgow’s nightlife has an entirely different feel. The difference between the two urban cities is that Edinburgh had a college town feel and Glasgow feels much bigger. Even walking to and from the pubs in Glasgow was more nerve racking; although, the variety of bars and pubs were great especially since most of them were all on the same street. Emily, Audrey and I only explored Glasgow for one night but that was all we needed.
Our first stop was to a smaller joint with indie and alternative music that we didn’t stay at for long. On our way there we passed a place around the corner called Driftwood. Because it was getting late we were only there for about 30 minutes before the lights came on and people started pouring out of their doors. At this point we had lost hope of finding a fun place to dance and meet the locals.
We walked down the street for maybe a block and stumbled onto this place called The Garage. We should have known that it would be unlike anywhere else we had been before because their sign about their door is the front half of a semi truck emerging from the brick wall and the first thing I read when walking in was “CAUTION: music is very loud, please see a staff member for earplugs if needed.” This place turned out to be the best one we had been to since we have been in Scotland. Actually it was probably the best bar I have ever been to. Inside there was a bounce house and their prices definitely fit a college student lifestyle. Not to mention, their playlist for the night was nothing short of perfect. Even the bars in Glasgow are proud to play musical geniuses like Nelly. Everyone was so nice every place we went. Whether it was to grab a bite to eat or have a few drinks, we could always count on feeling welcomed. I will definitely be back.
Tara
Our first night in Edinburgh we decided to check out a few pubs. The first was The City Café. The ambiance was great but their prices weren’t so great. We didn’t stay long and moved on to hunt for another place nearby. Unsure of where to go or what places were the best for people our age and with our budget, we met a small group of people on the street. After chatting for a bit we managed to mosey our way into a place known as “The Caves”. At first glance it seems like a typical bar with lounge seats, tables, bar stools and hip hop music. Then you are directed upstairs and back downstairs in another direction. As you are walking down it gets a little darker at each step. The rooms were so dark that you couldn’t tell who the person was right in front of you. We decided to stay and explore the rest of the place. The entire basement-like setup was divided into separate rooms where each one had different music playing. What was strange was that none of the rooms had music playing over each other. Because the walls were similar to what I would consider as a dungeon, each room was practically soundproof. It made a great experience for dancing.
Glasgow’s nightlife has an entirely different feel. The difference between the two urban cities is that Edinburgh had a college town feel and Glasgow feels much bigger. Even walking to and from the pubs in Glasgow was more nerve racking; although, the variety of bars and pubs were great especially since most of them were all on the same street. Emily, Audrey and I only explored Glasgow for one night but that was all we needed.
Our first stop was to a smaller joint with indie and alternative music that we didn’t stay at for long. On our way there we passed a place around the corner called Driftwood. Because it was getting late we were only there for about 30 minutes before the lights came on and people started pouring out of their doors. At this point we had lost hope of finding a fun place to dance and meet the locals.
We walked down the street for maybe a block and stumbled onto this place called The Garage. We should have known that it would be unlike anywhere else we had been before because their sign about their door is the front half of a semi truck emerging from the brick wall and the first thing I read when walking in was “CAUTION: music is very loud, please see a staff member for earplugs if needed.” This place turned out to be the best one we had been to since we have been in Scotland. Actually it was probably the best bar I have ever been to. Inside there was a bounce house and their prices definitely fit a college student lifestyle. Not to mention, their playlist for the night was nothing short of perfect. Even the bars in Glasgow are proud to play musical geniuses like Nelly. Everyone was so nice every place we went. Whether it was to grab a bite to eat or have a few drinks, we could always count on feeling welcomed. I will definitely be back.
Tara